Why tourism is booming in Spain

Spain is enjoying a tourism boom despite global uncertainty. 

Tourism officials and analysts expect an uptick in demand despite issues in the Middle East, travel industry news hub Travel Mole reports.

 
Some travellers, particularly from Europe, are reconsidering long-haul trips to the Middle East, and, by extension, to Asia. 

And as oil prices rise amid Gulf tensions, airfares - especially for long-haul routes - are expected to increase. This dynamic tends to favour short- and medium-haul destinations in Europe. 

Spain and cities like Madrid (above) and Barcelona, is set to benefit directly from this shift, particularly in key source markets such as the United Kingdom, Germany, and France. 

The country, seen as a safe, stable, and easily accessible destination, is well placed to capture redirected demand. 

Spain finished 2025 with 97 million foreign arrivals, official government data shows: up 3.5% from 2024. That made it was the second most-visited country in the world behind France.

It is targeting over 10 million visitors in 2026.

New restaurant is a tribute to a legend

 

Mietta O'Donnell was a legendary Melbourne restaurateur, who is fondly remember a quarter of a century after her death.

Mietta's was an conic restaurant much loved by the the city's movers and shakers, and O'Donnell was  also an influential figure in the arts and cultural world.

Now a new restaurant named in her honour: Miettas, has opened as a fine dining destination at The Queenscliff Hotel on the Ballarine Peninsula, where she once oversaw the property when it was Mietta's Queenscliff in the 1970s.

With a kitchen brigade led by executive chef Salvatore Giorgio, Miettas aims to establish itself as a destination restaurant, with a one-seating-per-service model "designed to create a relaxed and elevated experience". 

Giorgio, former owner and chef of Bar Taralli, has built "a strong reputation for honest, flavour-driven cooking grounded in southern Italian tradition", the local tourism authority reports. The chef has worked at kitchens including Marnong Estate, Scopri, and Bar Bambi.

The menu includes hand-crafted pasta, local seafood and premium meats with an Italian accent. 

There are two degustation menus for $115 and $135 per person, as well as vegetarian and Vegan options.

See thequeenscliffhotel.com.au

Chardonnay May to showcase one grape in style

The month of May sees wine producers in the Adelaide Hills promoting local chardonnays with tastings, lunches and dinners all featuring the classic white grape for Chardonnay May.

Many of the cellar doors will host curated tastings, new-release showcases, museum and back-vintage pours, and immersive wine experiences.

May will see more than 30 chardonnay-themed experiences, with a Chardonnay Trail Passport available to help guide your trek.

“Chardonnay is the flagship white grape variety for the Adelaide Hills, with examples produced within the region rivalling the very best,” says Adelaide Hills Wine Region president Alex Trescowthick.

“Chardonnay May puts a spotlight on our region’s ability to produce world-class chardonnay, as well as the growing recognition for our Sparkling Blanc de Blancs. 

"For the month of May, we are all things chardonnay as we celebrate the different styles produced throughout the Hills. We invite everyone to come and discover Adelaide Hills chardonnay.”

One of the showcase events is the The Chardonnay Collective on May 16, featuring four courses of food, eight producers and eight wines over one evening.

The event will see some of the Adelaide Hills’ leading chardonnay producers joining together.

Chef John Simpson-Clements at Mount Lofty Ranges Vineyard will created the four-course degustation showing off seasonal South Australian produce.

Each dish will be served alongside two premium Adelaide Hills chardonnays, showcasing the diversity of the region, from Lenswood to the Piccadilly Valley and beyond. And every wine will be poured blind.

No labels. No hints. Not even the producers know what’s in the glass. Which sounds a lot of fun.

Producers include Ashton Hills , Gentle Folk, Koerner, Mt Lofty Ranges Vineyard, Murdoch Hill, Shaw +Smith, Sidewood Estate and Vella Wines.

The event costs $245 per person. Book Here.

Another highlight of the program is the Tasting Australia event Adelaide Hills Chardonnay Heroes, to be held on May 9 at Mount Lofty House.

This special dinner will feature a line-up of the region’s top award-winning chardonnays.

Further details on individual events and offerings can be found at adelaidehillswine.com.au Chardonnay May

Image: Duy Dash 

French vineyards facing frost threat

A late cold snap is causing concern for grape growers across France. 

Vignerons across the country, from Champagne in the north to the Var in the south, fear frosts causing damage to vines that are well ahead of schedule in their development, wine news service Vitisphere reported. 

Vines emerged from dormancy two or three weeks ahead of schedule, making the icy conditions serious concern as growers used heated pots to prevent frost from destroying the buds on their vines.

"We're going to have to endure the frost and wait to assess the damage to the vines," industry news hub Vitisphere reported growers as saying. 

"Whether it's tonight or the nights to come, the risk of frost is confirmed in French vineyards," said Sébastien Debuisson, R&D Director of the Comité Champagne. 

"For many areas, the question isn't whether it will freeze, but how severe it will be."

There are forecasts for this week of -3 to -4°C in sheltered areas in Champagne. Growers in Chablis reported even lower overnight temperatures late last week.   

"A cold air mass is common at this time of year," Debuisson said. 

"What is unusual is the exceptional advancement of the vines: between 15 days and three weeks, especially for chardonnay but also for pinot noir, depending on the sector."  

Image: Vineyards in Quincy, Vitisphere

Experienced new chef aims to showcase local flavours

The South Coast of New South Wales has emerged as a serious gourmet destination in recent years, with Cupitt's Estate among the flagbearers.

At a time when consumer spending has tightened, the South Coast has seen restaurant dining numbers in the region increase by 15-16% across January and February compared to 2025, data shows.

Riding the continuing wave, Cupitt’s has appointed experienced Ryan Smith as executive chef, with Smith bringing more than 27 years of international culinary experience to the role.

Smith joins Cupitt’s Estate following an extensive career spanning fine dining kitchens in Sydney (Banc and Restaurant Balzac) and London, including events where has cooked for the British Royal Family.

His career includes a spell at London's The Square. Following this, he took on a head chef role within the Bill Granger restaurant group in the UK.

Closer to home, Smith has previously served as head chef at Rick Stein at Bannisters and says returning to the region feels like coming home.

His parents live locally, and he has strong South Coast connections.

Smith says his focus at Cupitt's Estate will centre on what he believes is the key to the success of regional restaurants; exceptional local produce, cooked simply and served fresh.

“Regional dining works when you embrace what’s around you," he says. "For us, that’s the local seafood and produce and the people farming and growing it. The closer you can get ingredients to the plate, the better the result.”

Libby Cupitt, strategic partnerships Manager at Cupitt’s, says: “The South Coast dining scene has evolved significantly in recent years and we see Cupitt’s Estate as playing a key role in that continued growth.

“There’s great producers, passionate chefs and a real appreciation from diners for quality local food matched to great wine.”

# Cupitt’s Estate is located nestled between Milton and Ulladulla and offers a winery, the restaurant, and luxury accommodation on site in the form of 10 architecturally designed stand-alone villas I've just added it to my "to do" list.

For more info see www.cupittsestate.com.au.

Long Island distillery sues global giant LIV Golf

You might remember LIV Golf, a group that promotes golf as a festival of drunkenness and pays some of the leading players obscene amounts of money.

It aimed to change the face of the sport but is now largely an extravagant irrelevancy - unless you are one of the lucky golfers raking in the dollars, or one of the fans fighting each other. 

Now LIV Golf has a legal issue.

A New York-based artisan distillery, Long Island Spirits, has filed a lawsuit against LIV Golf, alleging that the league depressed sales and confused customers, by selling LIV-branded products that infringed on the spirit maker’s trademark.

In a filing to the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York, the craft vodka producer claimed that the Saudi-backed golf league is infringing on its signature LiV brand by selling its own branded alcohol and apparel.

The LiV acronym originally stood for Long Island Vodka (see image right).

As well as its signature vodka, made from local potatoes, the distillery produces cocktails, whisky, RTDs and gin. It also sells its own branded t-shirts, hats and other clothing.

The Baiting Hollow (great name)-based distillery, accuses LIV Golf of “blatant trademark infringement”.

The complaint states: “Distributors, retailers, hospitality partners, and consumers have already experienced actual confusion about whether the LíV brand has affiliated with LIV Golf.

“Consumers’ mistaken belief that LIV is in league with a highly controversial and heavily commercialised venture backed by an immense foreign sovereign wealth fund is antithetical to the authentic, pioneering, craft spirit LíV brand that LIV has worked hard to build.”

Ouch.