Dark Lark is a seasonal Tasmanian treat

Winter in Tasmania is long, cold and dark.

It's the perfect time, then, for the sixth seasonal release of No. 166 Dark Lark 2026.

The limited-release whisky is housed in a matte black 700mL bottle - a dark, moody exterior that houses a Tasmanian single malt.

It's a bit late, to be honest, in that it is promoted as signalling "the arrival of winter and the ritual that comes with it". It's also a bit behind the Dark Mofo festival.

Crafted by master sistiller Chris Thomson and the Lark team, this year’s expression is promoted as "leaning into deep indulgence: sticky figs, dark chocolate-covered cherries and espresso gelato, lifted by lemon shortbread and soft honey."

It sounds delicious. I'll report back once I've tried it.

No.166 Dark Lank 2026 is available from today via larkdistillery.com and Hobart venues. The RRP is $150.

Michelin to rank wine estates

Michelin ranks restaurants around the world - and charges regions handsomely for the privilege. 

It has also started rating hotels - posing questions about the qualifications and the experience of its un-named judges. 

And now the Michelin guides are going further into the rankings business with the launch of Michel Grape, a "new distinction spotlighting wine estates and producers across different regions of the world".

Michelin says: With this new distinction, we provide wine lovers with a trusted benchmark."

The ratings system, to be launched in Burgundy before rolling out worldwide, will cover three classifications.

Three Michelin grapes will be awarded to exceptional producers. Whatever the vintage, wine lovers can turn to the estate’s creations with complete confidence.

Two Michelin grapes will signify excellent producers who stand out as exceptional within their peer group and region for both quality and consistency.

One Michelin grapes will recognise very good producers who craft wines of character and style, especially in the best vintages.

Hmm.  

#MICHELINGuide #MICHELINGuideWine #MICHELINgrape

When human interaction trounces AI

Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing the tourism landscape but one major travel company is still banking on human interaction.

AI is influencing everything from how guests discover destinations and build itineraries to how hospitality brands anticipate needs and create seamless experiences.

andBeyond chief marketing officer Nicole Robinson says that as technology becomes more embedded in the travel journey, the value of genuine human interaction will only increase.

While AI will efficiency, personalisation and convenience, Robinson says the true measure of luxury will move beyond what technology can deliver and towards how deeply a guest feels understood.

She says that for andBeyond, AI presents an opportunity to support hospitality teams behind the scenes, helping with everything from more intelligent itinerary planning and operational precision to creating greater continuity across a guest’s journey. 

But technology should enhance the human experience rather than replace it. 

“The guest should not feel the technology; they should feel the care it makes possible,” says Robinson.

“There is a difference between being targeted and being understood. 

"One feels automated. The other feels generous. Technology can help us gather information, but our people are what turn that information into meaning.”

* andBeyond is a luxury experiential travel company that specialises in high-end, sustainable safaris and tours in Africa, South America, and Asia.

Image: Benguerra Island's andBeyond staff with lanterns

Festival to celebrate Agatha Christie milestones

Fifty years after he death, thriller writer Agatha Christie remains a towering literary figure. 

The late author will again be celebrated at the 2026 Agatha Christie Festival, which will attract fans from all over the world to her home territory in Devon, England. 

The nine-day celebration in Torquay will also commemorate the 100th anniversary of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and the 50th anniversary of the final Miss Marple novel Sleeping Murder. 

The festival will run from September 12-20 and will include a four-day Fringe Festival, featuring events at hidden locations linked to Christie. 

Highlights will include a journey on the Dartmouth Steam Railway, a riverboat cruise on the River Dart, and underground screenings at Kents Cavern. 

In collaboration with the British Red Cross, the festival will host "What Agatha Did in the Great War" at Torquay Town Hall, celebrating Christie's voluntary work during the war. 

“We have worked hard to create one of the biggest and most enjoyable festivals yet," says 

Matt Newbury, creative director of the festival. 

There were over 8,000 attendees from 30 countries for the 2025 event. 

See https://www.iacf-uk.org/

Passenger trains to link Finland with Sweden after four decades

Getting around Scandinavia is about to become a lot easier with the resumption of cross-border passenger trains between Finland and Sweden after a period of almost four decades. 

The return of regular cross-border rail services will mark a major milestone for regional connectivity across the Nordic region, Arctic Observer reported.

Finnish state railway operator VR has announced that passenger services between Oulu and Haparanda will begin on August 10, marking the first regular passenger rail connection between the two countries since 1988. 

The new route is expected to improve mobility, strengthen economic ties, and provide travellers with a sustainable alternative to air and road transport, local media reported.

The reopening reconnects Finland's railway network with Sweden's, allowing passengers to travel seamlessly from northern Finland into Sweden, with onward connections to Luleå, Boden, Stockholm, and the wider European rail network.

VR says the new cross-border service will operate every day, offering two departures in each direction daily: a total of 28 passenger services per week

VR has not yet announced official ticket prices for the new service.

Official pricing will be published once reservations open.

For Finnish travellers, the restored link also creates a practical all-rail route into Sweden and mainland Europe, reducing reliance on domestic flights for international travel.

Champagne readies for record early grape harvest

Winemakers in Champagne are predicting a record early harvest. 

Following an unusually early and heavily frost-damaged start to the season, followed by recent heatwave conditions, Champagne could be on course for the earliest start date for harvesting in its long history, trade news hub drinks business is reporting.

Region’s newspaper L’Union reported the feats and representatives from Champagne Canard-Duchêne and Louis Roederer said picking is predicted to begin on August 15 with some warmer sites possibly harvesting earier. 

Speaking to db, Roederer cellar master Jean-Baptiste Lécaillon said that the official start date is August 15, but “some places may start a few days before, such as Montgueux, which is an exceptionally sunny site.” 

Montgueux is a chalk hill located 10km west of Troyes in the Aube department, sometimes called the ‘Montrachet of Champagne’ for its unusually ripe Chardonnay.

Should picking begin on August 10 in Montgueux, that would mark the earliest harvesting on record in Champagne, with Lécaillon noting that some had started bringing in grapes as early as August13  in 2020, following an extremely hot summer – although the official start date that year was four days later.

The earliest official start to harvesting in Champagne on record is 2020, when picking began on August 17. 

Lécaillon said that the grapes were healthy, with bunches “forming well,” and, despite the hot dry conditions. 

Canard-Duchêne winemaker Cynthia Fossier said: "Today the vineyard is beautiful, but the temperature is too high.”