Hunter Valley vineyard escapes discounted for the cooler months

With the peak summer season now in in the rear-view mirror, canny travellers can pick up some autumn and winter travel bargains.

The Lane Retreat, Bimbadgen, in the Hunter Valley has just launched a Signature Stay package offering savings of up to 25%, inviting guests to slow down and savour wine country.

Set on 15 hectares of vineyards and natural bushland, The Lane Retreat offers a country escape paired with premium food and wine experiences. The new package is available for stays until August 31.

The Lane Retreat Signature Stay package includes two nights in a premium king or twin studio, continental breakfast provisions, a $100 restaurant and beverage credit available to use at Bimbadgen Cellar Door, Bimbadgen Pizzeria, Esca Bimbadgen, Alter Wines at Emma's Cottage or The Lane Retreat's Pantry, a signature wine tasting of five wines with paired Cocoa Nib chocolates at Alter Wines Cellar Door, Emma's Cottage and a gourmet picnic with a bottle of wine, as well as a late checkout.

It is priced from $319 per night (two-night minimum),  

Developed by property and hospitality group Mulpha Australia in the grounds of Bimbadgen’s 50-year-old vineyards, The Lane Retreat offers 60 luxe studio retreats with outdoor decks that offer views of the Broken Back Range or Bimbadgen vineyards.

Each studio retreat has king bedding, a bathroom with double rain head showers and Hunter bathroom amenities, a kitchenette with coffee maker, toaster, microwave and mini bar, and gourmet breakfast provisions supplied daily.

The property now features a new swimming pool and amenities and guests enjoy VIP access to Bimbadgen’s flagship restaurant Esca and associated eateries.

Book online at www.thelaneretreat.com.au

A very long vintage kicks off in Tasmania

Tasmania is a small island with a number of different microclimates.

The 2026 wine vintage harvesting began this week - but may not finish until June.

That means wine grape picking across the island could stretch over four months.

The grape harvest kicked off this week with the initial picking of grapes designed as sparkling wine material.

Wine Tasmania’s Viticulture & Winemaking Officer Paul Smart said the 2025-26 growing season has been anything but predictable.

“It’s been a rather unusual season here in Tasmania," Smart said.

"A very cool spring was followed by a mild summer and little rainfall, which means conditions have been dry, and grapes have ripened more slowly than usual.”

Smart confirmed harvesting activity likely to continue through to late May and potentially June for later styles and varieties like shiraz in the cooler south of the state.

“A slower season like this can be a good thing when it comes to flavour development in our wines," Smart said.

"While yields are expected to be down around 30% compared with last year’s record high production, we’re anticipating excellent quality and plenty of fruit intensity.

“Tasmania's unique climate never gets truly hot. We are an island located a long way south, and our latitude and the surrounding water leads to long seasons and intense flavours in our wines.”

With vineyards entering the most sensitive period of the season, Wine Tasmania is also reminding landholders to work with nearby vineyards if and when planning burn-offs.

“Vineyards are particularly susceptible to smoke exposure at this time of year," Smart said.

"We’re simply asking people to have a quick proactive conversation with nearby vineyards before lighting a fire. Sometimes there may be limited risk based on weather conditions and the stage of harvest. Sometimes a short postponement may be all that’s needed to avoid potential damage.”

Wine Tasmania continues to work closely with the Tasmania Fire Service, Sustainable Timber Tasmania and the Parks & Wildlife Service to balance community safety with protecting vineyards.

Carnival Cruises under fire from union

Global cruise industry giant Carnival Cruises has been accused of running a rort. 

The Maritime Union of Australia says Carnival Cruises is running a sham “home porting” operation in Australia while refusing to comply with basic Australian workplace safety laws.

Officials from the MUA this week ccompanied government safety inspectors from SafeWork NSW to an inspection of the cruise vessel Carnival Adventure in New South Wales waters, berthed alongside a NSW Government owned and operated passenger wharf at Circular Quay.

“The actions of Carnival Cruises alongside Circular Quay yesterday were a breach of state safety laws and they will now be prosecuted”, MUA assistant national secretary Jamie Newlyn said.

Changes to the laws in New South Wales activated this month allow worker safety organisations like the Maritime Union of Australia to launch proceedings in the state’s industrial courts to penalise companies who refuse to follow workplace health and safety laws. 

The maximum penalty for refusing, delaying or obstructing the entry of a WHS entry permit holder is $74,849 per incident. The Union and SafeWork NSW have now been refused entry on three separate occasions.

Despite marketing the vessel as being “home ported” in Australia, Carnival has repeatedly refused to recognise the lawful rights of Australian workplace safety officials and union permit holders to access the ship and consult with workers, the union says.

Under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (NSW), authorised inspectors and WHS entry permit holders have a lawful right to enter workplaces to consult with workers and advise them about their health and safety rights.

Newlyn said Carnival’s conduct raised serious questions about whether they should continue enjoying Ministerial exemptions to the Coastal Trading Act which allow them to operate foreign flagged ships in Australian waters.

“Carnival claims vessels like the Carnival Adventure are ‘home ported’ in Australia when it suits their marketing department, but when it comes to obeying Australian laws they suddenly pretend those laws don’t apply to them,” Newlyn said.

“You can’t have it both ways. If you are operating out of Australian ports, carrying Australian passengers, and marketing yourself as part of the Australian tourism industry, then you must obey Australian workplace safety laws.” 

Leading travel agent urges clients not to panic

One of Australia's leading travel agents has urged clients not to panic over the crisis sparked by Donald Trump in the Middle East.

"As parts of the world experience temporary travel disruptions, we wanted to keep you informed and reassure you that we will continue to support you," Mary Rossi Travel told clients in a newsletter.

"At this stage, there is no need to make any changes to travel plans scheduled for April 2026 onwards.

"While the situation continues to evolve, we are closely monitoring developments across the Middle East and staying up to date through airlines, government authorities, and our partners on the ground.

"We are also working directly with our airline partners to understand their policies around rescheduling and cancellations, ensuring we can provide the most accurate and timely guidance.

"In the short term, access to Europe is currently more limited as some travellers are choosing to reroute via Asia; however, availability beyond the next few weeks is expected to stabilise.

"Encouragingly, the majority of destinations worldwide continue to operate as normal, and many of our clients are currently travelling and enjoying their holidays without disruption.

"While some airlines - including Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways - are currently operating with reduced services, we remain optimistic that regular schedules will resume in the near future."

So there you go.

Image: Walter Pucher, Scop,io     

Snoop Dogg's latest wine pays tribute to a musical milestone

I love a wide range of musical genres from Led Zeppelin, to Smokey Robinson and the Miracles to Jerry Jeff Walker. 

I have not, however, become enamoured with the music of wine mogul Snoop Dogg, or his departed friend Tupac Shakur. 

Which means I was blissfully unaware that this year marks the  30th anniversary of one of rap's most iconic collabs: 2 Of Amerikaz Most Wanted. 

To mark this momentous milestone, wine brand Cali By Snoop has dropped (I think that means released) Kingz of Cali, a wine that is a personal tribute from Snoop Dogg to Tupac. 

I'm reliably told that Australia has a deep love of West Coast hip-hop. And Kingz of Cali is a red blend that celebrates the history of two of hip-hop’s greatest superstars.

Along with the tribute featuring on the bottle, Snoop Dogg also stars in a homage film, where Mr Broadus reminisces on their experience together and pours a glass of wine in Tupac’s honour. 

The film also features rare, archival behind-the-scenes footage from the music video for “2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted.”

“It’s hard to believe it’s been 30 years since Pac and I got together to make 2 of Amerikaz Most Wanted," says Mr Dogg. .

"Nobody did it like us, and I can’t think of a better way to honour his legacy than with a drink.” 

Kingz of Cali was inspired by a time in Snoop and Tupac’s history where they came together as young artists. 

The label design is inspired by a moment etched in hip-hop history at the 1996 VMA Awards, featuring Snoop Dogg and Tupac. 

Here comes the hype: 

“It’s been an absolute privilege to work with Snoop Dogg and the Tupac Estate to develop a wine celebrating this historic collaboration, and worthy of two of hip-hops greatest Icons,” said John Wardley, senior vice president of brand, innovation, and partnerships at Treasury Wine Estates.

 “The “Cali by Snoop” range has always pushed the boundaries of traditional wine culture. We are proud to honour Tupac and Snoop's legacy with a truly unique wine.”

I'm not sure what makes it "truly unique". It is a shiraz-driven red blend from the US. 

Kingz of Cali is available for an RRP of $18 at Dan Murphy’s and BWS stores. For more info see CaliBySnoop.com.

And here's a link to the very unGhetto video: https://youtu.be/E2C2EBAsZ5Q

Oops: alcohol-free beer tastes just like the real thing

An alcohol-free beer that tastes just like the real thing?

No such luck. Just a labelling error.

More than 2,500 cases of Steinlager beer were recalled in New Zealand earlier this month after bottles containing alcohol were incorrectly labelled as alcohol free, drinks business reported.

The recall followed a consumer complaint that uncovered a production error at Lion NZ.

Authorities warned consumers avoiding alcohol not to drink the product and to return it for a refund.

Lion NZ issued a recall of Steinlager Ultra Low Carb beer after the bottles containing alcohol were incorrectly labelled as alcohol free.

The affected batch consisted of 2,538 cases. Each case contains 24 bottles of 330ml with a best-before date of October 21, 2026.

In a statement, a Lion NZ spokesperson said: “We have identified through a consumer complaint, an error in a production run resulting in clear bottles containing Steinlager Ultra Low Carb beer ABV 4.2% incorrectly labelled as Steinlager Alcohol Free, being sold in Steinlager Ultra Low Carb 24 packs. 

"Cases may contain a mix of clear bottles with labels for both products.

“Consumer safety is our highest priority, and we want to sincerely apologise to customers and consumers for any distress or concern caused."

New Zealand's Ministry for Primary emphasised the recall did not affect any other Steinlager brand products.