Meet a liquid take on the Raspberry Lamington

Calling wine lovers with a sweet tooth.

The innovative Patisserie Wines brand is expanding its collection through a new collaboration with renowned Australian pâtissier Reece Hignell, the founder of Cakeboi (above).

Patisserie Raspberry Lamington Rosé, a frizzante wine, is inspired by one of Hignell's signature creations.

Patisserie was launched in 2025 to reimagine the wine experience through flavours inspired by desserts and sweet treats. So not for your tweed jacket-wearing Claret drinker.

“Patisserie, since launch, has been a fun flavour journey for all involved,’ says Ross Marshall, managing director at Fourth Wave Wine.

"In seeking enjoyment and deliciousness above all, working with Reece was a wonderful chance to take the decadent drinks experience even further. Turning one of Australia’s most loved cakes - and a signature Cakeboi creation - into a sparkling wine will be a great addition to the Patisserie range.”

Patisserie Raspberry Lamington Rosé is now available at Dan Murphy stores nationally for an RRP of $26.99.

For more info see www.patisseriewines.com.

New architect-designed cabins put Orange on the national design map

Orange, in the Central West of New South Wales, is one of the most enticing wine regions within striking distance of Sydney. 

Now a striking new pair of architecturally designed cabins has opened on a working cattle farm just outside Orange, offering visitors a unique off-grid retreat. 

pc3orange comprises two steel-framed cabins inspired by the simple form of a tent and the curve of a pipi shell. The retreats are the third instalment in the celebrated Permanent Camping series by Casey Brown Architecture, following earlier projects in the same Australian state: at Mudgee and Berry.

Each self-contained cabin distils the idea of a retreat down to its essentials: a bed, a deck, a fireplace, a bathroom and a place to sit and watch the world go by. 

Inside, recycled ironbark lines the walls and ceilings, custom steel benches finished in a deep "volcanic orange" duco add a sculptural touch, and circular skylights frame views of the surrounding gum trees and night sky. 

A slow-combustion wood heater with a stone hearth set into the timber floor, fully louvred bathrooms, and Japanese-inspired furniture complete the considered interiors.

Owner Andrew Kermode said the cabins were designed to give visitors a genuine sense of reconnection, both with the landscape and with each other. 

"From the moment you arrive, the soaring steel forms are the first thing you notice," Kermode said. "They sit so naturally as part of the landscape, but inside it's all warmth, timber and quiet luxury. 

"This is a part of the country that throws everything at a building: cold winters with snow heavy enough to bring down trees, hot, bushfire-prone summers, strong winds sweeping across open paddocks, and termites that make timber construction a real risk," said project manager Daniel Weber said.

"So the response had to be robust as well as beautiful. Each cabin is built entirely from steel, clad in corten so it weathers into the landscape rather than fighting it. 

"From a distance the cabins read almost like rusted tents dropped into the paddock, but up close every element has been resolved with real precision. It's a small building, but it's not a house shrunk down. It's its own considered response to this particular place, and we think it gives Orange something genuinely unique." he said.

pc3orange was shortlisted in the Small Project category of the 2026 Australian Institute of Architects awards. 

Bookings and further info at www.pc3orange.au.

New look, new vibe for leading Australian wine brand

Hardys, one of Australia’s historic wine brands, is to get a global brand transformation starting in the UK market.

A radical portfolio and packaging overhaul across its three core ranges, will give each a clearer and more distinctive role within the portfolio, brand owner Vinarchy reports.

Stamp puts the Hardy's horseman icon front and centre, VR becomes Voyaging Range, and Crest becomes Core, "the beating heart of the brand".

The new look will go live in the UK in November.

“Hardys is one of Australia’s most legendary wine brands, and its recognition and consumer trust give us a very strong place to start," says Lucy Bearman, global brand director for Hardys at Vinarchy, said:

"But the epic story behind the brand hasn’t always been visible to shoppers. Consumers told us they found the brand confusing, with too many tiers, products and price points, and that the packaging had started to feel tired.

“We saw a real opportunity to change that. We’ve overhauled everything, from brand architecture, wines and packaging to positioning and how we tell our story, so Hardys is easier to shop, more modern on shelf and more emotionally engaging.

"Our ambition is to return Hardys to its place as the number one Australian wine brand.”

Thomas Hardy arrived in Australia from Devon in England in 1850 with £30 and established the brand three years later.

See www.vinarchy.com.

Discover Britain's great grape robbery

Crafty thieves struck in the middle of the night to carry out Britain's great grape robbery. 

 
A vineyard owner in Norfolk told the BBC he had discovered the theft of about 500kg of his ready to pick wine grapes. 

Lee Dyer, from Winbirri Vineyard (above) in Surlingham, outside Norwich, realised some of his rows had been "completely stripped" when he started this year's harvest.

"The biggest impact is that's 400 bottles we now won't have," Dyer said. He has reported the crime to Norfolk Police.

It was the second year running that thieves had stolen grapes from Winbirri Vineyard, which was set up by Dyer's father Stephen in 2007.

He told the BBC that he believed the theft took place during the evening and it had been committed by a "good picking crew... used to doing what they were doing".

"We have been in the vineyard seven days a week in the middle of our harvest while this happened - to pick 500 kilos is going to take a few people, it's not a one-person operation," he added.

Prominent Tasmanian wine business for sale

Ever dreamed of moving to Tasmania and running a vineyard and wine business?

Now is your chance with Craigie Knowe, the oldest vineyard on the east coast of the island state, hitting the market as a going concern.

The landmark 19.17-hectare estate runs as a hospitality, tourism and agricultural enterprise, with 3.54-hectare vineyard at its heart.

The first vines were planted here in 1979, and the Freycinet Coast business includes a cellar door, vineyard restaurant and potential for events.

The vineyard is planted to pinot noir, Bordeaux red varieties and riesling - and there is potential for vineyard expansion.

Hobart dentist and wine pioneer John Austwick planted vines on the site, which as been owned by Glenn Travers and family since 2013.

The estate is anchored by an impressive circa-1836 stone residence with period features and traditional fireplaces.

The property also includes Flora's Restaurant with a commercial kitchen built in 2022.

 It is also registered as a campground and has storage facilities, workshop facilities, vineyard machinery, bird netting, fencing and sheep yards.

The sale offering also includes approx. $1.3 million of finished and part finished wine stock at cost.

Craigie Knowe Vineyard is available for sale by Expression of Interest. For further information, please contact Andrew ‘Gus’ Dean of AWN Tasmania on 0418 143 577. 

See https://www.awnproperty.net/property?property_id=1864322 

Lufthansa Group bets big on Japanese destinations

German aviation giant Lufthansa Group is going hard on flights to Japan and will offer 50 flights a week during the 2027 summer season.

This marks a significantly expanded service due to a strong increase in demand. 

Lufthansa is resuming its direct Frankfurt to Nagoya service as well as adding an additional daily flight to Tokyo-Narita to its Tokyo service. 

Stablemate SWISS is also expanding capacity the Lufthansa brands as the leading European airline group in this market. SWISS will have up to seven weekly flights from Zurich to Tokyo-Narita.

Nagoya is one of Japan’s most important industrial and economic centres with Aichi Prefecture the main centre for the country’s automotive industry and other manufacturing companies. 

“Japan is a key market for the Lufthansa Group, and we are pleased to further strengthen our presence with additional capacity and the resumption of flights to Nagoya," says says Dieter Vranckx, Chief Commercial Officer of Lufthansa Group.

"Together with our expanded Tokyo services, these investments provide our customers with more travel options and support the continued diversification of our intercontinental network. 

"As the leading European airline group in Japan, we remain committed to connecting people, cultures and economies between Europe and Japan.”

In total, the Lufthansa Group’s hub airlines - Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines, SWISS, and ITA Airways will fly to Tokyo-Haneda, Tokyo-Narita, Osaka, and Nagoya.