Perth Gin Festival returns for spirit lovers

 

Calling all lovers of spirits and cocktails. 

The Perth Gin Festival returns for the sixth time later this month, taking over the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre from Friday, August 28, to Sunday, August 30.

This year, distillers from around Australia will be bringing not only their gin but also a range of other spirits, including whisky, rum, vodka, tequila and liqueurs.

A ticket gives hundreds of spirit samples to choose from (be an adult please), a tasting cup, Long Rays tonic and soda mixer samples, and a tote bag. 

The event is an opportunity to chat and taste with 40 Aussie craft distillers who will talk about how they make their gin (and other spirits) while you taste. Bottles will also be available for sale to take home.

There will also be a selection of artisanal food samples to enjoy while you sip, plus other food options to purchase. Ticket bundles are available. 

The event features two specialty masterclasses from Adelaide distiller Heaps Good and Victoria’s Heathcote Gin, while the Long Rays mixers stand will give audiences a demonstration of how to best use tonic and soda in their drinks.

You can Book here.

Looking for a private Hunter Valley getaway?

 Looking for a private Hunter Valley vineyard getaway for a family weekend? 

Hunter Valley Stays has just added The White House at Pooles Rock in Pokolbin to its portfolio of wine region accommodation options. 

The cute property has three bedrooms. 2.5 bathrooms and is a short stroll from the Pooles Rock cellar door and the Hunters Quarter gourmet complex. It sleeps up to six people.

Described as "private wine country retreat", The White House is a restored Federation-style cottage "where classic country interiors are paired with relaxed, refined luxury."

The bedrooms offer uninterrupted vineyard views and the property is just a short drive from several of the Hunter's best tasting rooms and restaurants. It is fully equipped.

As the afternoon light fades, drinks on the private verandah sound like a good idea. 

Tariffs start from: Weekend - minimum 2 nights, six guests from $895 per night (Thursday-Sunday). Midweek - minimum 2 nights, six guests from $672 per night (Monday-Wednesday). 

To celebrate the launch of The White House on Hunter Stays, guests will receive a complimentary bottle of Pooles Rock wine on arrival, complimentary wine tastings at Pooles Rock cellar door, 15% off Pooles Rock cellar door experiences and free bottle of Hunter Valley olive oil.

You can find out more at https://www.huntervalleystays.com.au/hunter-valley-accommodation/the-whitehouse-at-pooles-rock-pokolbin

An authentic taste of Italy landed in Redfern

 

When a pizza joint is packed to the rafters on a chilly midweek evening that is a very good sign.

When you sit down and are surrounded by various Italian accents and dialects, that is almost certainly a harbinger of good things. 

And so it proves at Regina La Pizzeria, a candidate for Sydney's best pizza place, in the emerging foodie destination of Wunderlich Lane, where Surry Hills meets Redfern at the intersection of Cleveland and Crown Streets.

Earlier this year, Regina La Pizzeria was awarded 3 slices in the Gambero Rosso Pizzerie d’Italia guide, becoming the only Sydney venue to receive the publication’s highest recognition 

Co-owner Matteo Ernandez, originally from the island of Lampedusa, off Sicily, was the only Australian pizza chef included in the Best Pizza Awards 2026 - The Ones to Watch, announced in Milan in June.  

Co-founder Michela Boncagni, a qualified sommelier, oversees the broader guest experience at Regina, spanning an Italian-accented wine list, and very friendly service. There is genuine hospitality on offer here. 

Before Regina, Ernandez (above) led kitchens as head pizzaiolo at Da Orazio and Matteo Double Bay.

At Regina, he works with high-hydration doughs built on a blend of semolina, tipo 1 flour, and wheat germ, using a biga recipe to achieve what he defines as a “young but expressive” dough.

We perched at the bar table overlooking the open kitchen as Matteo and his team produced a formidable array of pizza styles. 

And while pizza remains the core of the offering, the venue has evolved beyond the traditional pizzeria format, with a broader menu of hand-made pasta and seasonal dishes supported by an Italian-focused wine and cocktail program.  

At the centre of Regina’s kitchen is a dough-focused philosophy, where hydration, fermentation and baking are carefully controlled to prioritise consistency, lightness and structure. 

A key part of this approach is Ernandez's use of Molino Casillo flour, chosen for its emphasis on preserving the character of the wheat itself. 

Regina uses Australia’s first Fazzone oven (above), a traditional Italian wood-fired oven built brick by brick in Naples, reassembled in Sydney and designed specifically for contemporary-style pizza.

There are traditional favourites, along with Pan Baked Pizza (padellino), cooked in small round metal pans rather than directly on stone. 

Twice-Cooked Pizza, meanwhile, combines frying and baking techniques to create a pizza that is crisp on the outside while remaining light and airy inside.

On Tuesdays, Regina hosts Scrocchiarella pizza nights, showcasing the traditional Roman-style pizza known for its signature crunch. 

The wine list focuses on Italian producers and native varietals. We tried a San Lorenzo di Vera Rosata, a montepulciano, sangiovese blend from the Marche, and a deliciously dry and savoury Emilio Schiacca Rossobrillo Nero d'Avola from the slopes of Mount Etna.   

The same dough style also carries through to Regina’s chocolate padellino dessert, combining chocolate chips, vanilla mascarpone, mixed berries and hazelnuts.

We were, sadly, pizzaed out by this time, but did find just enough space for some delicious Sicilian-style cannoli (above) with ricotta, chocolate, and candied orange. 

Easy to recommend this place.

 Regina La Pizzeria Wunderlich Lane, Redfern, Sydney. https://www.reginalapizzeria.com

* The writer was hosted by Regina La Pizzeria 

Shining a light on unique Yukon experiences

Canada's Yukon Territory has an intriguing "otherworldliness" vibe. 

For travellers seeking an immersive winter wilderness experience Aurora Island has launched a unique way to experience one of the world's greatest natural phenomena: the aurora borealis.

This new three-day, two-night retreat by Up North Adventures is situated on an island in the middle of 10 Mile Lake, accessible by private charter flight from the Yukon’s capital, Whitehorse. 

The plane lands directly on the frozen lake. 

The all-inclusive experience includes transportation, accommodation, meals and activities, allowing guests to settle in and experience the Yukon at its most wild and serene before enjoying the northern lights.

Surrounded by snow-covered trees, the glittering lake and expansive winter skies, guests can spend their days ice fishing, snowmobiling and exploring the island on snowshoes. Or maybe having a sauna. 

Resident wildlife includes foxes, hares, moose, deer and they might spot even the elusive lynx. 

Meals are prepared using local ingredients, Maybe enjoy a campfire lunch in the snow-drenched wilderness.

In the evening, guests can chill in heated viewing spaces while enjoying uninterrupted views of Yukon’s dark skies, famous for their spectacular displays of the aurora.

Aurora Island is billed as "the ultimate setting for unforgettable winter nights as the northern lights shimmer and ripple across an inky sky".

For more info you can check out Up North Adventures – Aurora Island Adventure Retreat

* Air Canada offers daily direct flights to Vancouver from Sydney and Brisbane. Direct flights from Sydney to Vancouver are also available on Qantas. Internal flights to Whitehorse and Dawson City are available on Air North and Air Canada. Additionally, travellers now have the ability to combine WestJet and Air North on a single ticket or itinerary, offering seamless baggage transfer and convenience across Air North’s network and more than 100 WestJet destinations. 

More information, including travel guidelines, visit travelyukon.com

Rick Stein’s style shines; even if he’s not in the house

Celebrity chefs put a lot of faith in their staff when they open multiple outposts.

The big-name pan handlers are invariably on site for the first few weeks, but then they have to trust the chefs and front of house staff they have hired to make sure standards are maintained.

That's particularly important when, like restaurateur, cookery book author and television presenter Rick Stein, you have a global reputation to uphold.

Rick Stein at Coogee Beach opened just before Christmas last year and is still pulling in the crowds. The 224-seat restaurant in the same building as The InterContinental Sydney Coogee Beach hosts the signature restaurant, bar dining and courtyard terrace.

We've sampled Stein venues in Padstow in Cornwall before and when I checked in last week everything in Sydney was operating exactly as the English seafood chef, and honorary Australian, would have wished.

There was a full house for Friday lunch but everything was working with clockwork precision.

The vibe is beachfront casual - with design from Stein's Australian wife Sarah, and artworks by Australian artist Brigit Thomas adorning the walls and featuring on the front page of the menu, including a striking giant squid and a shimmering school of fish.

The staff are seasoned hospitality professionals. Giovanni and Zara, who looked after us, were hugely impressive - and the kitchen brigade delivered a very tasty repaste of trademark Stein flavours.

We selected sashimi of salmon, kingfish, tuna and scallops (above), served with wakame, pickled ginger, wasabi, sashimi dressing (freshness personified), and an absolutely superb twice-baked spanner crab soufflé with thermidor sauce (below) as our starters.

We followed up with two Padstow favourites: Rick’s fish and chips deep fried in dripping, served with chips, mushy peas and tartare sauce. The batter was crispy, the fish moist and flaky but I didn't enjoy the texture of the mushy peas. Picky. 

The Newlyn fish pie (below) was chock-a-block with salmon, ling, monkfish, prawns, mussels and mushrooms in a creamy seafood velouté, topped with breadcrumbs and parmesan.

We shared a dessert: a classic crème brûlée with almond biscotti. along with glasses of a deliciously zingy artisan mandarin-infused limoncello.

Our wine choice was the 2024 Rick Stein White Burgundy, a house wine selected by Rick Stein and his son Charlie and a perfect match for seafood dishes. But only after my wife had sampled the deliciously dry 2024 Graci Etna Rosato from Sicily.

There is an impressive wine list by both the glass and bottle with a nice balance between Australian wines and quality imports.

Well worth a visit whether or not Stein is in the house.  

Note: Rick Stein at Coogee Beach is a cashless venue, although I'm sure the staff prefer their tips as cash.

See https://www.ricksteinatcoogeebeach.com.au/

# The writer was hosted by Rick Stein at Coogee Beach

New custodian for Toolangi wine brand

Rochford Wines owner Helmut Konecsny has passed the winery’s Toolangi brand and vineyard assets on to his long-serving winemaker, Kaspar Hermann, and his family, in a major move in the Yarra Valley.

Konecsny said this ensures Toolangi remains a family-owned vineyard as it becomes an independent business.

Konecsny, who purchased Rochford in 2002, has sold the Toolangi brand and its vineyard assets to Hermann, the winemaker who has shaped its wines for years.

Toolangi will now operate independently under Hermann’s direction with Hermann continuing his role as winemaker for both houses.

Konecsny purchased the Toolangi brand from Garry and Julie Hounsell in 2017.

“Wine is made by people, not portfolios,” Konecsny said. “Kaspar has poured his heart into these wines. He has walked these rows through frost and heatwave, through hard vintages and great ones.

"A winery is not barrels and buildings. It is the people who give their lives to it. The proudest thing an owner can do is not to hold on. It is to hand over well, to the right hands. Toolangi is in the right hands.”

For Hermann, the transition fulfills a lifelong dream.

“Every winemaker carries a quiet dream that one day the wines they make might carry their own family’s name behind them,” Hermann said.

“Helmut has made that dream real for us. Nothing changes in the glass. The same vineyards, the same standards, the same hands on every vintage. 

"What changes is the heart behind the label. My children will grow up knowing their name is on a vineyard, and that is because one man chose loyalty over consolidation.”