TarraWarra Estate adds new premium wine experiences

One of my very first gigs as a wine writer was attending the opening of TarraWarra Estate in Victoria's Yarra Valley. 

Owners Marc and Eva Besen put on quite a show. 

 

Four decades on, Ultimate Winery Experiences Australia (UWEA) has welcomed TarraWarra as the newest member of its collection of premium Australian wineries.

TarraWarra Estate brings together cool-climate wine, food, art and nature across a 400-hectare property in the heart of one of Australia's most-visited wine regions.

The Besens purchased the property in 1979 and launched four or five years later. 

Today, the estate encompasses 23.9 hectares of vines, an extensive nature reserve, cattle grazing, a kitchen garden, cellar door and restaurant, as well as a spectacular art gallery. 

UWEA executive officer Sarah Myers says TarraWarra Estate's combination of wine, food, art, impressive architecture and landscape makes it a natural addition to the collective.

“What makes TarraWarra special is how seamlessly these elements come together. Visitors can spend time exploring the estate, discovering its wines and food, and engaging with the art, architecture and natural environment in a way that feels distinctly Yarra Valley,” said Myers.

“TarraWarra reflects what we look for in an Ultimate Winery Experience – it goes well beyond wine tasting and gives visitors a deeper connection to the winery, its story and the region."

At the heart of TarraWarra Estate is its striking subterranean cellar door, where visitors can explore wines including chardonnay, pinot noir and syrah, alongside barbera, nebbiolo, pinot noir rosé and a roussanne-viognier-marsanne blend from talented winemaker Sarah Fagan. 

The chef-hatted restaurant is led by head chef Daniel Snooks. 

Two signature experiences will form part of TarraWarra Estate's UWEA offering.

The Vineyard Tour & Tasting ($200 per person) takes guests on a guided tour of the vineyards for an introduction to the estate and its approach to sustainable viticulture, before moving into the barrel hall for a private tasting of chardonnay and pinot noir. 

For a deeper immersion, Land, Vine & Vision ($450 pp) sees guests are welcomed at the cellar door before enjoying a six-course lunch with matched wines at the estate restaurant, followed by a visit to the TarraWarra Museum of Art and the Eva and Marc Besen Centre, where they can view works from the museum's collection that would ordinarily be held in storage. A version including private return transfers from Melbourne is also available for $750 per person.

“We are excited to work with Ultimate Winery Experiences Australia and the wineries it represents, each offering a unique perspective on Australian wine and the regions we call home,” said TarraWarra Estate general manager Samantha Isherwood.

TarraWarra Estate is at 311 Healesville-Yarra Glen Road, Yarra Glen. 

The cellar door is open Tuesday to Sunday, with the restaurant open Wednesday to Sunday for lunch.

Marlborough cans long-running gourmet festival

One of New Zealand's longest-running gourmet festivals has been shelved, with organisers this week confirming the Marlborough Wine & Food Festival has been placed on hiatus after over four decades.

The 2027 festival had been scheduled for February 13, 2027, but tickets were never released for sale.

Wine Marlborough general manager Marcus Pickens said the call followed "a number of difficult but necessary discussions".

"It was a hard decision, particularly given the festival's long history and the special place it holds for our industry and the many people who look forward to it each year," he said.

Pickens underlined mounting pressure on events around New Zealand.

"Events are facing an incredibly challenging time across New Zealand and we have seen those challenges reflected in the festival in recent years," he said.

"After careful consideration, it became clear that the substantial investment required to deliver the event in its current format is no longer the best fit with the organisation's wider responsibilities."

Launched by pioneering winegrowers in 1985, when the region had just four wine companies, the festival grew alongside Marlborough's rise to global recognition for sauvignon blanc.

Wine Marlborough board chairperson Tracy Johnston said the legacy of the festival mattered but members' interests came first.

"The board has carefully considered the benefits of the festival alongside the significant investment and resources required to deliver it, and our wider responsibilities to the Marlborough wine industry," she said.

"This gives us an opportunity to focus our activity on delivering value to members, while exploring alternative ways for the festival's legacy to continue."

Escaping a world of "dysregulation and overwhelm"

There will be a new reason to visit Hobart's Museum of Old and New Art from November. 

Zia McCabe, one of the founding members of American rock band The Dandy Warhols, will reveal a new musical installation in Tasmania.

SEE HEAR NOW will take the form of an "ambient sound-filled, earth-toned, mid-century lounge that responds to visitor interactions". 

As visitors engage with different works in the space, each touch will transform the objects into instruments -producing overlapping soundscapes and reinforcing the relationship between movement, attention, and listening.

The musical component of the exhibition is a non-linear sonata composed by keyboardist McCabe with the support of Tamil Rogeon and Louise Woodward (the duo behind The Dandy Warhols’ symphonic arrangements). The sonata features near-infinite variations that will always sound in harmony, regardless of which combinations are playing.

One of the unique aspects of the musical creation is the unusual marriage of McCabe’s analogue psychedelic synth, and classical instrumentation performed by Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra musicians.

Recorded and mixed at Mona’s Frying Pan Studios by head producer and engineer Chris Townend, the sonata’s different sequences will be connected to the lounge's various artworks, which have been designed by McCabe with visual artists Buckley, James Lambert, Madeleine Stamer and Chaz Barrisson of The London Police.

"I’ve only recently become committed to making installations through the lens of music," McCabe says. 

"But this concept came to me years ago during an open house of a creative space I was renting. During a visit to Mona last year, I was so moved by the incredible artworks, I couldn't help but pitch my own.

"What a dream to have my idea accepted and see it come to life. I am so happy to be featuring some of my favourite visual artists in this space and to know I am offering a unique room for visitors to briefly escape this world of dysregulation and overwhelm. 

"Giving their nervous systems a break, in a way that is still interactive and unpredictable, more psychedelic than opiate, more retro than modern, more harmony than discord."

The Dandy Warhols will launch their next tour of Australia with a performance at the Odeon in Hobart on Tuesday, November 24. 

See mona.net.au

Image: Lauren Krohn

Bangkok greets new hotel brand making its Asian debut

Looking to enjoy Bangkok on a budget? 

After opening in Alice Springs this week, greet, Accor's economy hotel brand, has made its Asia debut with the opening of greet Bangkok Sukhumvit 16 Jono. 

The 65-room hotel brings greet's no-frills offering in an appealing location on Sukhumvit Soi 16, close to Asok BTS Station and Sukhumvit MRT Station. 

That means easy connections to Bangkok's key business districts, shopping destinations and entertainment areas. Benjakitti Park, one of the city's largest green spaces, is also nearby.

The hotel's shared Feel Good Space features lounge seating, a co-working area and a library corner where guests can work, unwind or connect. A 24-hour front desk provides added convenience throughout the stay.

The hotel offers four room categories: Pop Deep Sleep Room, Pop Art Room, Pop Recharge Room and Pop RechargeX Room. 

Each room accommodates up to two guests and is designed around greet's essentials including a king-size bed, reliable wifi, and a shower.

Garth Simmons, Accor’s region Chief Operating Officer, said: "The debut of greet in Asia reflects the growing demand for hospitality that is refreshingly uncomplicated, delivering the feel-good essentials that make every stay genuinely comfortable at a price that makes sense. 

"Bangkok is the ideal starting point for greet's regional journey. As one of Asia's most dynamic travel destinations, the city offers a compelling opportunity to introduce a brand that helps a new generation of travellers feel good through comfort, quality and exceptional value.”

Dan Bergstén, General Manager of greet Bangkok Sukhumvit 16 Jono, said: “We look forward to welcoming guests to a relaxed and friendly hotel designed around the things that matter most. From our comfortable rooms and welcoming shared spaces to our central Sukhumvit location, every element has been considered to help guests feel good throughout their stay.”

For more information or to make a reservation, please visit: https://all.accor.com/hotel/C7B4/index.en.shtml

AirAsia adds Australian flights but cuts Sydney

Good news for some Australian lovers of low-coast flights, but bad news for those based in Sydney

AirAsia today announced it is strengthening its network with planned frequency increases across its Perth–Denpasar, Perth-Kuala Lumpur and Melbourne-Kuala Lumpur services.

But as part As part of the rationalisation, the airline has made the "difficult decision" to suspend its Sydney-Kuala Lumpur route.

The decision reflects a combination of increased cost pressures, softer demand and the need to strategically align the airline’s network and fleet, the airline said in a media statement.

From December, Perth–Denpasar services will increase to 35 flights per week, while the strong performance of Melbourne–Kuala Lumpur will see the route return to daily services.

Perth–Kuala Lumpur has also experienced significant growth, with frequencies set to steadily increase to 14 flights per week.

Benyamin Ismail, general manager of AirAsia X said the decision was not made lightly, and acknowledged the Sydney-Kuala Lumpur route is key to supporting Fly-Thru and serves customers who travel to visit friends and family across ASEAN.

“This has been an incredibly difficult decision, and one that has not been taken lightly," he said.

"Sydney, which was launched back in 2012, has played an important role in our history and in connecting Australians with Malaysia and the wider region.

“The current operating environment requires us to make some tough choices. By accelerating the retirement of older, less fuel-efficient widebody aircraft and adjusting our network, we are taking the necessary steps to build a more resilient and commercially sustainable operation for the future.

“We understand how disappointing this will be for our guests, particularly those who have travelled with us over many years, and we sincerely thank them for their understanding and support."

The airline's teams are contacting affected customers from today, offering refunds which will be completed within 14 days, a Credit Account or date changes.

Accor launches a new hotel brand in Alice Springs

It is increasingly hard to keep up with the growing number of hotel brands.

greet, billed as Accor's feel-good brand, has just launched in Australia for the first time with the opening of greet Hotel Alice Springs.

The brand, launched in 2019 in Beaune, in France, is billed as "bringing its fresh, down-to-earth and great-value hospitality concept" to one of Australia's most distinctive regional destinations.

It is touted as an "eco-conscious, economy brand" that was created for travellers who want comfort, personality and value without overpaying or overthinking.

greet hotels are said to focus on meaningful essentials done right: "a comfortable bed, a great shower, tasty food and beverage, reliable wifi and warm, genuine hospitality".

Located just steps from Todd Mall, greet Hotel Alice Springs is an 80-room hotel owith rooms offering tea and coffee-making facilities, free guest parking and an outdoor swimming pool.

The hotel also features relaxed communal spaces.

“greet is all about simple, feel-good travel. It is big on personality, low on fuss and designed around the things guests truly value: comfort, cleanliness, friendliness and great value,” said Adrian Williams, Chief Operating Officer of Accor in the Pacific region.

“greet Hotel Alice Springs captures that spirit perfectly. It is relaxed, welcoming and locally connected, with everything guests need for a straight forward and satisfying stay in the heart of Alice Springs."

To celebrate its opening, greet Hotel Alice Springs is offering an opening special of 15% off the best flexible rate for bookings made by September 30 for stays until January 31, 2027. Room rates start from $99* per night. Bookings are available via ALL.com.