Geelong hotel takes a stand for mental health

It is good to see a hotel taking action to benefit the community. 

Holiday Inn & Suites Geelong by IHG has partnered with Deakin University for a project called Help Change the Future of Mental Health Research. 

Holiday Inn & Suites Geelong will donate $1 per guest night over three years from October 1, contributing to a PhD scholarship at Deakin University focused on studying schizophrenia and related mental health disorders.

The contributions will fund the Franze Family PhD Scholarship in Mental Health Research, supporting an emerging researcher at Deakin IMPACT to identify and repurpose existing medicines as potential treatments for schizophrenia and related disorders.

Deakin IMPACT is one of Australia's leading mental and physical health research institutes, with more than 400 researchers developing innovative diagnostics, treatments and therapies.

Hotel General Manager Kruno Velican said initiative is a way to extend the hotel's positive impact beyond guests' stays, noting that individual contributions of $1, multiplied across thousands of guest nights, could collectively fund meaningful research.

“Hotels are ultimately about people," Velican says. "We welcome people through our doors every day, look after them for a night or two, and hopefully make their lives just a little better while they are with us. 

"I kept asking myself: could we make that impact last beyond their stay? This partnership is our answer. For the next three years, every room we sell will contribute to research that may one day change someone's life. One dollar isn't a lot on its own. But one dollar, multiplied by every guest, every room and every night, becomes something powerful.

“Schizophrenia and mental health don't affect only one person. These disorders touch families, relationships, and entire communities. Behind every diagnosis is a human being, and around that person are people who love them and hope for a better future. We cannot conduct the research. We cannot discover the treatment. But we can help someone who can."

More on Holiday Inn & Suites Geelong at the hotel’s website. 

Cullen showcases the benefits of biodynamics

Several leading winemakers adhere to biodynamic principles, which they say improve vineyard health and create better wines. 

Cullen Wines in Margaret River, Western Australia, are at the forefront of organics and biodynamics in Australia and are about to release a pair of sustainable white wines that demonstrate the similarities, and differences, of wines made using the biodynamic calendar. 

Vanya Cullen is a believer, and adherent to biodynamic wine production, which uses organic farming methods while also employing soil supplements prepared according to biodynamics founder Rudolf Steiner's formulas, following a planting calendar that depends upon astrological configurations, and treating the earth as "a living and receptive organism."

The two new releases are the 2025 Kevin John Legacy Series Fruit Day Chardonnay ($350), of which  646 bottles were produced, and the 2025 Kevin John Legacy Series Full Moon Fruit Day MOSH Chardonnay, also $350, and with a similar minuscule number of bottles produced. 

I'm no expert on biodynamics but Vanya Cullen and her team report "a set of whites with lifted perfume, texture and depth, slightly softer natural acidity than 2024 making them delicious even in their youth, and a Kevin John Chardonnay that looks especially powerful and refined. Across the board, 2025 trades the sheer heat and power of 2024 for classical perfume and balance. These wines will drink beautifully now and evolve gracefully in the cellar". 

The Legacy Series wines are made only in outstanding vintages using small parcels of fruit from single blocks. 

The grapes for these two wines were hand picked on biodynamic fruit days seven days apart. The first harvest was also on a Full Moon “Moon Opposite Saturn Harvest” astral event. 

Only a biodynamic-approved puncheon of each wine was selected. 

Winemaking was quirky, or innovative, with whole bunches placed in clay amphorae lined with beeswax for two days before pressing. The juice was then transferred to a biodynamic flower day puncheon to complete fermentation. Both wines were unfined and unfiltered. 

Both are tight, taut and terrific, impressively integrated, impressive biodynamic ambassadors, and would make a fabulous Christmas present for a serious wine lover. 

My favourite: for drinking now the fruitier Fruit Day. For the cellar: the higher tension Full Moon Fruit Day. 

These 2025 Kevin John Legacy Series Fruit Day wines will be available at cellar door and online from October 28 and released to distributors Mezzanine on November 1. See https://cullenwines.com.au/

A toast to 30 years of Sculpture by the Sea

One of Sydney’s most iconic cultural events - Sculpture by the Sea, Bondi - is this year celebrating its 30th anniversary.

The exhibition is held annually during spring on the cliffs overlooking Bronte Beach to Bondi Beach via Tamarama for three weeks from late October to early November.

Over 100 sculptures are spread across the coastal walk, which is transformed into a seaside art gallery, promoted as the world's largest free public outdoor sculpture exhibition.

The exhibition runs until November 2 and Sydney Brewery has crafted a commemorative The Sculpture by the Sea Bondi Lager.

Sydney Brewery owner Dr Jerry Schwartz said that Sydney Brewery’s long connection to the eastern suburbs community meant the specially crafted Bondi Lager was the perfect way to commemorate both Sculpture by the Sea’s 30th anniversary and the 10th anniversary of the Sydney Brewery partnership.

“Ever since we produced our first brews back in 2005, we’ve adopted Sydney-centric suburb puns and local alliterations for our craft beers and ciders - it’s all about capturing Sydney’s remarkably fresh and fun lifestyle,” he said.

“I’m hoping those who visit Sculpture by the Sea will add a taste of the festival to their visual appreciation of the great art that is always produced for the event.

“The 30 years of Sculpture by the Sea have been very impressive, and it has built a global reputation, which Sydney Brewery has enjoyed contributing to over the past decade.

“The new limited-edition Bondi Lager is the perfect accompaniment to the outdoor cultural event, where art, community and the spectacular Bondi coastline come together seamlessly and spectacularly."

All change on London's famous Oxford Street

Oxford Street in London, one of the most famous shopping precincts in the world, will begin a major pedestrianisation project later this month. 

From October 26, close to a kilometre of the shopping thoroughfare will be closed to all vehicles ahead of the busy Christmas shopping season.

No buses. No taxis. I see anger ahead.

The first phase will cover the stretch between Orchard Street and Great Portland Street, with buses, taxis, bicycles and other vehicles all banned to create a pedestrian plaza in one of Europe’s busiest retail districts, news hub Travel Mole reports.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the transformation would help strengthen Oxford Street’s appeal to shoppers, businesses and visitors, with the new traffic-free zone marking the beginning of a wider regeneration plan.

The project aims to establish a greener public space where major international retailers sit alongside new workplaces, leisure attractions and cultural events. 

Future activities could include sports, fashion and other entertainment experiences, expanding Oxford Street’s role beyond traditional shopping.

Khan said the project had received strong support from Londoners and businesses, describing it as an opportunity to create a world-class pedestrian destination and reinforce the street’s position as a leading retail and leisure location.

But  the plan faces opposition from Westminster City Council, which has raised concerns about the practical implications of removing traffic from the main thoroughfare.

Tim Barnes, the council’s deputy leader and cabinet member for growth and planning, said that although a timetable had finally been announced, significant questions remained about how the scheme would operate.

The council wants urgent clarification on vehicle access, air pollution, street cleaning and public safety. It also fears that traffic displaced from Oxford Street could spill into smaller surrounding roads, potentially increasing congestion and creating environmental and economic problems for nearby communities and businesses.

I wonder how shoppers laden with Christmas presents will react to finding they can't hail a taxi. 

Why you should be drinking a fiano today

Fiano is a white grape variety from the Campania region of southern Italy that is also grown on Sicily and has been gaining recognition around the world. 

In Australia, it is grown in several vineyards in McLaren Vale - where it was first planted in 2001 - and also in the Riverland, the Clare Valley, and in the Hunter Valley. 

In Argentina, producers in the La Rioja region, north of Mendoza, have also enjoyed success with fiano. 

October 16 is International Fiano with Oliver's Taranga, one of the major producers in Australia, behind a major push to promote the variety. 

Notably aromatic and textural, fiano is known as a grape that can stand heat spikes - important as global warming increases. 

Corrina Wright, winemaker at Oliver's Taranga and known as the "Queen of Fiano", said sales increased last year as part of a Fiano Festa campaign, which is being repeated in 2026. 

"Crisp, textural, full of flavour and perfectly at home in our Mediterranean climate, fiano has won plenty of friends along the way," says Wright, who makes three different styles using the grape.  

Check out more info: https://oliverstaranga.com/pages/join-the-fiano-festa

     

Celebrity chef Matt Moran signs on the dotted line with Pepperjack

Treasury Wine Estates, parent company of Pepperjack Wines, recently axed 170 mostly office roles as part of an overall restructure it says will contribute to $100 million in annual savings. 

But it has found the money to sign up celebrity chef and restaurateur Matt Moran as a brand ambassador for Pepperjack. 

The partnership comes as Pepperjack celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2026, building on a legacy that began with its signature Barossa shiraz. 

"There's this idea that wine has to be precious, the right glass, the right vintage, saved for the right occasion, or that certain wines can only be enjoyed with particular foods," Moran said. 

"I don’t buy into that, and that isn’t reflected in the way Australians actually eat and drink today. That's exactly the thinking Pepperjack is going into their 30th anniversary with, and why it felt right to be involved.”

Pepperjack and Moran will bring the brand’s “Anything Goes” campaign to life, encouraging Australians to put aside traditional rules and enjoy food and wine in a way that reflects how they eat and entertain today.

Pepperjack and Moran will share approachable pairing ideas, practical inspiration and creative recipes that make it easy to enjoy wine across more meals and moments.

Since joining Pepperjack in 2007, senior winemaker Richard Mattner has grown the brand beyond its renowned Barossa shiraz, overseeing the development of a diverse portfolio that now includes rosé, chardonnay and pinot noir. 

"For a long time, food was matched to wine. What’s exciting about Pepperjack is that we think about it the other way around, creating wines that are made to be enjoyed with food,” Mattner says. 

“When I joined Pepperjack in 2007, the brand was best known for its Barossa shiraz. Today, the range is far broader, but the philosophy stays the same: if the wine doesn’t enhance the dining experience , it doesn’t go in the bottle.”

Moran adds: "For me, this isn't about telling people what to drink. It's about backing the way people actually eat and drink, and showing that a good bottle of wine belongs at any occasion. Cacio e pepe with a glass of chardonnay, or fried chicken with rosé on the couch, it's the same idea to me. Wine that just fits the moment."

See https://www.pepperjack.com.au/

Image: Sreven Woodburn