The ends are engraved with the winery’s logo and/or artwork and sometimes include the vintage year of the wine they housed.
Meyer says they are "perfect gifts for wine lovers, as art work, drawer fronts, a table top or wall hangings".
The Adelaide Hills wine region will turn on its sparkling style next month
The annual Sparkling Springtm festival will run from Friday October 20 to Sunday October 22 for its second edition after a successful start last year.
The festival will feature tasting events, bites, degustation lunches and live music.
Participating wineries will include leading sparkling producers including DAOSA, Deviation Road, Lobethal Road, Mount Lofty Ranges Vineyard, Golding, Croser, Howard Vineyard, Sidewood, Bird in Hand, The Lane and Nepenthe.
Alex Trescowthick, president of the Adelaide Hills Wine Region said the event “shines a light on the amazing sparkling wines being made here in the Adelaide Hills.
“Sparkling wine is one of the hidden gems of the Adelaide Hills wine region. Our cool climate provides the perfect growing conditions for sparkling varieties, chardonnay and Pinot noir. The talented Hills’ winemakers use traditional methods to craft some of the country’s most outstanding sparkling wines.
“October is great time to visit the Adelaide Hills. Expect warm sunny weather and picturesque vineyards with swathes of new leaves to signify the start of the growing season. It’s a great time to discover your favourite sparkling to enjoy over the coming festive season.”
Full details at www.adelaidehillwine.com.au
The Calile Hotel was also named best in Oceania in the inaugural The World’s 50 Best Hotels awards announced in London today.
The invitation-only event, attended by representatives from the 50 nominated hotels, was held in the historic Guildhall.
In attendance for the ceremony, The Calile Hotel co-owner Catherine Malouf said she was extremely proud to be representing the Malouf family (owners) and employees from The Calile at such a significant celebration.
"This is a win for our team, our collaborators, our loyal guests and a win for Brisbane as a destination, and we are humbled to represent the Australian hotel industry on the world stage,” she said.
"There is no doubt The Calile Hotel has carved a name for itself and sparked a trend in ‘urban resorts’ with its bold architectural commitment, sustainable practises and by embracing its local and sub-tropic climate within an urban setting."
There are, of course, several of these lists, but it is nonetheless noteworthy recognition.
Speaking at the opening of the awards event, the managing director of World’s 50 Best Group Tim Brooke-Webb said: “The 50 Best Hotels has redefined hospitality - setting new standards and pushing boundaries to create unique moments for your guests.”
So plenty of hype there.
Hotel general manager Rob Unson said: “Being named 12 in the world was a fitting fifth birthday present for the 175-room boutique hotel and a great win for Australian tourism.
"It takes an outstanding team to deliver outstanding guest experiences, and I want to take a moment to thank the hotel team – from our housekeepers to our pool attendants, maintenance and kitchen teams and our front of house guest service attendants –who go above and beyond to welcome our guests back through the arches time and time again.”
Voting criteria was based on selecting seven best hotel experiences during the voting period. Voters were asked to consider every element of the hotel’s operation from first contact point, to room comfort, quality of food and beverage, on-site facilities and check out.
Here is one for anyone planning on visiting Sydney.
Take a 15-minute Sydney Harbour ferry trip from Circular Quay to Barangaroo for a tour of many of the city’s highlights from the water - at public transport prices.
Here’s few shots I took today. Please enjoy.
For more info please see https://transportnsw.info/travel-info/ways-to-get-around/ferry
Queensland wine is still struggling for widespread acceptance.
While there have always been some talented artisans working in the Granite Belt region, consistency of quality has long been a problem.Vintage Crime is not the book for you if are looking for a comprehensive list of the various grape varieties of Italy, or the top cellar doors to visit in Stellenbosch.
But if you are looking for some human interest stories about the world of wine, its history and some notorious dodgers and divers then you'll have some fun.
Wine journalist and Master of Wine Rebecca Gibb says her book is all about wine "amelioration, adulteration, and deception" told chronologically through 10 wine frauds.
She covers some of the most high-profile wine scams and some of the lesser-known devious activities over the years.
The book spans ancient times, in bawdy Imperial Rome no less, to the 21st century and how mega fraudster Rudy Kurniawan rose from obscurity to global notoriety.
There is a focus on human stories: wine producers, merchants, collectors, and drinkers rather than on the bottles of wine themselves.
A fun and engaging book choice when you want to take in a chapter here and a chapter there, rather than binge reading. Enjoy at your own pace.
Vintage Crime: A Short History of Wine Fraud is to be published by University of California Press. www.ucpress.edu
Set to open at the end of November, Motel Caloundra aims to be the Sunshine Coast’s first net-zero energy hotel.
The property is described as "hip new accommodation to be launched in the heart of Caloundra’s arts and culture precinct".David Lowe has been making wine for some time. Back in the 1980s, I drink shedloads of the delicious wines he made at the late lamented Rothbury Estate in the Hunter Valley.
But Lowe is also a winemaker who keeps abreast with consumer trends, hence the release of his Bio-Logical range of wines that very much capture the zietgeist.
For the past couple of decades Lowe has been based in Mudgee, sourcing fruit from the across the various regions of the Central West of New South Wales, but mainly from his own organic and biodynamic vineyards.
The Lowe Family Vineyards Bio-Logical wines, which retail for $45 a bottle, and are preservative free, vegan friendly and, except for the white, certified organic..
The range comprises a very crunchy and vibrant 2023 Bio-Logical Red, made from shiraz, a dashingly youthful and very drinkable 2023 Rosé, also crafted from shiraz, and a 2023 White made using fruit from the Murray Darling region in Victoria.
The red is unoaked, just grape juice and wild yeast. It doesn't even see oak and is probably best enjoyed in its youth, well chilled. All three wines share a wild spirit; a sense of "otherness".
Interestingly, the white is made from what Lowe calls ansonica, a white variety from Sicily that is probably better known as inzolia and is still rare in Australia.
If you are heading to Mudgee, a tasting at the Cellar Door and lunch at the Zin House eatery operated by Lowe's partner Kim Currie is de rigueur. See https://lowefamilywineco.com.au/
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Chill Bill |
Good news for lovers of Champagne.
While several parts of Europe have been hit by fierce weather, Champagne is predicting a high-quality 2023 vintage.
The first grapes were picked in the region last weekend and many other producers have begun, or are about to begin, their harvest.
The fully manual harvest will cover 34,000 hectares of Champagne vineyards and there are media reports that grapes are "some of the biggest and juiciest" since 2005.
From the beginning of the year to the end of July, the season was particularly calm, with very few bouts of frost, hail, mildew and powdery mildew." said Maxime Toubart, president of the winegrowers and co-president of the Comité Champagne.
"Fortunately, the climate has also favoured the exceptional weight of the bunches, more than 220 grams on average, which has never been seen before in Champagne. These numerous and generous bunches will make it possible to select only those in perfect sanitary state."
The enthusiasm seems universal across the region.
“The Champagne growers and houses will organise their picking circuits in order to harvest high-quality grapes," said David Chatillon, president of the Champagne houses and co-president of the ComitĂ© Champagne.
"Thanks to the numerous grapes, even after sorting to retain only the best, all professionals should easily reach the available yield set at 11,400 kg/ha."
The Comité Champagne is the trade association that represents the interests of independent Champagne producers (vignerons) and Champagne Houses.
Image: AI by Craiyon