How to learn more about the wines of Burgundy - for free

So you would like to know more about the stunning wines of Burgundy?

The web series The Tasting Tips (Les Astuces Dégust in French) is back!

The Bourgogne Wine Board (BIVB) is pursuing its mission to make the world of wine more accessible, with six new episodes in English launching October 8 across social media platforms.

Leading sommelier Maxime Dubois, an official Bourgogne Wine Ambassador, hosts the new season.

Filmed in both French and English, it aims to speak to a curious, connected generation eager to discover Bourgogne wines "in a fresh, engaging way".

The goal is to talk about wine without pretension, naturally, passionately, and with a touch of lightness.

The six episodes are designed to appeal to younger audiences, but hope to offer something for everyone to enjoy and learn along the way.

The series will look at the region’s four signature grape varieties: pinot noir, chardonnay, aligoté, and gamay along with food-and-wine pairings and a guide to making sense of Bourgogne wine labels.

Designed for Instagram and Facebook, The Tasting Tips will also be available on the Bourgogne Wines YouTube channel and LinkedIn account. Later, each episode will be featured on a dedicated page of www.bourgogne-wines.com.

In the meantime, you can revisit the Season 1 on YouTube.

Police warning: Look out for hotel booking scammers

Travellers need to pay more attention when booking hotels online, police have warned.

Three Thai nationals have been arrested for allegedly defrauding international tourists out of thousands of dollars using a fake hotel booking scheme.

Three suspects scammed more than $21,000 from customers by creating fake Facebook and web addresses and fleecing unwary tourists.

The alleged fraudsters set up fake Facebook pages for well-known Pattaya area hotels, taking bookings and payments.

Officers from Thailand’s Tourist Police Bureau made arrests at three locations across Thailand.

The three suspects had no ties at all to the hotels they sold rooms at, news portal Travel Mole reported.

Travellers tried to check in at the hotels for which they had booked and found the properties had no record of the,

Thai Police issued a warning to travellers to fully verify hotel pages on social media before parting with their details.

“These suspects lured tourists using Facebook pages that mimicked popular Pattaya hotels," Thai Police said.

"They offered fake promotions to convince victims to transfer money for non-existent bookings.”

Image: Rye Jesson, scop.io.  

Scammers never sleep. The latest ruse to separate you from your money

Throughout 2023 anyone signing on to Facebook was offered the chance to win a free campervan that some kind company was giving away because it had "a few dents".

All they needed was a few of your details.

There was a similar offer to enter a competition to win an eco-friendly tiny home - just a few details needed.

And as we enter 2024 there is a new variation. And, yes, of course it is a scam.

This time Sydney Airport is advising that as it has no storage space for lost luggage it is selling consignment suitcases containing various items and electronics for just $3.

And a whole lot of people have been delighted with the surprise suitcase they have purchased.

Yet another scheme to part fools from their details - and their money.

To order, all you have to is click on the button in the advert and go to the website.

Despite Facebook having been advised about the scam, the fake post and link to the fake website were still there 24 hours ago.

And Sydney Airport was not happy.

“We would urge everyone to stay vigilant to social media scams and only trust information from Sydney Airport’s official verified accounts,” a Sydney Airport spokesman said. 

Oh, and the Korean National Oil Company is sending out emails offering a great financial deal. just for you. 

One rule to remember people. If an offer sounds to good to be true then it probably is. Make being sceptical a new year resolution.