Start your winter hotel stay with a red wine tasting

Sydney's superbly located The Porter House Hotel Sydney MGallery has launched another enticing wine promotion. 

The Red Affair is billed as an opportunity to "escape the chill and embrace indulgence" with the seasonal experience, designed for lovers of bold wines. 

The afternoon or evening begins at the hotel’s Handpicked Cellar Door, with a tasting of merlot, shiraz, cabernet sauvignon and an aged Colheita Port, paired with cheeses from France, Italy, New Zealand and Victoria. 

Afterwards you can check into your room. Available for stays until August 31, the package is priced from $390 per couple.

“The Red Affair creates moments of slow enjoyment, conversation, and connection,” says Mitchell Turner, the hotel’s general manager. “In winter, when we’re naturally drawn inward, both the red wines on offer and our historic hotel are aged to perfection to warm you up from the inside out.”

Set inside a former tobacco factory in one of Sydney's most carefully preserved 1870s buildings, the hotel has a rich history. 

The old quarter has original timbers, exposed brick, and restored murals and is just a short stroll from Hyde Park, Pitt Street Mall, Chinatown, and the new Gadigal underground Metro station. 

Details and bookings at https://porterhousehotel.com.au/offers/the-red-affair-wine-stay-package/

Wine and cheese offering is a lure for potential hotel guests

Hotels are always looking to stand out from the crowd and the The Porter House Hotel Sydney MGallery has chosen a potent allure: wine. 

The Porter House has just unveiled a city stay for lovers of wine, cheese and luxury, with its Chardon-yay Stay package, which includes a curated chardonnay wine flight and cheese pairing with an overnight stay. 

The package is a collaboration with Handpicked Wines with the five-star boutique hotel offering guests the opportunity to explore the subtle differences in styles of the chardonnay grape from their Tasmanian, Mornington Peninsula, and Yarra Valley vineyards, alongside selected cheeses. 

The hotel is one of the oldest buildings in Sydney, constructed of sandstone bricks, its exquisite façade has been restored, while the modernised interiors feature century-old artefacts displayed in its corridors on every level. 

Commissioned in 1876 by philanthropist and horticulturist, Hugh Dixson, The Porter House Hotel started its life as a grand tobacco factory and was later a furniture and leather merchants.

“We are very lucky at The Porter House Hotel to be able to offer our guests exceptional wine experiences alongside a passion for showcasing Australia’s finest produce,” said Mitchell Turner, the hotel general manager. 

“MGallery hotels are all about storytelling and this is our way to share the story of Australia’s wine culture through an immersive tasting of some of the best wines in the country.”

The Chardon-Yay package is available from $359 per night for one or $419 for two guests.

Just steps away from George Street, the hotel is within walking distance of the Sydney Opera House, The Royal Botanic Garden and Hyde Park. I stayed here shortly after it opened and the location is excellent. 

See mgallery.com or all.accor.com

And then there were two: Arras enters Langtons classification

Leading Tasmanian sparkling wine producer House of Arras has earned a spot on the latest edition of the Langtons Classification - Australia's most respected market guide for fine wines.

The House of Arras E.J. Carr Late Disgorged Methode Traditionelle was this week recognised alongside 99 other wines in the newly released eighth edition of the Classificaton.

The only sparkling wine in the previous classification was niche favourite Rockford Sparkling Black Shiraz, which retained its spot. The Arras wine is the only traditional sparkling wine to make the list.

In fact, the E.J. Carr Late Disgorged is the first Tasmanian sparkling wine to appear in the Langtons Classification since it launched in 1991.

“Every winemaker knows a spot on the Langtons Classification is no small feat," said House of Arras chief wnemaker Ed Carr.

"We are incredibly proud that the E.J. Carr is recognised amongst such a distinguished list of producers and wines.

“The E.J. Carr represents the very best of what we do, and this new accolade emboldens us on our mission to prove that the finest sparkling wine in the world can be made right here in Tasmania.”

The LangtonsClassification is the most respected secondary market guide to fine and luxury Australian wines. The Classification comprises the most sought-after Australian fine wines based on their strong track record at auction.

The new edition has evolved to only two classification titles - ‘Classified’ and ‘1st Classified’ - with House of Arras joining 18 other new wines that have joined the ranks.

The new recognition caps off another successful year for House of Arras following the acquisition of the sparkling brand by independent Australian winery Handpicked Wines.

The House of Arras E.J. Carr Late Disgorged 2007 release is now available from select fine wine retailers, the House of Arras Cellar Door in Tasmania and online from www.houseofarras.com.au for an RRP of $266.

For more information about the eighth edition of the Langtons Classification, visit www.langtons.com.au.

Carr bubbling over bright new era for Arras

Esteemed fizzicist Ed Carr is all smiles.

Carr was in Hobart recently to show off the latest premium releases in the House of Arras range - Australia's most-awarded range of sparkling wines.

But GOTR also needs to ask him about the recent sale of the Arras brand to Handpicked Wines, a deal that was officially finalised today.

Handpicked announced last month it had acquired House of Arras from Accolade Wines including the brand, 24 hectares of premium vineyards, inventory and the Bay of Fires winery and cellar door at Pipers River, Tasmania.

Under the terms of the sale, Accolade has entered into a long-term agreement to continue to produce and bottle all House of Arras brands under contract with Handpicked Wines.

The grapes will continue to be sourced and pressed in Tasmania and the wines will be made at existing facilities in the Accolade network.

“I am thrilled that I can continue the House of Arras tradition as chief winemaker under the new ownership of Handpicked Wines," brand innovator Carr said.

"I look forward to being part of an enthusiastic and dynamic team that can further grow the global recognition of our Arras brand. Handpicked Wines is the right custodian to evolve and build upon our worldwide reputation as Australia’s premier sparkling producer.”

Handpicked Wines CEO and founder William Dong said: “We are proud to achieve such a significant milestone in our company’s history and, more importantly, being able to keep the Arras brand and its talented team together under the ownership of an Australian family-owned producer.

“We are confident that the Arras brand will further elevate our current portfolio of luxury brands and bring exceptional choice, craftsmanship and quality to our partners and customers. Ultimately, our focus is about creating storied and authentic brands that evoke a sense of well-being and longing. These core values and the energy is what lies at the heart of our company culture.”

When I chatted to Carr last week, he was very upbeat about both the deal, and the new premium releases from Arras, hitting the market in time for Christmas (below).

 
He's positively buoyant about the new chapter.

"I believe that this will be positive for the Arras drinker," he said. "Handpicked Wines are very much premium focused and they want to support the brand and take it further, so there is no need for lover of Arras to be concerned. 

"We will be looking at increasing the markets and Handpicked has good contacts and distribution channels.

"I think it will be positive for me; the wines will be made exactly the same way. Production-wise nothing will change, and quality will remain the focus - along with aged releases.

"We've settled into a pattern with a group of wines that are released after four years, another a group after eight, and others even longer."      

A brand new release you might want to consider is the first Arras Brut Elite Rosé Cuvée 1801 (around $65), a multi-vintage based rosé style that is a blend of pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot meunier and is vibrant and elegant with impressive structure.

All the wines are, as you would expect, stylish, concentrated and elegant, but the ones that particularly took my fancy included the fabulous Arras 2015 Blanc de Blanc (around $95); the perfect match for Christmas seafood with just 1% of pinot noir in the mix alongside the chardonnay. This is super-elegant and impressively pristine.

For those looking for complexity, the 2008 Arras EJ Carr Late Disgorged (around $200) has spent over 13 years on lees, building layers of flavours. Think green apple, spice and toasty notes as waves of pleasure penetrate your palate. 

Then there is the Arras Grand Vintage 2015 ($115); the 17th release of the classic with chardonnay comprising 66.7%, and pinot noir 33.2% of a complex, brilliantly fresh wine that showcases quality cool-climate Tasmanian fruit.

Whatever your budget, you really can't go wrong.  

 

Sparkling wine standout House of Arras sold

In a major move in the Australian wine industry, Accolade Wines has sold its multiple-award winning House of Arras sparkling wines brand and vineyards, along with the Bay of Fires winery and cellar door in Tasmania, to boutique producer Handpicked Wines for an undisclosed price.

Accolade has been hit by high debt levels at a time when the wine sector is being impacted by an oversupply of grapes and diminished demand due to cost-of-living pressures.

Handpicked Wines was creating by William Dong more than a decade ago and it owns vineyards in the Mornington Peninsula and Yarra Valley regions in Victoria, in Tasmania, and in the Barossa Valley.

Under sparkling specialist Ed Carr (pictured), House Arras has been Australia’s highest profile sparkling producer. Carr will apparently stay on under the new ownership. 

Accolade said in a statement on that an agreement had been reached for Handpicked Wines to acquire House of Arras, 24 hectares of vineyards, and the Bay of Fires winery at Pipers River in Tasmania.

No word on the future of talented Bay of Fires winemaker Penny Jones but Accolade will retain the Bay of Fires wine brand, under an arrangement that will see Handpicked Wines make the wine under contract.

"House of Arras is a globally celebrated sparkling house and we are honoured to become the custodians of this admired brand and uphold its tradition of winemaking excellence," Dong said. 

"We look forward to working with Ed Carr and the team to bring Australia’s most awarded sparkling wine to the world."

Handpicked Wines chief winemaker Peter Dillon said: "Ed Carr is one of Australia's most respected

winemakers and I'm excited to work with him through Arras and with the network of Tasmania’s

best sparkling growers and vineyards.”  

Accolade has 50 wine brands in its portfolio including Hardy’s, St Hallett, Petaluma, Banrock Station and Grant Burge but has been selling off assets.

Handpicked Wines does things a little differently

 

The Handpicked Wines operation is very different to other Australian wine producers. 

For a start, Handpicked sources fruit from vineyards across the country - from the Barossa to Tasmania. 

Owner William Dong and winemaker Peter Dillon follow environmentally sustainable principles and sell many of their wines through their city centre cellar doors in Sydney and Melbourne rather than through more traditional avenues. 

Dong purchased Handpicked's first vineyard - the Capella Vineyard on the Mornington Peninsula (above) - a decade ago. 

That anniversary is being marked by the release of four 2021 vintage wines across its the Collection and Single Vineyard ranges.

In the past year, Capella Vineyard has achieved ‘Certified Member’ status from Sustainable Winegrowing Australia (SWA) and Organic Certification from the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture Australia (NASAA). 

“For the better part of a decade, we have researched, trialled and enacted intense regenerative farming practices in the vineyard and surrounding natural habitats that comprise the Capella Vineyard site." says chief winemaker Dillon. 

"We’ve done this to deliver the purest, most expressive fruit possible and give our vines the best chance of being around for generations to come. 

“While I’m proud of the certification for the site, I’m even more excited by seeing Capella teeming with life - down to the highly active soils the vines grow in.”

Capella Vineyard is a small, ultra-premium vineyard site with 5.2 hectares of pinot noir and 1.6 hectares of chardonnay. 

Dong has subsequently purchased a further five vineyards in Yarra Valley, Barossa and Tasmania but says Capella remains the spiritual home of Handpicked's winemaking operations.

The new-release wines include the Collection Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay 2021 ($49.99) and the Collection 2021 Mornington Pinot Noir ($59.99).

The new Capella Vineyard Mornington Peninsula Chardonnay 2021 ($69.99) is from just two blocks - while two blocks also provided the fruit for the Capella Vineyard Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir 2021 ($89.99). 

My wife was a big fans of the pinots, describing them as "stylish and sophisticated" while my personal preference was for the chardonnays: both lean and mineraly with gunflint characters and with cool-climate food friendliness. 

See www.handpickedwines.com.au.

Inner city Sydney gets a hip new hotel address

Surry Hills is one of Sydney's funkiest inner city neighbourhoods: full of bars, restaurants and pubs.

Now a designer boutique hotel has landed in the heart of the suburb.

202 Elizabeth is billed as stylish, designer boutique hotel that sounds very much in keeping with the local feel.

The name 202 Elizabeth is a nod to the hotel’s physical address and tagline.

The hotel accommodation is spread over six levels and features 38 "sophisticated yet playful" guest rooms, many with balconies. No two rooms are the same.

The boutique vibe sees arriving guests treated to a seasonal welcome drink.



Each room features amenities by Hunter Lab as well as robes by Australian designer Piyama, and the mini bar, which will be stocked daily with organic sodas and sweet and savoury treats, is complimentary.

To maintain the adult vibe, 202 Elizabeth is an adults only property.

Owner Diana Ren, has a passion for organic products and textures and the hotel is both eco-conscious hotel and showcases Australian artists and designers.

The hotel boasts a rooftop space (below) which overlooks Surry Hills and Central rail tracks below,



It also has a ground floor outdoor courtyard and a soon-to-open Handpicked Wines tasting room which will double as an area for guests to work from.

The property is pet friendly with general manager Adam Males’ French bulldog Sochi acting as the hotel’s director of pet relations.

To find out more check out www.202elizabeth.com.au

# An opening offer sees a discount of 15% off Best Available Rate, which includes overnight accommodation (free upgrade on availability) a bottle of wine on arrival, discounted car parking and free mini bar. Available until March 31, prices start from $350 per night. Be quick.