New wine venture for former Coal Valley Vineyard couple

Just a few months after selling Coal Valley Vineyard at Cambridge, Tasmania, vignerons Todd Goebel and Gill Christian have launched a new wine business in nearby Penna.

The couple purchased the former Killara property, with 360-degree views from one of Penna’s finest locations, which comprises 68 hectares of prime agricultural land and has three road frontages.



The property is connected to South East Irrigation Scheme and has its own 20-megalitre dam.

Goebel and Christian will be planting vines on a portion of the property, and still have some stocks from Coal Valley Vineyard, which sold in the second half of last year.

The couple purchased Coal Valley Vineyard in 1999 and increased holdings to 4.5 hectares. The wines were made by Goebel and Alain Rousseau at Frogmore Creek. Some recent white vintages were made at Winemaking Tasmania.

The new business, on Brinktop Road, will be known as Brinktop Vineyards. "These are exciting times," Christian said.

Generational change at Dal Zotto Wines

Brothers Michael and Christian Dal Zotto have purchased the family’s Dal Zotto Wines from parents Otto and Elena, marking the first change of hands the winery has seen since the first vines were planted in Victoria's King Valley over 30 years ago.

Patriarch Otto Dal Zotto, born in the village of Valdobbiadene, is the pioneer of prosecco in Australia. 

He was the first to commercially plant prosecco varieties in the country, beginning with cuttings from his hometown – a cool climate, wine-producing village in the Veneto region and the heartland of prosecco.

Otto Dal Zotto says the transition of the business to the second generation will ensure a smooth succession plan for the family-owned winery, as the two brothers focus on expanding the business’s prosecco offering.

“This changing of hands is a natural progression for our family business and the journey we have been on since we first released our wines in 1993 and planted prosecco in 1999 – and it comes at a perfect time,” he said.

Otto and Elena will still play a role in the business but will now leave the major decision-making to sons Michael and Christian. Christian will continue to oversee the marketing and sales for Dal Zotto Wines, while Michael will continue in his role as chief winemaker and CEO.

“Prosecco is part of our family history – I learned the art of making prosecco from my father, and he learned it from his father, so we’re really proud of our heritage,” said Michael.

Mickey Mouse decision: Disney Hotels decides its guests no longer deserve privacy

Goodbye to privacy at Disney Hotels - some of the resort group's hotels are getting rid of "Do Not Disturb" signs so that staffers can check up on the rooms at any time.

Never mind if you are having sex, fast asleep, or in the middle of watching a movie, Disney says the "safety" of other guests is more important than your privacy. 

"The Disney Resort hotel and its staff reserve the right to enter your room, even when this sign is displayed, for maintenance, safety, security or any other purpose," read the new signs.

Walt Disney World has swapped "Do Not Disturb" signs with "Room Occupied" signs at some of its hotels in Orlando, Florida. Disney is also allowing housekeeping and maintenance staff to enter the rooms on a daily basis.They will knock and announce their presence before entering, according to the company.

Hilton Hotels and Resorts has also changed its policy. The hotel chain said the new policy recommends that staffers alert a security or duty manager after 24 hours of consecutive Do Not Disturb sign usage. Which seems fair and reasonable.

The changes follow a massacre at the Mandalay Bay hotel in Las Vegas last year. Gunman Stephen Paddock rented a room on the 32nd floor and turned it into a sniper's nest with an arsenal of rifles. He shot into a concert on the ground below, killing 58 people and wounding hundreds in the deadliest mass shooting in US history. Paddock did not leave his room for several days.

I would argue that guests pay for the privacy to do whatever they want (legally) in their hotel room.

Who wants to come out of the shower to find a housekeeper tidying up your room? And what housekeeper wants to enter a room to find a guest naked?

Even worse will be how this could impact on solo female travellers. 

It seems not to have occurred to these nincompoops that a better way of avoiding massacres would be to ban all guests from bringing guns into hotels. 

Although that, of course, would contravene some rules drawn up hundreds of years ago by white, racist slave owners.   

I go to a resort to relax, not to be interrupted whenever hotel staff feel like it. This is a major travel fail. 

Three decades of gourmet excellence

Three decades ago, Daylesford was an unremarkable country town in regional Victoria, probably best known for producing high-quality potatoes.

Now Daylesford and next-door Hepburn Springs are alive with top-notch restaurants, vibrant country pubs, massage retreats, wine bars and up-market accommodation.



Daylesford's emergence on Australia's gourmet radar is largely thanks to Alla Wolf-Tasker and her artist husband Allan.

The couple stumbled upon a piece of unused, gorse-infested land on the fringes of then down-at-heel Daylesford, overlooking a lake, and saw immense potential despite it being strewn with rubbish and rusted car parts.

That overgrown land emerged as The Lake House, one of Australia's first “country chic” hotels. Wolf-Tasker quickly built a reputation as a formidable cook and promoter of rural produce, championing local seasonal cuisine long before it became a mantra for the industry.

Today, The Lake House remains at the pinnacle of regional destination dining – and has 33 beautiful rooms and suites in either a waterfront or garden lodge setting. Six acres of country gardens extend down to the waters of Lake Daylesford and provide guests with immediate access to the lake shore and the Wombat State Forest beyond.



On-site guests can enjoy a spa treatment, perhaps a game of tennis followed by tea and refreshments in the tennis pavilion, a glass of wine by the fire in the Argyle Library Bar or a multiple-course dinner overlooking the lake.

It is a spot where art and joie de vivre combine and guests are invited to "indulge, relax and cocoon".

It's all very chilled, and classy. On my most recent visit, a couple of months ago, there had been changes (Lake House is ever evolving) but the star quality that has won so many global awards remains.



The Lake House's team of young chefs change menus with the availability of new seasonal produce.

Much of the produce is local, some organic – almost all delicious. 

And the wine list is, as you'd expect, world class with several older vintages on offer.

Prices for two people including one night's accommodation, full breakfast and a three-course a la carte dinner start from $624 in a Lodge Studio.

The Lake House is at 4 King St, Daylesford. (03) 5348 3329. www.lakehouse.com.au. 

Major boost for small Australian wineries that export

Australian wine businesses exporting to China, Hong Kong, Macau and the United States can apply for up to $25,000 in Australian Government funding to support specific export promotional activities.  

The Wine Export Grants program is part of the Australian Government’s $50 million Export and Regional Wine Support Package, which aims to drive demand for wine exports and showcase Australia’s wine tourism to the world.

Administered by Wine Australia, the grant program has $1 million in funding for eligible small and medium wine businesses to claim up to 50% reimbursement for specific export promotion expenses incurred on or after January 1, 2018.

"Applications will be on a first-come-first-served basis, so I strongly encourage wine businesses to review the guidelines and prepare their applications," Wine Australia Chief Executive Officer Andreas Clark (above) said. 

"These grants focus on China and the USA as they have been identified as the markets with the most growth potential.

"Eligible claims include reimbursement of travel expenses for a single promotional visit to these markets, the cost of providing free samples of the Australian wine product you’re promoting for export, participation in trade fairs and in-store promotions, as well as marketing and advertising," Clark said.

Application details and guidelines for the Wine Export Grants are available at www.erwsp.wineaustralia.com.

Passing Clouds: a quintessentially Australian experience

Family-owned Passing Clouds winery outside Daylesford offers a quintessentially Australian tasting experience.

There is a rustic cellar door overlooking the vines and a dining room that serves up either al a carte dishes or a "feed me" menu full of country flavours.

Pair your Bendigo shiraz or Macedon Ranges pinot noir with flavoursome regional cuisine cooked up in an open kitchen by chef Cameron McKenzie and his team. The dining room also overlooks the working winery - exciting during vintage.

First up a charcuterie plate featuring meaty goodness from McKenzie's Max & Delilah smallgoods company. The chicken liver pate is a standout, accompanied by pickled veggies and salumi.

It’s a great start that’s as generous as the half free-range chicken, roasted on the spit over charcoal and served with peas and salsa verde;, or perhaps opt for a feast of local meats like rump cap grilled over coals, accompanied by herbs and vegetables from the adjacent potager. 

Dessert might be tiramisu or strawberry panacotta, or perhaps a selection of French farmhouse cheeses.

The service is great, the ambience fantastic.

And, adding another string to Passing Cloud's already impressive bow, visitors to Passing Clouds will soon be able to catch the Daylesford Spa Country Railway to the cellar door.

Passing Clouds, in partnership with Daylesford Spa Country Railway, will receive $30,000 to expand its tasting room and build a railway platform as a stop for the tourist train.

The funding comes as part of the Victorian government’s Wine Growth Fund. 

Passing Clouds winery part-owner Cameron Leith (below, centre) said the Wine Growth Fund grant was timely for the industry, as it would help their business overcome challenges through wine tourism.

“Instigating plans in this area can be difficult in an industry that inherently faces difficulties based around cash flow,” Leith said.

“We get a couple of hundred through every weekend, but it really is at the point now where we are getting so busy we are actually turning people away.

“This (expansion to the tasting room) means we should be able to cater for up to 200 people every day. As far as the railway, it will provide people with a full experience.”

Passing Clouds, 30 Roddas Lane, Musk. (03) 5348 5550. www.passingclouds.com.au. Tasting and sales daily from 10am-5pm; lunch Friday-Monday from noon.  

# The writer was a guest of Passing Clouds and Daylesford-Macedon Tourism.