Now there is an Irish pub with no beer

It sounds like an April Fool's joke.

A new pub has opened its doors in Dublin with an unusual twist; it doesn’t serve alcohol.

“Can you lose the booze and keep the craic?”

Vaughan Yates, a co-founder of The Virgin Mary, which opened in Dublin earlier this month, is kicking against the trend.



Dublin is home to 750 pubs and the Guinness brewery.

The Virgin Mary, which sits on Capel Street, provides a sober alternative to a few pints after work, The Drinks Business reports.

The low-and-no alcohol category is one of the fastest-growing sections of the alcohol industry.

The Virgin Mary’s shelves are stocked with alcohol-free beer and wines, while the staff have also curated a menu of alcohol-free cocktails. Drinks start at €4.50 ($7.30), while cocktails are between €7 and €8.

The bar stocks a range of low ABV beers from both mainstream and craft brands.

Punters also have the option to create their own low ABV cocktail by combining a non-alcoholic spirits of their choice with any mixer from Irish soft drinks maker Poacher’s.

The pub, located a 10-minute walk from whiskey maker Jameson’s distillery on Bow Street and less than two miles from Guinness’ brewery, has already gained plenty of attention.

But crazy ideas tend to do that. I'd give them three months tops.

Open from 4pm to 11pm each day, the bar aims to recreate the buzz and atmosphere of any other late-night venue with “lighting, music, and conversation”, The Irish Times reported.

The global rise and rise of rosé

When giant multi-national corporations start taking an interest you know that a trend has become more than a fashion blip.

Moët Hennessy announced today that it is to buy Château du Galoupet, a Cru Classé wine producer in the Côtes-de-Provence region of southern France.

Château du Galoupet produces 90% rosé wines and has a history that dates back to the 17th century.

There are 68 hectares of vines on the property.

The wines will be the first rosés in under the Moët Hennessy umbrella.

Moët Hennessy is the wine and spirits division of LVMH, the world's leading luxury products group. Moët Hennessy is the largest luxury wine and spirits company in the world. 

Its brands include Hennessy, Moët & Chandon, Veuve Clicquot, Dom Pérignon, Ruinart, Krug, Mercier, Belvedere, Glenmorangie, Ardbeg, Chandon, Cloudy Bay and Cape Mentelle,

An intriguing new way to explore behind-the-scenes Japan

A new series of tours hope to give visitors a peek behind the scenes at distinctive aspects of Japanese culture: the ritual of bathing in onsen hot spring baths, and savouring fresh seasonal delights.

At the invitation of the Onsen Gastronomy Tourism Association, Walk Japan, specialists in small, authentic group tours, have unveiled the first of a new series of Onsen Gastronomy tours: Oita & Kumamoto in Kyushu, Japan's most westerly main island, and Gifu and Nagano in Honshu, central Japan.

Each tour lasts up to five days and has a special focus on the two distinctive aspects of Japanese culture. 

Leisurely, guided walking is over what is described as "easy terrain" with distances each day limited to 10 kilometres but averaging between six to eight kilometres, allowing time to visit local sites of interest.

Like all Walk Japan tours, the Onsen Gastronomy tours are led by expert tour leaders, with a maximum group size of 12 people.

 

Tourists get to be immersed in the traditional Japanese way of bathing and every evening stay in a delightful local inn, almost always with their own onsens. 

They will also enjoy exceptional Japanese cuisine. 

Onsen hot springs, featured on many of Walk Japan's tours, are found throughout Japan. The Onsen Gastronomy: Oita and Kumamoto is a fully guided five-day, four-night tour starting in Beppu and finishing in Oita City on the island of Kyushu.

The Onsen Gastronomy: Gifu and Nagano is another fully guided five-day, four-night walking tour, taking in central Gifu and western Nagano prefectures, largely a remote area. 

For details see www.walkjapan.com

Discover Kangaroo Island at your own pace

SeaLink has launched a new range of self-drive Kangaroo Island short-break packages.

The deals are aimed at tourists who want to discover the island at their own pace, whether they favour food and wine, beaches, wildlife or simply exploring. 

There are six ready-made self-drive packages including the three-day American River Adventure, three-day Food and Wine Lovers, three-day Island Hideaway, three-day KI Family Escape at Vivonne Bay, four-day Emu Bay Wine and Wildlife tour and five-day Experience Kangaroo Island tour.

For example, visitors can experience local produce and the spectacular scenery of the Dudley Peninsula while staying at Kangaroo Island Seafront in Penneshaw on the three-day Food and Wine Lover's package.

This deal includes return SeaLink ferry travel for two adults and a standard size vehicle; two nights' accommodation including daily full buffet breakfast at Kangaroo Island Seafront, Penneshaw; welcome bottle of Kangaroo Island wine; $60 dinner voucher at Penny's Restaurant; gourmet lunch at Dudley Wines including a shared platter, gourmet pizza and a glass of wine and premium wine tasting and local produce platter at Bay of Shoal Wines.

The package starts from $493 per person, twin share or from $656.50 per person, twin share including on-island hire car option.

For further information and bookings contact SeaLink on 131301 or visit www.sealink.com.au

One down, Australia's First Families of Wine and Chinese Whispers

It is just a decade ago since I was invited to the launch of Australia’s First Families of Wine, a group of 12 wine producers representing multi-generatational wine families.

The 12 have suddenly become 11 (more on that later) but will be returning to China for a third time this week as part of Wine Australia’s 2019 China Roadshow.

"In a rapidly changing wine landscape, AFFW is looking forward to continuing to build its profile in China and connecting with key players in the wine trade and media, telling the stories behind each bottle of wine they craft,” said AFFW chairman Stephen Henschke.

"And as AFFW heads towards its 10th anniversary, their rich stories of longevity, history, provenance and craftsmanship continue to resonate with wine-interested Chinese guests.

This will be AFFW’s second trip with Wine Australia to China, an opportunity Henschke says will “strengthen a highly valued relationship” that has been built over many years

“As AFFW, we made our first solo visit to China in 2013, followed by a second visit with Wine Australia last year, in order to help raise the image of Australian wine,” Henschke said.

“It’s fascinating to see how rapidly the Chinese market is developing and changing each time we visit. Chinese wine consumers are gaining more confidence as they learn to appreciate wine. AFFW embodies the spirit of historical, multi-generational wine producing families, and with the next generation of AFFW at the fore, they are able to provide the touch points for the younger Chinese wine lovers of which there are many. 

"As a group we agree, and as the export figures show, the Chinese market is still very much the future for premium Australian wine.”

Kicking off on May 21, the 11 families who make up AFFW will visit Tianjin, Hangzhou, Kunming and Shenzhen during the eight-day tour, with two dedicated AFFW MasterClasses highlighting Wine Australia’s itinerary.

The first MasterClass, an in depth look into the classic Australian variety, Shiraz, will take place in Tianjin on the opening day of the roadshow. The event will be hosted by Lu Yang MS, the first ever and currently the only Chinese Master Sommelier. 

He is widely regarded as the most important and influential sommelier in Greater China and is currently the Corporate/Group Director of Wine for Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, overseeing the wine program and sommelier team for over 100 hotels of the entire group.

Concerning  De Bortoli's sudden absence from AFFW, Henschke said: “AFFW's shareholder agreement and membership criteria both stipulate that each AFFW member must be a member of the national Australian wine industry representative body which, until recently was the Winemakers Federation of Australia, and is now the newly incorporated Australian Grape and Wine Incorporated.

" The De Bortoli family has chosen not to become a member of this newly formed industry body and therefore no longer meet AFFW’s criteria.”

So there.

How a small town in Tasmania reinvented itself

A small town in Tasmania has cleverly reinvented itself by encouraging artists to create murals on walls of buildings and in a local park.



The rural northern Tasmanian town of Sheffield suffered a severe downtown before locals decided to take action.

The town made itself an instant tourist attraction and now holds an annual festival.



Sheffield, in the foothills of Mount Roland, is 30 minutes from Devonport and under hour from Launceston. It is a gateway to Cradle Mountain and promotes itself as a “Town of Murals”.

There are more than 140 murals to discover, some of the main street, others in Mural Park, and others tucked away. 

The artworks feature the history of the area and range from traditional to ultra-modern in style.

Take the audio tour, available from the visitor information centre, to interpret the stories the murals tell.




Sheffield is also home to several cafés and eateries, as well as quirky stores such as World of Marbles, The Emporium and The Contraptuary,

https://visitcradlecoast.com.au/products/destination-information/sheffield-town-of-murals/