Sweet treats: meet the cellar door with its own patisserie

 

Craigie Knowe was the first vineyard planted on Tasmania’s East Coast – back 1979.

Now it is the first cellar door in the state to have its own on-site patisserie, as is being discovered by visitors to the Great Eastern Wine Week this weekend and next.

Open every day the rustic cellar door is open (Friday-Monday right now), the patisserie offers visitors the chance to combine a tasting of wines - which range from riesling and pinot gris to pinot noir and cabernet sauvignon – with a sweet treat.



Just a few weeks after opening the patisserie, winery co-owner Glenn Travers said the new addition was contributing over 15% of the cellar door's income.

The meringues and macarons, cakes and other treats are created by the talented Xinruo Wang, a pastry chef previously with Daci & Daci in Hobart and Burch & Purchese Sweet Studio and Cafe di Stasio in Melbourne.

She happens to be the partner of Travers’ son – a fortunate piece of synchronicity.



In addition to the patisserie, Craigie Knowe tourism offerings include free wine tastings, a Chocolate and Wine experience, wine and/or food in the vines and vineyard tours.

See https://craigieknowe.com.au/

Tough times produce good wines

It is 15 years since the Tar & Roses wine brand was launched by Narelle King and her late business partner Don Lewis. 

The duo began making wine in the late 1990s after Narelle completed of a winemaking degree at Charles Sturt University. 

While working together at Mitchelton Wines, the pair soon developed a mutual respect for each other’s winemaking skills, as well as a shared admiration for the wine and food experiences.

What started as a small passion project  has transformed in a range of excellent - and affordable - wines from Victoria’s Goulburn Valley. 

Tar & Roses is the love child of grapes of Mediterranean heritage wine; including Spain and Italy. Think pinot grigio, a nebbiolo rosé, a tempranillo and a sangiovese. 

But the road has not been an easy one for King, who has been flying solo since Lewis, a former Jimmy Watson Trophy winner, died in 2017. 

“Don loved Tar & Roses and what we had been able to achieve," she says. "It gives me great pleasure to think of how we’ve continued and grown the brand successfully in his absence. 

"He would be so happy to see how many people now love and drink the unique pinot grigio we produce.” 

Tar & Roses was inspired by time both winemakers spent travelling around Mediterranean wine regions. 

They sourced fruit from Heathcote, the Strathbogie Ranges, King Valley and even some from Priorat in Spain.

Tar & Roses is based in Nagambie, a small country town north of Melbourne. 

“Having the opportunity to produce an array of different varieties from various, celebrated areas around Victoria has allowed Tar & Roses to engage with multiple vineyards and wineries, each with its own distinct personalities and quirks,” says King. 

The 2021 Pinot Grigio (around $22) is a seriously delicious standout, with the savoury tempranillo and juicy sangiovese well worth a look. 

“It makes me happy to think of our achievements over time, the problems we overcame, the fun we had along the way and the joy our wines bring to so many people,” King says.

"Life is short, and you do really need to “just do it”. I think Covid has taught us to appreciate that and what’s important in our lives. Just like good coffee, you should enjoy the things that make you happy, especially fine wine.”

See www.tarandroses.com.au/

New luxury London hotel takes an Asian approach

On my last visit to London, just before Covid-19 hit, I forsook the West End and stayed in the very funky Mama Shelter in the heart of the East End.

The eastern reaches of London are becoming increasingly on trend as is emphasised by this week's opening of the Pan Pacific London - located on Liverpool Street.

The hotel hopes to become a drawcard with its destination restaurants and bars and Singaporean-style hospitality.

The hotel is located in the landmark tower at One Bishopsgate Plaza and close to Spitalfields, the Barbican cultural hub, and the once down-at-heel - but now stylish - Shoreditch neighbourhood.

Bishopsgate Plaza is a 43-storey tower and the hotel has a signature restaurant, patisserie and a contemporary cocktail bar. A landscaped public plaza makes it a 24-hour destination.

The hotel has been created by "esteemed design duo" Yabu Pushelberg (never heard of 'em, sorry).

There are 237-guest rooms and suites and the signature Pan Pacific Suite, perched on the 19th floor, offers spectacular views of city landmark, The Gherkin.

Diptyque bathroom amenities, a hot and cold minibar, and a curated library of books are just a few of the luxury touches.

The hotel’s Straits Kitchen restaurant, Ginger Lily bar and The Orchid Lounge drawing room highlight produce from Norfolk - just a short train ride from Liverpool Street Station.



Pan Pacific London also has a ballroom for up to 400 guests (ideal for any Australian winemaker set on making a big tasting splash when things return to normal).

There is an infinity pool (no new hotel can be without one nowadays), while spa treatments infuse Western science and clinical research with south-east Asian traditions.

Visit panpacificlondon.com but be prepared to pay serious London prices. 

Lead-in opening offer room rates start from £325 per night, room only. That's over $600 a night for Australians lucy enough to travel.

New Australian shiraz makes its debut at $500 a bottle

Siblings Nick, Angela and Eliza Brown of All Saints wine fame will this month release a special wine from their historic Mount Ophir Estate.

The 2019 Mount Ophir Shiraz will be released on Thursday, September 16, with a $500 price tag. 

An historic Rutherglen landmark, Mount Ophir Estate was established in 1891. The estate boasts 360-degree views of the surrounding area, including the Murray River Basin and the Snowy Mountains to the east, and offers a winery experience rich in history much like the grounds it sits on.

Owners of Mount Ophir Estate from 1903, the Burgoyne family, were prominent London wine merchants, who developed the property further by constructing a French provincial tower that was a nod to their heritage, along with a winemaking facility.

At this time, the building was the largest state-of-the-art wine producing complex in the southern hemisphere, and the Burgoyne family envisioned it to become the wine centre of Australia.

Mount Ophir Estate was purchased by siblings Eliza, Angela and Nick Brown in 2016, who set to work restoring the 140-acre estate to its former glory.

The Brown siblings have since transformed the estate to offer premium wines, accommodation, and winery experiences.

They also operate All Saints Estate and Terrace Restaurant, St Leonards Vineyard and Thousand Pound Wine Bar, all Rutherglen region icons.

  
The new shiraz will be available for purchase through registration only at mountophirestate.com.au/shiraz-waitlist.

Winemaker Nick Brown describes the wine as "elegant in style, with a medium-bodied, concentrated palate". It apparently offers red and blackberry characters, and soft but long tannins, with a cellaring recommendation for up to 15 years.

The fruit comes from low-yielding fruit hand picked from a single vineyard spanning just 0.5 hectares and made using traditional techniques.

Following a 12-day fermentation period, the wine was basket pressed, before spending 19 months in three 225-litre French oak barrels.

“We are so proud of the wine we have produced," Nick Brown says. 

"The 2019 Mount Ophir Estate Shiraz demonstrates our commitment to producing high-quality wines and brings together Rutherglen’s regional characteristics in a considered approach towards winemaking.”

Dominique Portet Wines links with leading tourism group

Ultimate Winery Experiences Australia has unveiled its latest member with Dominique Portet Wines joining De Bortoli as the group's second member in the Yarra Valley in Victoria.

“We are delighted to join Ultimate Winery Experiences Australia and we’re honoured to be counted among such an esteemed group of wineries,” says 10th-generation winemaker Ben Portet.

“Our plans for Dominique Portet align perfectly with the vision of UWEA - to increase the reach and impact of Australian wine tourism.”

Dominique Portet Wines is home to a cellar door and bistro with a very French accent.

“We’re delighted to welcome Dominique Portet to the fold,” says Kate Shilling, executive officer of Ultimate Winery Experiences Australia. “They bring a slice of Bordeaux to the Yarra Valley with award-winning Australian wines crafted with French sensibility.”

The Portet family are considered wine-making royalty, with Dominique Portet learning his craft in Bordeaux and practicing it throughout an illustrious career in France, the Napa Valley, and Tasmania, before finally settling in the Yarra.

In 2008, his son Ben took the reins of the winery after years of experience working in wineries in South Australia, Bordeaux, South Africa and the Napa Valley in California.

“Ben continues more than 40 years of dedicated family wine craftsmanship in Australia, forging a new chapter in a winemaking story that spans more than a century, specialising in sparkling wine, chardonnay, rosé and cabernet sauvignon,” says Shilling.

“His acclaimed cabernet sauvignon is renowned for being one of the best in the country; an elegant drop of Bordeaux right here in our own backyard.”

The two special UWEA experiences include Le Tour de Rosé; a look at three different wine styles – sparkling brut rosé, the Fontaine Rosé and a new addition – a single vineyard rosé.

Hosted by Dominique Portet, these tastings include an overview of the estate’s history, followed by a wine tasting matched with a selection of charcuterie, cheese and rustic baguette.

The André Experience features a tour, tasting and bistro lunch with a behind-the-scenes tour of the estate, a tutored wine tasting and in the André room, perched above the working winery, and then lunch with a three-course menu of French family classics.

Dominique Portet is located at 870 Maroondah Highway, Coldstream, VIC.

Discover more at www.ultimatewineryexperiences.com.au

P&O Australian to ban unvaccinated passengers

P&O Cruises Australia has announced it will restart operations with fully vaccinated ships only.

No vaccination certificate: no cruise. 

Only fully vaccinated guests will be permitted aboard and all crew will be double jabbed.

"We want to do our bit to get this country back up and running again," said cruise line president Sture Myrmell (below).

"Governments have been connecting vaccination rates to plans to end lockdowns, border restrictions and, ultimately, re-opening Australia. 

"In addition, our research shows that the vast majority of our guests want to cruise with other vaccinated Australians."


The cruise line said it will update customers with a clear vaccination policy and other on-board health protocols when a restart date is granted by the Australian Government.


CLIA Australasia has been pushing the federal government for months to formulate a reopening plan of action for the cruise industry, starting with domestic sailings.


"In the past 15 months, more than $6 billion in economic activity linked to cruising in Australia has been wiped along with the livelihoods of suppliers including farmers, technical support services, tour operators and entertainers," Myrmell said.