Munari: a red gem of the Heathcote region

Anyone who has travelled around Australia's wine regions will know that cellar doors are increasingly becoming destinations within themselves - and each has its own fascinating history.

Just seven kilometres from Heathcote in Victoria is the family-owned winery of Munari, with patriarch Adrian at its head.

Founded in 1993 when it produced just a single shiraz, the Schoolhouse Red, the blocks now burst with cabernet sauvignon, merlot and malbec and each year another Schoolhouse Red blend fills the rack.
“We want to offer easy-drinking wines of great value to those who have no tasting experience and to those who are seasoned veterans,” says Adrian. "Guests can also enjoy a light lunch or a cheese platter to accompany their tastings."

The historic property dates back to 1871 and has been owned by a succession of prominent Heachcote personalities and once sprawled to 3200 acres.

Today, the Munari family operate on just 57 acres, but still manages to produce wines of exceptional quality from a region that features mineral-rich red soils, amongst weathered ancient volcanic greenstone.

The soil is well known for its water retention despite being able to drain freely. Sufficient water is retained to feed the vines throughout the growing season usually without the need for supplementary irrigation.

The 2015 Schoolhouse Red is a silky-smooth blend of fruity merlot (47%), cool-climate Broadford shiraz (27%), plush cabernet (16%) and dense malbec (10%) with a rounded, luscious mouthfeel in the Munari trademark elegance for $30.

The full range of wines includes prosecco, vermentino, grenache rosé, cabernet, red blends and dessert wines as well as Heathcote shiraz’. Be sure to taste the 94-point flagship ‘Ladys Pass’ Shiraz ($40/bottle). Book a tasting now.

Guest blogger Roderick Eime was a guest of Munari Wines

Meet Brisbane's latest boutique accommodation

A Heritage-listed 160-year-old former schoolhouse has been reimagined to create Brisbane's newest boutique accommodation. 

Miss Midgley's is the revitalised version of one of Brisbane's oldest heritage homes, transformed into chic lodgings on hip James Street in the trendy inner suburb of New Farm. 

The project is the work of mother-daughter duo Lisa and Isabella White and is named after Annie Midgley, an artist and teacher who opened a private school in the building in 1905, called Miss Midgley's Educational Establishment. 

The two-storey building has five self-contained apartments and the entire property can be booked out with a total of 18 beds. 

The property features a pool, tropical garden and small sun deck.

The building has had many lives including as a private home, an orphanage and a school.

Each of the apartments has two separate bedrooms, kitchen and laundry facilities.

New Farm is home to the New Farm Park Farmers Markets, the Powerhouse Museum and the New Farm Riverwalk connecting the park to the city.

James St is one of Brisbane's premier dining precincts.

See www.missmidgleys.com.au/stay/

So you really like sushi?

Calling all serious sushi lovers.

As Japan’s borders reopen to hungry tourists, Plan Japan and Melbourne sushi eatery Uminono are teaming up to host an ‘insiders tour’ of Japan’s most exclusive sushi restaurants, kicking off this September.

Running from September 25-30, the inaugural Luxury Sushi Discovery Experience will offer gourmet travellers a gastronomic tour of the world’s sushi capital: Tokyo.

The tour will be guided by Plan Japan "culture connoisseur" Rachel Lang, and Uminono sushi chef Arnaud Laidebeur - known for his omakase dining experiences.

The trip is Inclusive of flights with Japan Airlines and luxury five-star accommodation and includes visits to difficult-to-reserve sushi institutions.

Featured venues will include the two Michelin-starred Sushi Amamoto, an exclusive eight-seater boutique owned by acclaimed chef Masamichi Amamoto, as well as the acclaimed Sugita restaurant.

Also on the itinerary is the newly opened Hakkoku - which seats only six guests and features a selection of up to 30 different fish varieties - and local favourite Sushi Kimura.

Guests will also be offered a fine dining adventure in some of Tokyo’s French-Japanese fusion restaurants including the likes of Sugalabo, Florilège and Été.

“Unlike in many countries, money and fame cannot grant you access to the best restaurants in Japan." says Plan Japan founder Rachel Lang. "Instead, Japan’s owners and chefs value honour, trust and tradition – and choose to take reservations from people they know personally, or have built a history with.

“Through our decades spent cultivating relationships and trust with Japan’s leading chefs and restaurateurs, we’ve been granted the privilege of seats at some of Tokyo’s most remarkable and exclusive fine dining institutions. As the world begins to open back up, we look forward to offering some very lucky gourmet travellers a truly once-in-a-lifetime ticket to Japan’s incomparable gastronomy scene.”

Registrations for the Luxury Sushi Discovery Experience are open now at www.planjapan.com.au.

The tour is open to individual and corporate group bookings but is capped at a limited number of guests.

In addition to the Luxury Sushi Discovery Experience, Plan Japan will launch a series of bespoke premium Japan travel experiences from September 2022 – spanning extended food tours, golf, horse racing and seasonal adventures.

Meet the cruise ship powered entirely by electricity

The world’s largest fully electric cruise ship has made its maiden voyage on the Yangtze River in China.

The Yangtze River Three Gorges 1, powered purely by electricity, made its maiden voyage in Yichang City this weekend, offering sightseeing trips along the scenic Yangtze River Three Gorges, Travel Mole reported.

The ship, which is 100 metres long,, can carry up to 1,300 passengers.

It is powered by a massive 7,500-kilowatt-hour marine battery, the equivalent to the total battery capacity of more than 100 electric vehicles, the Publicity Department of Yichang Municipality said.

The Yangtze River Three Gorges 1 has claimed several records in the global electric passenger ship technical field, including the largest battery capacity, and the largest number of battery packs.

The ship is equipped with advanced technologies such as facial recognition, and AI analysis.

The state grid has built a full-coverage charging network for the ship. It can replenish electricity in several ports by means of high-voltage charging and low-voltage replenishment.

The electric cruise ship can travel 100 kilometres on a single charge, which is the equivalent of 530 metric tons of fuel.

It can generate a reduction of over 1,600 tons of emissions each year.

Lei Mingshan, chairman of China Three Gorges Corp, old local media that the electric cruise ship is a milestone in promoting green transportation, protection of the Yangtze River, and a preview of a low-carbon future in marine travel.

Looking for a last-minute Easter city getaway?

Looking for a last-minute city break over the Easter holidays? Accor, the largest hotel operator in Australia and New Zealand, has today unveiled some special offers as part of its City Sale.

Travellers booking a getaway between April 7-10 can save up to 30% on stays of two nights or longer, for travel over the upcoming Easter school holiday period and up until June 30.

There are 130+ participating city hotels and apartments across Australia and New Zealand.

Members of ALL - Accor Live Limitless, Accor’s lifestyle loyalty program, also receive an additional incentive to book with up to 6,000 Reward points available when they register and book up to three stays.

Visit all.com to take advantage of the deals but the offer ends on Sunday.

Star deals include two nights at the ibis Styles Brisbane Elizabeth Street (above) in the heart of the CBD from $264.60 for a two-night stay – a saving of 30%, and two nights at the Sofitel Sydney Wentworth hotel (top image) from $364 for a two-night stay, also a 30% reduction.


In Auckland, the recently refurbished Sofitel Auckland Viaduct Harbour has a two-night stay for NZD$544.60.

Moorilla marks a major Tasmanian wine milestone

Sixty years is not a long time - but in the Tasmanian wine business it is an eternity. 

Moorilla marked its 60th anniversary today with a day of celebration, paying homage to the legacy of founding winemaker Claudio Alcorso. 

Moorilla Estate, home to the Museum of Old and New Art (Mona), hosted Sexagesimus, a festival described as "a Dionysian day of wine aplenty, feasting, live music and performance on the Mona lawns. 

Latin for 60th, Sexagesimus honours Alcorso, a visionary and pioneer of winemaking in Tasmania. 

Guests were invited to bring a picnic rug and feast from Mona’s food offerings - reimagined in celebration of Claudio. 

Musicians, including Vince Jones, entertained as patrons sipped their way through speciality wine tastings of Moorilla’s rare back vintages, available for one day only.

Moorilla also marked the occasion by re-releasing a limited-edition vintage riesling: the 50th anniversary Cloth Label, made from grapes hand-picked and stomped by foot at Moorilla’s 50th anniversary celebration. 

This limited-edition wine, cellared for 10 years, follows a tradition beginning in 1962 when Alcorso and his family harvested and stomped the first riesling grapes from Moorilla. 

Moorilla winemaker Conor van de Reest (top image) says: ‘Moorilla has a long history here in Tasmania as one of the very first modern vineyards. 

"Throughout that time, through Claudio Alcorso and David Walsh, it has always had an intrinsic link to community. We’re welcoming the public to celebrate Moorilla’s 60th vintage with a fitting tribute to Claudio’s legacy and the ongoing story of the vineyard he established."

David Walsh, Moorilla’s owner and Mona’s creator, says: "I was raised just up the road from Moorilla, and as a child I walked past many times, but I did not enter, because I did not feel that such a special place was meant for one such as me. 

"Had I entered, I would have encountered one of Claudio’s (and Moorilla’s) earliest vintages, and three houses that he commissioned. Years later, I marvelled at jazz on the lawn, and pinot in the glass. 

"I bought Moorilla on a whim, and that whim came to define me. Moorilla became mine, along with its houses, after Claudio had been a sensitive custodian for 47 years."