Slippery business: snakes captured by customs officials

You see a lot of crazy people on popular TV show Border Security.

Often they are trying to smuggle food, or drugs, into Australia.

But a woman who landed in Chennai, India, last week after flying from Kuala Lumpur went one better.

She was caught trying to smuggle 22 snakes and a chameleon into the country.

The woman was intercepted by customs officials after arriving, Travel Mole reported.

The snakes were of various species and, along with the chameleon, were in individual plastic containers.

Local officials said they suspect wildlife trafficking.

The snakes were seized under customs and wildlife protection laws.

Image: The Hindustan Times 

Joyce to step down; Qantas names new boss

Under-fire Qantas CEO Alan Joyce is to stand down in November and will be replaced by current CFO Vanessa Hudson (above).

The Qantas Group said today that Hudson will become the CEO and managing director.

Although low profile, Hudson has worked in a number of executive positions across the Qantas group over 28 years, including Chief Customer Officer and senior vice president for Qantas across the Americas and New Zealand.

Hudson will continue in her current role while also being CEO designate and joining the board, before taking over as the company’s 13th CEO in 103 years following the 2023 Annual General Meeting, Qantas said in a statement.

Chairman Richard Goyder said the appointment came after a rigorous selection process and allows for a smooth transition from Joyce, who is popular with shareholders but less so with customers.

"A lot of thought has gone into this succession and the Board had a number of high-quality candidates to consider, both internally and externally," Gowder said.

“Vanessa has a deep understanding of this business after almost three decades in a range of roles both onshore and offshore, across commercial, customer and finance. She has a huge amount of airline experience and she’s an outstanding leader.

“For the past five years Vanessa has had a direct hand in shaping our strategy as a member of the Group Management Committee, and her handling of the finance and treasury portfolio during the Covid crisis was outstanding. She also led the fleet selection process in 2022 for the renewal of our domestic jet aircraft over the next decade.

“A key strength of Qantas is the sheer depth of talent it has, and Vanessa will be supported by a deep bench of executives across the organisation as well as by the board.”

Hudson said: “It’s an absolute honour to be asked to lead the national carrier. This is an exceptional company full of incredibly talented people and it’s very well positioned for the future. My focus will be delivering for those we rely on and who rely on us – our customers, our employees, our shareholders and the communities we serve.”

Joyce spent 15 years as Qantas Group CEO.

Image: Qantas

How to ensure your aged wine emerges from the cellar in top condition

Many wine lovers want to put away a bottle of wine or two for a special occasion. Others prefer to drink their wines when they are fully mature. 

The team from Levantine Hill - one of the leading premium producers in the Yarra Valley (https://www.levantinehill.com.au) - has just shared some very useful tips on the best ways to ensure your wine has the best chance of emerging from storage in peak condition.

Of all the factors influencing the quality of stored wine, temperature is perhaps the most important. Unsuitably warm or cold temperatures are a sure way to spoil wine.

In general, the ideal temperature for long-term or short-term wine storage is around 14ºC, but this can vary from wine to wine.

Here are Levantine Hill's top tips. 

Store wines horizontally
For bottles with corks, be sure to store your wine horizontally in a wine rack. Keeping wine on its side helps keep the cork moist, which is key for long-term storage, as a dried out cork can cause seepage and premature aging. While it’s not necessary to keep screw top wine bottles on their sides, horizontal storage is nevertheless an efficient way to store your wines for maximum space and easy access.

Protect Wine from Light
Whether you’re storing it for months, weeks, or days, keep your wine in the dark as much as possible. UV rays from direct sunlight can damage wine’s flavours and aromas.

Store Wine at the Proper Humidity
Humidity extremes in your wine cellar or storage area can also impact your wine’s longevity. At lower humidity levels, your corks can dry out, leaving the wine vulnerable to the effects of oxygen, while higher humidity can cause labels to peel off the bottles, making them difficult to display or sell. In general, your wine cellar humidity should be between 60% and 68%.

Store Wine in a Wine Fridge, Not a Regular Fridge
If you don’t have a wine storage space that’s consistently cool, dark, and moist, a wine refrigerator is a good idea. Unlike a standard refrigerator, which keeps your food very cold and dry, a wine fridge keeps wine between 10-15˚C and at the proper humidity. (A good fridge will also have a cooler setting for Champagne.) Keeping your wine in a separate wine fridge also helps prevent cross-contamination from food odours.

Store Open Bottles of Wine Properly
Stored properly, an opened bottle of wine can last 3-5 days [I'd say 5-7] . The key to extending its shelf life and retain its original qualities is to recork it promptly and tightly, or alternatively use a specialised mechanism such as a Coravin that can preserve wine for a longer period.

Lost Captain leads the way for dinner

The Huon Valley in the deep south of Tasmania has many attractions, but had been short on restaurants that serve dinner - until the Lost Captain opened in the dying days of 2022.

A few months on, the Huonville eatery is in full swing, offering a menu that appeals equally to locals and interstate visitors.

Whether you are looking for a cosy booth with a few friends, or a spot in the garden where the kids can run around, this restaurant can be recommended.

The Lost Captain sits just across from the banks of the Huon River, a 30-minute drive south of Hobart.

The menu features an excellent selection of small plates ($15 each or three for $40). 

We found three small plates each more than enough to quell our hungers, although we were tempted by the desserts ($15).

We tried the traditional Tassei dish of mini scallop pies (three per serve, below) excellent; along with duck ham, cheese and aioli croquettes, torched thinly sliced Robbins Island wagyu with sourdough and dripping, Cygnet mushroom XO (in a rice paper roll) and tuna and wagyu tataki.

My standout was the crispy and tender fried chicken with purple kimchi that has more than a hint of heat. Crunchy and delicious.

The good news is that three small plates are quite enough for a meal - although there are some enticing looking mains, including the Pelverata-raised - just down the road - crispy lamb with chevre, olives and tomatoes ($34) and Lucaston-farmed - a bit further down the road - beef short rib ($40).

There are also several dishes designed for sharing by large groups, including a lamb shoulder and a suckling pig (book in advance).

The dessert choices include the hyper-local apple dumplings with salted caramel ice cream and golden syrup, and chocolate, fondant vanilla ice cream, tuile and chestnut crumb (above). My wife preferred the former, I enjoyed the latter.

The wine list has a Tasmanian focus with drinks from the likes of Hughes & Hughes, Stoney Rise, Ghost Rock and Wellington & Wolfe featuring on the "by the glass" list and several more Tasmanians, along with some tasty imports, on the list of bottles.

One major highlight was the bright, professional and attentive staff, many of whom have previously worked at Hobart's New Sydney Hotel.

In a time when good staff are hard to find, the Captain has managed to find a very good crew - including several familiar local faces. We'll be back.

The Lost Captain is at 2-4 Short St, Huonville. Open seven days. Monday-Friday: noon to late; Saturday: 8.30am-late; Sunday noon-6pm.

See https://www.lostcaptain.com.au/

From a place of terror to a place of leisure

It used to be that HM Pentridge Prison was a destination to be avoided at all costs.

Today, on the 26th anniversary of the closure of the jail, TFE Hotels officially launched its 106-room Adina Hotel, Olivine wine bar, North & Common restaurant, Chapter Place events venue, and urban retreat The Interlude on the same site.

What was once a cold, hard place has been transformed into a billion-dollar dining and entertainment precinct.

TFE Hotels’ Regional General Manager for Victoria, Stephen Moore, said the unveiling of the Pentridge precinct was a sign that Melbourne’s tourism industry was continuing its post-pandemic recovery.

Moore said today's ribbon cutting, and ceremonial opening of a Heritage-listed red door into the converted prison wing, signalled the official launch of the TFE’ venues at the Heritage-listed site.



The launch followed a private event last week where Wurundjeri Elder, Uncle Bill Nicholson, conducted a Welcome to Country and ceremonial cleansing of the site.

The MP for Pascoe Vale, Anthony Cianflone, said the Pentridge Visitor and Entertainment Precinct was a game changer for Coburg and surrounds.

“Wine Bar, cuisine, wellness, accommodation, entertainment, history, culture, and tourism - all of which means a growing visitor economy, more jobs and skills for our community,” he said.

General Manager Jesse Kornoff (pictured above with Cianflone) said the 106-room Adina Apartment Hotel Pentridge Melbourne (which had its soft opening in February), Olivine wine bar and the eight Chapter Place events spaces had been well received by locals and travellers alike.

“We’ve had people coming in and staying because they’re genuinely interested in seeing what’s been hiding behind the bluestone walls; others were part of conferences or held events in our unique event spaces; and others still were simply attracted to the sheer convenience of our brand-new hotel being located halfway between Melbourne’s CBD and the airport.”

North & Common restaurant, with head chef Mark Glenn at the helm, will open to hotel guests this week and officially launch to the public on May 10, while Olivine wine bar, which opened last month, showcases the adaptive reuse of former prison cells.

Henschke delivers a superb new range of premium wines

Unleash the superlatives. Henschke's new premium wines are released this week. And they are stunning.

The 2018 Hill of Grace Shiraz will be launched globally on Wednesday (I gave it a rare 99 points) as part of the Henschke family's 2018 Single Vineyard Release, which will also include 2018 Hill of Roses Shiraz, 2018 Mount Edelstone Shiraz, 2018 The Wheelwright Shiraz and 2018 Cyril Henschke Cabernet Sauvignon.

These single vineyard wines are recognised globally, and I was lucky enough to sample them at a recent tasting - and to also later pair them with food.

If it was any other family, the claim that the 2018 vintage was "graced by wonder" would sound suspiciously like marketing hype.

But when Stephen Henschke makes the claim then you know he is seriously delighted by the new wines, all of which will be in short supply.

Fifth-generation winemaker Henschke says the vintage celebrates several significant milestones.

"The 2018 Hill of Grace marks 60 years since my father Cyril captured the first shimmering edition of Hill of Grace from the 1958 vintage," he says.



"In 2018, we also celebrated 150 years of Henschke family winemaking. Nature collaborated, too, delivering an exceptional season that will be considered a standout of this decade.

"The wines from 2018 have wonderful complexity, richness, depth and balance, an expressive sense of place, and fine and mature tannins. They are comparable to exceptional quality vintages such as 1982, 1990, 2002 and 2010, all from mild seasons that have shown excellent ageing potential in ideal cellaring conditions.”

Established in 1868, Henschke has vineyards in the Eden Valley, Barossa Valley and Adelaide Hills. The family business is completed by Stephen's viticulturist wife Prue, and their children Johann, Justine and Andreas - who are all carrying on the family winemaking tradition.

Innovator Cyril Henschke enjoyed success with his first Mount Edelstone Shiraz and then turned his attention to the small planting of shiraz located opposite the Gnadenberg Lutheran Church, which was farmed by his brother Louis.

From these ancient vines he produced the first Hill of Grace Shiraz, a wine that would become recognised around the world.

Centenarian and ancestor vines provide the key components in Hill of Grace, with the oldest vines now over 160 years old. These are gnarly, dry-grown and naturally low yielding, which means there can never be enough Hill of Grace to meet global demand - and why the price now sits just below $1000 a bottle.

Stephen and Prue (above) have subsequently added three single-vineyard, single-varietal wines to their range: Cyril Henschke, Hill of Roses and The Wheelwright - and the Henschke wines are made organically and biodynamically.

“We see the nourishing of our land as a way of connecting healthy soils, healthy produce and healthy people," says Prue Henschke.

"We want to tread as lightly as possible on our land; land that has been nurtured by six generations of Henschke and is our past, our present and our future.”

Here's the rundown on the new wines, which will be available through fine wine retailers, restaurants and the Henschke cellar door and website (henschke.com.au) from Wednesday.

Henschke 2018 Hill of Grace Eden Valley Shiraz: One of the finest Hill of Graces that I have tasted. No wine is perfect so this one gets 99/100. It combines power and elegance with a kaleidoscope of flavours. Composed, thoughtful and thoroughly delicious. $950.

Henschke 2018 Hill of Roses Eden Valley Shiraz: The 15th release of a wine produced from the "younger" vines on the Hill of Grace vineyard, planted in 1989. The fruit has distinct pepper and spice characters and is long, if a little restrained in its youth. 96 points from me. $455.

Henschke Mount Edelstone 2018 Eden Valley Shiraz: First produced almost 70 years ago and arguably the longest consecutively produced, single-vineyard wine in Australia. This is deep and brooding with herb and spice notes and serious texture from quality oak treatment. Supple and savoury and a wine well worth the $245 asking price. 97 points.

Henschke 2018 The Wheelwright Eden Valley Shiraz: Just the fourth release of this wine, the "bargain" shiraz of the release. Marking the winery’s centenary in 1968, Cyril Henschke planted a small shiraz vineyard in the cooler part of the Mount Lofty Ranges. Now this vineyard produces wines of style, sophistication and approachability on release. It has length, minerality, and nervy tension. Elegant and food friendly. 96 points. $150.

Henschke Cyril Henschke 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon: The 40th anniversary release of one of Australia's finest cabernets (with a smidgen of merlot and cabernet franc); dark, complex, textural and intense but at the same time soft and smooth. The supple tannin structure makes this immediately approachable, while being destined for the long haul if required. Loved this and gave it 98 points. $175.