Arras sets new benchmark. The most expensive Tasmanian wine at $350 a bottle.

If you had said 20 years ago that a bottle of sparkling wine from Tasmania would sell for $350 a bottle and be snapped up by aficionados, you would have been regarded as completely bonkers. 

Such great strides has the Tasmanian sparkling wine industry made, however, that the new-release Arras 20th Anniversary 1998 EJ Carr Late Disgorged will sellout within weeks. 

I caught up with chief winemaker Ed Carr while he was en route to the weekend's Effervescence celebrations in Launceston and he told me was delighted by the quality of the wine, which has spent 16 years on lees and is marvellously honeyed and toasty without having lost its fruit elements. 

Ed Carr 

The new release is a fresh disgorgement of the first wine produced by Australia’s most awarded sparkling winemaker 17 years ago. Only 300 bottles have been produced, making the 1998 release the most exclusive (and expensive) sparkling wine in Australia. 

The wine is made of 62% chardonnay and 38% pinot noir from the Tamar Valley, Lower Derwent and Coal River valleys. It comes in a special wooden presentation box.

The Effervescence festival, and wines of this quality, serve to underline the huge strides made by sparkling winemakers in Tasmania, including Josef Chromy, Clover Hill, Jansz, Arras, Stefano Lubiana, Freycinet, Pirie Tasmania, Delamere, Moorilla, Ghost Rock. Pipers Brook, Frogmore Creek, Barringwood, Spring Vale and Apogee. 

Tasmania is now known as "little Champagne", with sparkling wine representing around a third of the total wine production.

The first-known Australian sparkling wine was produced in Tasmania from the 1826 harvest, but it was a long time before Tasmania's outstanding sparkling potential would be further explored after this brave early start. 

Vineyards had all but disappeared by the late 1800s and it wasn't until 1956 that the modern revival commenced. 

Tasmania’s sparkling future was set on a new course in 1989, when Heemskerk and the French Champagne house, Louis Roederer, introduced renowned sparkling wine brand Jansz. Since then the strides have been extraordinary. 

# UPDATE: The House of Arras 2006 Blanc de Blancs won the Len Evans Memorial Trophy for Champion Wine of the Show at The National Wine Show of Australia  in Canberra - the first sparkling wine to do so. 

Are seat kickers worse than screaming kids when flying?

I've just done three domestic Virgin Australia flights in 12 hours and all of them were on time and completely painless. Qantas, too, have been very good recently. 

But flying can be tiresome, particularly long haul flights, if you get the wrong person sitting beside you; or behind you, or you gut a seat right next to the toilets, which start to stink after a few hours.

The results of a study conducted by the Expedia.com.au brand, released today, show that Australians most hate being seated in front of fellow passengers who kick the back of their seat. 

This behaviour is hated even more than parent who allow their children to scream and rampage around the cabin (my most hated) and those who insist on talking loudly to the stranger next to them. 

The Airplane Etiquette Study asked Australians to rank the most frustrating behaviours exhibited by the millions of fellow passengers who fly each year. 

Topping the list of annoying behaviours were Back Seat Kickers, with 77% of Australians citing this as aggravating behaviour. More than a third of respondents (36%) claim to have experienced major discomfort on a flight due to a passenger kicking their seat from behind. 

Inattentive Parents - parents who have little or no control over their noisy children - were second on the list of travellers Aussies find to be the most annoying, followed by "aromatic passengers" - classified as people with poor hygiene or wearing too much perfume or cologne. 

The top 10 ranked annoyances were: 

1. Rear Seat Kicker: The passenger who constantly shuffles and kicks the seat in front.

2. Inattentive Parents: Parents who have no control over or pay no attention to their children. 

3. The Aromatic Passenger: The passenger with poor hygiene or wearing too much perfume. 

4. The Boozer: The disruptive passenger who has enjoyed a few too many drinks, 

5. The Audio Insensitive: The passenger who talks too loudly. 

6. The Recliner: The passenger who reclines their seat all the way back as meals are being served,

7. Chatty Cathy: The passenger who strikes up a conversation and won’t stop.

8. Pungent Foodie: The passenger who brings food with a strong smell on board.

9. Mad Bladder: The window-seat passenger who makes frequent visits to the toilet. 

10. The Amorous: The couple that displays an inappropriate level of public affection. 

“Having a pleasant flight largely depends on cooperation from fellow passengers,” according to Kelly Cull, who is a travel expert with Expedia.com.au. 

“It doesn’t matter if it’s a short or long flight, as Aussies gear up for the summer holidays, we should remember that a little consideration goes a long way to ensure everyone enjoys their trip.”

Almost a fifth (18% of passengers) would pay extra to be seated in a designated “quiet zone” if the airline offered one.

A unique experience in Tasmania; creating and distilling your own gin

My hand-crafted artisan gin looks a little cloudy. Fortunately, it tastes delicious, with citrusy notes and just a hint of of chilli. Which was exactly what I was aiming for when I blended and distilled it.

Even more pleasingly, it has received the tick of approval from Bill McHenry, one of a growing number of craft distillers in Tasmania.

To be fair, this was my second attempt at distilling a gin. The first, earlier in the day, ended up in a “boilover” when I let my blend become too hot and it bubbled away a little too merrily.

This time around I appear to have got things just right.

McHenry started out by making whisky (a popular venture in Tasmania), but has diversified into gins and vodkas which have found their way to the top shelves of some of Australia's leading hotels and restaurants.

In collaboration with Kim Dudson, who runs Bespoke Tasmania Tours, he recently launched Bespoke Gin Tours, which take participants through the history and culture of gin before placing them in the role of distiller.

“We think it is a fascinating process,” he says. “Hopefully people will be engaged with what we do and leave with a greater understanding.“

Turn the clock back 10 years and Bill McHenry was a very stressed high-flyer in the pharmaceuticals industry.

He had an epiphany when he drove through a red light in busy Sydney traffic one day, so engrossed in his business issues that he had completely forgotten what he was doing.

“I didn't hit anyone but it shocked me what I had done,” he said. “I went back home and decided on big change. I wanted my own business and I've got Scottish heritage so distilling seemed a natural fit.”

These days McHenry and his family are very much at home in slow-paced Tasmania. The distillery is situated on 100 pristine acres on the Tasman Peninsula, just outside Port Arthur “and it has its own natural springs – and pure water is essential for distilling”.

McHenry delights in showing guests (and would-be distillers) around his rustic property, which is teeming with wildlife.

Back in the distillery, our small group, ferried from Hobart that morning by Bespoke Tasmania (with a couple of stops along the way) learns that gin is created by filling a pot still with neutral spirit diluted to 45-60 per cent and that juniper berries and other botanicals are added according to taste.

Each of the participants is equipped with their own mini pot still and they can choose from around 30 different botanicals depending on what flavours they are looking for in their gin. We learn the differences between London gins, Navy-strength gins and sloe gins (made with sloe berries).

I choose juniper berries, an essential ingredient of quality gin, orange peel, lime, chilli, star anise and cardamom as my key flavour drivers.

We learn about the distilling process, how gin was developed on the basis of the Dutch drink jenever and became popular in Britain when it was ruled by William of Orange, leader of the Dutch Republic.

We discover gin was used in tropical British colonies to mask the bitter flavour of quinine, which was the only effective anti-malarial compound.

We taste several styles of gin, enjoy a tour of the distillery, and then enjoy a gin-matched lunch prepared from local ingredients by Bespoke Tasmania and savoured high on a hill on the property  - with views to the ocean.

While our creations are bubbling away we get to grill Bill on the many facets of distilling and learn that these workshops are the only ones in Australia, and, possibly, the world. We later learn how to adjust alcohol levels by adding that pure spring water.

The four hours pass surprisingly quickly and we feel like gin gurus by the end. All guests leave with a 400ml bottle of their own creation to enjoy at their leisure, and a 200ml bottle of William McHenry London Dry Gin with which to compare it.

According to Bill, my gin is “pure, tasty and elegant”. Apparently I could filter my gin to remove the cloudiness, but I'm happy.

The gin experience can be further enhanced by taking your bottle to the Henry Jones Art Hotel, where the bar staff will use your gin to make a special cocktail. This costs $10 – but is free for in-house guests.

As the tours are only offered through Bespoke Tasmania, guests can structure the rest of the day at their own pace and to their own inclinations. We stopped at the Port Arthur Lavender Farm for a fascinating tour and coffee; and then at Bangor Wine and Oyster Shed on our way back to Hobart to sample some freshly shucked local oysters.

The worldly and knowledgeable Dudson, who runs official tours for MONA and the Henry Jones, says tours can be tailored to all interests, including to privately-owned rare colonial buildings, gardens, craft breweries, wineries or art galleries.

Bespoke Gin Workshops are held at William McHenry & Sons Distillery at Port Arthur. Tours last four hours including lunch and gins to take away.  For bookings and enquiries ring 0429 636 348 or visit www.bespoketasmania.com. 

# This is a version of a story that originally appeared on www.traveller.com.au  

How to enjoy La Dolce Vita in Australia

Head for the King Valley, that little slice of Italy in the north-east of Victoria, for taste of La Dolce Vita -Italian for "the sweet life".

The King Valley's spring festival, La Dolce Vita runs over the weekend of November 14-15 and aims showcases the innovative wine styles the region has become known for, the foods that many of the winemaking generation have grown up on and the hospitality that the local family-owned businesses pride themselves on.

Visitors will not only be able to sample sangiovese and prosecco in their new Australian homes, they can also journey around the world by tasting a range of intriguing Italian, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Russian and French varieties at the participating wineries.

Grape varieties such as arneis, pinot grigio, savignan, verduzzo, barbera, nebbiolo and tempranillo are available alongside a host of more mainstream varieties.

With the strong Italian influence - this used to be tobacco-growing territory - the menus at each of the participating wineries allow you to choose from authentic dishes prepared by Nonnas and renowned local chefs.

Think dishes like handmade pasta and gnocchi, pizzas and seafood along with Italian desserts, sweets and coffee. And don't forget the music. There will also be roving entertainers.

There is also a new attraction at this year's festival - the newly opened cellar door, restaurant and larder at the King Valley’s brand-new culinary destination, Chrismont.

Aromatic whites perfect for spring and summer will feature here, including the lively sparkling La Zona Prosecco and new release La Zona Pinot Grigio 2015, alongside savoury reds and the small-batch La Zona Nebbiolo and La Zona Sagrantino.

Host wineries range from local icons including Dal Zotto, Pizzini and Brown Brothers, to tiny family wineries like Merkel and Politini.

To discover more see:
www.winesofthekingvalley.com.au/events/la-dolce-vita/

Meet Bruny Island Cider - Tasmania's newest taste sensation

Think Bruny Island and you might think of Nick Haddow's stunning artisan cheeses; maybe a Tasmanian wilderness experience, or perhaps some freshly shucked local oysters. 

Bruny, just south of Hobart, is home to eco-cruises that explore the stunning coastline, to fur seals, fairy penguins and white wallabies.

It's also home to hand-made fudge, chocolates, truffles, berries and smoked meats, as well as Australia's southern-most vineyard and a lone country pub. 

Now you can add cider to Bruny's many attractions; the first vintage cider under the Bruny Island Cider label has just been released: a single orchard cider from one of just two orchards on the island, made from 100% apples, fermented & aged for 12 months in barrel on lees.

The orchard has been revitalised and the fruit shipped across the water to Pagan Cider at Cradoc, outside Cygnet. 

Two hundred years after the first apples were grown on Bruny, local hoteliers David and Rachel Gunton source their apples from the historic Blinkbonny apple orchard, which was first planted in 1907 and in its heyday produced 16,000 cases of apples a year. 

The apples are farmed using biodynamic principles and Bruny Island Cider was launched last month by Tasmanian Premier Will Hodgman. 

For details visit www.brunyislandcider.com.au

You might just have a little goldmine in your wine cellar

Search the wine cellar, check under the stairs. That bottle of wine, or maybe even a case, that you put aside a few decades ago might now be worth a small fortune. 

If you have some of the earliest releases of Wolf Blass's iconic Black Label red blend then you could just be sitting on a goldmine. 

Wolf Blass Black Label bottles could earn you a motza

Current Wolf Blass chief winemaker Chris Hatcher and Treasury Wine Estates' Global Marketing Director George Samios have put out a call try to track down some of the unopened treasures so they can use them for masterclasses and tastings. 

"We are probably down out our last few bottles of wines like the 1973 and other trailblazers and we want to buy them back from consumers, or are happy to swap them for current release wines if the owners would prefer," says Samios. 

With the current-release 2010 Wolf Blass Black Label retailing for $130, any lucky owners of the older wines "dating back to the mid '80s" might be able to strike a very attractive deal.

The Black Label is the single most successful wine on the Australian show circuit; the winner of no fewer than four Jimmy Watson trophies for best young red at the Royal Melbourne Wine Show and a total of 64 trophies and 298 gold medals to date.

Chris Hatcher is on the hunt for old bottles

The Wolf Blass Black Label red blend, first made in 1973, celebrates its 40^th vintage next year. 

I was lucky enough to attend a recent tasting at which all four Watson winners (the 73, 75 and 1998 are still stellar) were lined up alongside some younger wines. What a treat!

The Black Label has been available under screw cap closure since 2002, when it was also bottled under cork, and the two wines tasted very different, although both were intriguing in their own way. 

The wine under Stelvin was fresher, the wine under cork more nuanced (although the first wine opened was plagued by cork taint, underlining the gross fallibility of cork as a closure).