Choose from over 100 wines by the glass

For well over a decade Fix Wine Bar and Restaurant has been a popular meeting place for wine industry folk in Sydney.

Owner Stuart Knox, a former sommelier, has made a special effort to woo winemakers and wine sellers as well as wine lovers, offering a hugely impressive range of styles and prices (including some of that cloudy shit that somms love so much).

Stuart, who opened as Fix St James 12 years ago but has since expanded both his wine and food offerings and brand name, sent me an email this week to let me know that his new wine list features no fewer than 111 different offerings by the glass from around the globe.

"I've gone a bit stupid and made my life harder," he joked. The wines are all preserved using the Coravin system.

"Actually I’ve been using Coravin for quite a while now and really see them as a huge plus for my business," he says. "Once the fear of wastage is removed then we can offer people the chance to try just about anything.

"Flexibility is always part of what keeps this place ticking and now anyone can come in and try random wines from random places, or the classics.

"As a wine bar we get a lot of solo drinker/diners in so now they don’t have to feel left out either."

Don't expect a list of trophy wines, or famous names. Look, instead, for an unusual grape variety or a new boutique producer.

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Fix Wine Bar and Restaurant is at 111 Elizabeth St, Sydney NSW. You'll find all the details at www.fixwine.com.au.

See you there one day.

All change at Wirra Wirra with a luxury hotel in the works

Leading McLaren Vale winery Wirra Wirra has unveiled a hotel development partnership that breaks new ground for wineries in South Australia.

Wirra Wirra will pair with developers Greaton on a project to build the first five-star accommodation of its scale in the McLaren Vale wine region and the first integrated winery resort of its type in South Australia.

“Our wine regions are a tourism hotspot and Wirra Wirra is one of South Australia’s exceptional tourism assets – naturally we predict interest in the hotel will be strong,” Minister for Tourism, Trade and Investment David Ridgway said. 

“We’re certainly seeing that visitor numbers are increasing, and our focus remains on continuing this growth attracting high-yield experience seekers. High-yield visitors expect premium accommodation options and McLaren Vale’s first five-star hotel will help meet this demand.” 

Wirra Wirra managing director Andrew Kay (above) said the partnership will provide a massive boost to wine tourism in the region. 

“McLaren Vale has been crying out for five-star accommodation of this scale for years," Kay said. "he development will provide a base for visitors to not only enjoy the world class wine the region has to offer, but also the magnificent beaches, food and diverse nature experiences that can be found right across the greater Fleurieu Peninsula.”

A mutual understanding of the importance of integrating the development with the winery was at the cornerstone of the partnership, said Kay. “We spoke to a number of interested parties, but the team at Greaton understood our vision and the importance of capturing the spirit of history and authenticity that surrounds Wirra Wirra. We’re all very eager to see the project take flight.”

 Andrew Kay, Nicho Teng and Patrick Lo (Greaton) and David Ridgway.

Wirra Wirra is an iconic McLaren Vale winery with a history dating back to 1894. It is the home of the famous red wine blend Church Block and exports to 24 countries.

Greaton entered the Australian market in 2011. The company is a leading diversified property business covering residential apartments and townhouses, retail, serviced apartments and luxury hotels across Sydney and Adelaide. 

McLaren Vale is home to more than 80 cellar doors and the Fleurieu Peninsula is the most-visited tourism region in the state. 

The parcel of land to be developed is 1.56 hectares and sits adjacent the Wirra Wirra winery to the western side. 

The hotel concept will be built around a theme of health and wellness, targeting the international and domestic leisure market with an operator/manager to be announced at a later date. 

Designs are expected to be finalised in the New Year, with construction work to start in later in 2019 and an opening estimated for early in 2022.

Is this the ultimate round-the-world cruise?

Silversea has released the details for its world-first, seven-continent world cruise in 2020. 

The leading ultra-luxury cruise line will enrich its pioneering 62-port itinerary with a selection of once-in-a-lifetime events, shore excursions and expedition-style additions.

Over 140 days, Silversea’s Silver Whisper will guests around the globe with visits to ports between Fort Lauderdale and Amsterdam.

Silversea’s World Cruise 2020 will be the first time guests will be able to set  foot on all seven continents on a world cruise. 

The itinerary will include many ‘soft expedition’ features, including a three-day Antarctic experience which will be led by marine biologists, a geologist, a naturalist, an ornithologist and a glaciologist. 

One standout destination on the itinerary is the notoriously hard-to-reach Pitcairn Island, which harks back to tales of HMS Bounty and the mutineers from the 18th century. 

Another highlight will be Pentecost Island, where Silversea’s guests will witness the famous land diving ritual, performed by locals to celebrate the Vnuatu yam harvest. 

On Champagne Beach in Vanuatu, guests will enjoy a local festival which will showcase an exclusively performed water dance (below). 

Silversea’s World Cruise 2020 guests will also enjoy exclusive access to a series of bespoke events across the world, including a tango evening in Buenos Aires. 

“Our World Cruise 2020 will be quite unlike any world cruise that has ever set sail,” says Conrad Combrink, Silversea’s SVP Strategic Development Expeditions and Experiences. 

“Our guests will enjoy an enhanced, luxurious on-board experience, which will leave them in want of nothing, as well as a seemingly unending range of unforgettable experiences, as they get closer to the authentic beauty of 32 spectacular countries around the world.”

Fares for the World Cruise 2020 begin from $92,000 per person based on double occupancy in a Vista Suite. Silver Whisper’s most opulent suites will accommodate guests in supreme comfort for $336,000 per guest. 

Find out more information about the World Cruise 2020:

www.silversea.com/destinations/world-cruise/world-cruise-2020.html

Special hotel deal for Jersey Boys theatre-goers

Metro Hotel Marlow Sydney Central is giving Sydneysiders and visitors to Sydney an added incentive to see the international blockbuster musical Jersey Boys, now playing at the Capitol Theatre until December 9, with a terrific-value accommodation package in digs located directly opposite the theatre.



Jersey Boys tells the true-life story of four guys from the wrong side of the tracks, the rise to stardom of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, one of the most successful bands in pop music history.

The band sold more than 175 million records and were inducted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame for their worldwide hits, including Can’t Take My Eyes Off You, Walk Like a Man, Bye Bye Baby, Sherry and Big Girl’s Don’t Cry, all of which feature in the musical.

Metro Hotel Marlow Sydney Central offers an affordable night out in Sydney’s entertainment quarter with Capitol Theatre packages from $145 per night including one night's accommodation in a superior room, hot buffet breakfast for two adults and a noon check out as well as free wifi and a free drink voucher at Palace Hotel Sydney.

Show tickets are not included in this package, which is subject to availability and valid only for duration of the show

Metro Hotel Marlow Sydney Central features 220 superior and deluxe rooms on 10 floors. The rooftop pool area and restaurant terrace provide guests with added areas in which to relax.

The Capitol Theatre package can only be booked online at
www.metrohotels.com.au.

An urban food farm in Christchurch shows the way forward

Local workers and visitors to Christchurch in New Zealand are being offered the chance to enjoy herbs and vegetables grown right in the city centre.

Social workers Bailey Peryman and Fiona Stewart helped set up social enterprise Cultivate Christchurch post earthquake in 2015, using a vacant site on the corner of Manchester and Peterborough streets as an urban farm for growing fresh seasonal produce for local restaurants and cafés. 

The venture’s growing success (spot the pun there) will see it soon take a spot in a new $80 million farmer's market complex being built on the former Re:Start site at the western end of Cashel Mall. 

The market, which is due to open in early to mid 2019, will house an indoor daily farmers market and international food hall, along with eating and drinking places, fashion shops and offices.

“Years ago, before starting Cultivate Christchurch, I had a temporary pop up stall at a farmer’s market in [nearby] Sumner," Peryman said. "It gave me a real window into how people are craving authenticity in genuine fresh produce.

“People would tell me the food ‘smelt like their childhood’, or it ‘took them back to the family farm’. That’s the power of good food. The taste and smell of it is embedded in us and can trigger powerful feelings. This is a great opportunity for us to sell our produce and to work with other local producers to sell their food too.”

Cultivate Christchurch is also changing the lives of young people taking part in its youth program.

“We provide employment training internships for young people from some of the most disadvantaged backgrounds, who are not currently in education, employment or training," Peryman said. "The positive changes and transformations that many of these young people experience is something that no other agency or service has been achieving.” 

The results have been impressive. Sixty per cent of the youth involved go on to find other work, start studying or training of some sort and 40 per cent keep in touch with the team at Cultivate Christchurch.

As well as the 3000 square metre central city farm, Cultivate Christchurch now has three additional sites in the city and runs a compost arm – collecting green waste in the CBD and turning it into compost to grow the produce and bio-remediate the soil.

The business is exploring ideas for further expansion; continuing its aim to feed and help people. They have identified 80 hectares of land in the residential red zone, along the river, that would be ideal for urban farming.

“It’s in close proximity to communities that would really benefit, with space to teach people about growing food and for them to see positive relationship modelling in action. Some people see it as a no-brainer,” Peryman said.

In the meantime, the business is concentrating on opening its retail arm in the farmer’s market.

What you like to eat now determines where you choose to go on holiday

Food and wine are now major drivers when it comes to deciding where to take a vacation. 

Over a quarter of consumers are influenced by local gastronomy when making their holiday destination choice, says GlobalData

Globalisation, coupled with a shift in cultural and economic influence, is resulting in consumers becoming increasingly familiar with and enthusiastic about different food cultures, according to the leading data and analytics company.

GlobalData's latest consumer survey reveals that 27.6% of consumers globally said that the popularity of a destination in terms of food and drinks is a factor that helps them decide where to go on holiday. 

The same survey showed that generation Z and millennials find local cuisine more influential when choosing a destination, compared to generation X and baby boomers.

TV programs about chefs, cooking, traveling and cooking competitions have all had a positive impact on the public passion for gastronomy, and a transformative effect on their food preferences, especially when travelling.

Konstantina Boutsioukou, Consumer Travel Analyst at GlobalData, said: "Given that people traveling abroad, and in particular millennials, are increasingly seeking authentic and transformative travel experiences, local cuisine provides them with a unique lens through which they can better understand the history, people and the culture of the destinations they visit.

‘‘Tourism players wanting to tap into this cohort must capitalize on the rise of culinary tourism by combining gastronomy with other activities such as cultural tours and wellness activities, tailoring products that meet the demands of travellers wanting to experiment with food during their trips."

Some of the key trends redefining culinary tourism in recent years are the rise of street food and food markets, cooking lessons with locals and gastronomy tours with locals or experts. A new trend becoming increasingly influential within food tourism is home cooking and meal sharing.

Whereas local restaurants and food tours allow tourists to get a glimpse into a region’s gastronomy, they cannot compare to having the opportunity to dine in a local’s house and get to experience how a family interacts while cooking and eating together, thus, witnessing the traditions surrounding food culture first-hand.

EatWith, a meal sharing app offering food experiences in more than 150 cities around the world, allows its users to connect with local hosts at the destinations they are visiting. In particular, travellers can undertake cooking lessons with hosts, cook together and share meals while getting a glimpse of the lives of locals by visiting their homes.

Boutsioukou added: "As competition between tourist destinations intensifies, tourism boards and businesses must seek to diversify their offering propositions by looking at the intangible cultural heritage of their regions, and leveraging elements such as gastronomy is a key way to do so."