Special offers pile up if you are a wine lover with a credit card

Wine is big business. And there are a plethora of sellers - big and small - offering "special" deals to anyone with some cash to spend right now. 

My monthly email from American Express lists no fewer than four special offers from wine sellers - each slightly different. 

All are designed to offer extra value top cardholders, but you have to wonder just how all these discounts are feasible.

Splash out, by all means, but remember your local liquor store offers free advice when you buy face to face; and the big outlets often have great deals on some of the big names. 

Here are the offers I have to choose from right now: 

Pendolino Wine Shop. Spend over $500 get $125 back  "Receive $125 every time. Exclusions apply." So perhaps not every time then. 

Just Wines. Spend $250 or more, get $50 back. But this is limited to the first 10,000 cards to sign up. 

Vinomofo. Spend $299 or more, get $70 back. This one is limited to the first 30,000 cards to sign up. 

Liquorland. Spend $100. Get $10 back. Exclusions apply.

# Just as I was writing this another email landed from Virgin Australia, urging me me to: "Get up to 3,000 points & gifts up to $160 with Virgin Wines".

And I haven’t checked the post box yet. 

Check 'em all out for sure. But caveat emptor should be be your watchwords.   

Popular Hobart pub joins in the Dark Mofo fun and games

Hobart's Dark Mofo festival provides a huge boost to the Tasmanian capital over what was a traditionally quiet winter period - and many local hospitality businesses are getting in on the action.

The popular Telegraph Hotel is one of the pubs that will be joining in the fun.

From June 8-22 the pub will be decked in the festival's red and black colours from the ground floor all the way to the rooftop bar.

The recently rejuvenated watering hole will host live music and food and drink specials - and will feature ice sculptures on the rooftop that overlooks the port of Hobart (below).

Wednesdays will be a day for trivia lovers with Drag Trivia held each week from 7pm.

The hungry hordes can enjoy specials that champion Tasmanian produce like $18 chicken parmis on Tuesdays, traditional Sunday roasts and late-night pizzas every evening.

There is also a Feed Me menu with a weekly changing selection of chef's favourites for $69 per person.

Themed thirst quenchers will include Dark Mofo jello shots, Dark Mofo sour and a hot toddy

Telegraph Hotel's Bottomless Brunch on Sundays will also be switching gear to match this year’s festival with DJs, two hours of free-flowing select beverages and choice of brunch dishes like pepperberry and Tasmanian salmon, nduja scrambled egg and a breakfast beef burger.

The Telegraph Hotel is 19 Morrison Street, Hobart.

See https://telegraphhotelhobart.com.au/events/dark-mofo/

Drone sighting shuts down major airport

Drones can be hugely useful work tools, and a lot of fun for leisure operators.

But they can also be a threat to aviation when operated close to an airport.

Operations at Gatwick Airport were disrupted over the weekend when a suspected drone was seen close to the runways.

A spokesman for the international airport outside London said operations were suspended temporarily for around 30 minutes to ensure no aircraft were affected.

He said 12 inbound aircraft were diverted to other airports during the incident.

Gatwick was previously shut down for over 24 hours after drone sightings in 2018, local media reported.

"Passenger safety is the airport's absolute priority and - following established procedures - operations at London Gatwick were suspended temporarily while investigations into the sighting of a suspected drone close to the airfield took place," an airport spokesman said.

Image: Nik Gracner, scop.io

Meet the uninhabited island that will soon be a luxury resort

The Six Senses hotel brand is synonymous with luxury and beautiful locations.

Six Senses announced this week that it will open its first Greek resort in partnership with Grivalia Hospitality.

The new resort will be located on a white-sand cove on currently uninhabited Megalonisos, one of the 10 Petalioi islands - which have been dubbed “Greek Maldives”.

Six Senses Megalonisos will be a short boat ride from the port of Rafina, just across the mainland from Athens, or Marmari on Evia’s west coast.

There will be 75 guest villas and 20 branded residences for sale, all blending into the contours of the bay, which is protected by prevailing winds to make it an ideal location for a mooring site for yachts, the PR blurb says.

Athens is an easy day trip destination.

The development will be powered by its own solar electric farm and will feature three restaurants with all-day dining, a beach bar and grill, and a specialty sunset bar. There will also be a pastry café.

The Six Senses Spa will offer multiple treatment rooms, including four double sensory suites, a watsu for a range of hydro therapies, and a Hammam for a warm herbal steam and body scrub.

“Six Senses Megalonisos offers a unique opportunity to step foot on a Greek island that even the Gods left undiscovered,” says Neil Jacobs, CEO of Six Senses.

“We look forward to welcoming our guests with emotional hospitality that encompasses pioneering wellness, sustainability, and meaningful experiences.”

The target opening date has been set for the end of 2027.

Barristers Block team trials a very different BB

Adelaide Hills wine producer Barristers Block is expanding its portfolio by purchasing Boston Bay Wines in Port Lincoln to build on a successful wine tourism model.

Barristers Block founder and owner Jan Allen said that wine tourism is at the heart and soul of the family operation and the acquisition provides an opportunity to replicate an integrated tourism experience, providing the same quality offering, both in wine and location.

“Making high quality wine is entrenched in our DNA and creating a welcoming space to enjoy this wine in a beautiful environment is at the heart of our experience at Barristers Block," Allen said. 

"The Boston Bay acquisition means that we can bring the hospitality of the Adelaide Hills to Port Lincoln, providing a similar experience to another unique setting and established wine brand.”

Port Lincoln is 650km west of Adelaide by road and is known for its quality seafood. 

Lachlan Allen, Jan's son, said the location at Boston Bay was too good to pass up.

“Sitting right on the coast, it’s probably one of the closest vineyards to the sea in the world." he said. 

"We believe that we will be able to provide not only beautiful quality wines and locally sourced produce, but build all the other tourism trimmings to make it a multi-layered offering that will be sought after by locals and tourists alike.

“Our model in the Adelaide Hills is direct to the consumer, meaning we have a really good understanding of who our customer is and what they want - which is brilliant, drinkable wine consumed in a phenomenal location with quality food pairings.

"For us, this is the winning formula and Boston Bay has the perfect bones for us to replicate our customer centric model.”

James Allen, who operates Barristers Block with mother Jan and brother Lachlan, says the Port Lincoln region is currently undervalued, but on the cusp of an upward swing.

“This was a strategic investment for us," he said. "We wanted to secure a site outside the Adelaide Hills that is primed for growth and not saturated. We were looking for opportunities and during intrastate travel over lockdown our mum stumbled across this hidden family-owned gem.

“There is a strong tourism tailwind on regional South Australia, particularly the Eyre Peninsula and this acquisition allows us to be part of that growth trajectory.

The family says Boston Bay is synonymous with the Eyre Peninsula and the Port Lincoln community and the name will not change.

Short term activities will include a cellar door renovation, brand refresh and plans to immediately elevate the current food offering.

Just capital: Get on the beers as part of your hotel package

What could be better after a hard day or two at work in Canberra than to wind down with a beer tasting?

The Avenue Hotel has just announced a partnership with BentSpoke Brewing Co. aimed at connecting visitors to the nation's capital with local artisan beer and cider makers.

Promoted as catering to an "untapped market", the hotel has put togrther a package combining a local brewery experience with its accommodation offering.

"Just like the wine and spirits industries in Canberra, there’s also a strong interest in local beers but there is a noticeable gap in the market for an offering which includes an overnight stay,” said Alison Jones, marketing manager for Capital Hotel Group, the parent company of Avenue Hotel.

“There’s no doubt the past few years have thrown up some challenges for the accommodation sector, so Avenue has been seeking new and interesting ways to entice visitors to the capital.

“The hotel is just a few minutes’ walk from the capital’s best brewery, BentSpoke Brewing Co,, and for some time our guests have expressed a real desire to connect with authentic local brands and makers, particularly in the food and beverage space."

BentSpoke founder and brewer Richard Watkins said: "With over 50 different beers and ciders brewed annually from our brewpub in Braddon , we’re now firmly cemented in the Canberran and Australian beer scene - and we love when we have visitors to Canberra enjoying a local brew at BentSpoke."

The brewery tasting room is just a two-minute walk back to the hotel.

The new BentSpoke Beer Tasting Package includes BentSpoke’s signature sample bar for two with four beers of choice chosen based on guests’ preferences, an overnight stay in a superior king room at Avenue Hotel, breakfast for two at the hotel’, free parking and free wifi.

The package is valid from now for stays Thursday-Sunday until August 31.

The package must be booked at least seven days in advance. Prices start from $267 per room per night.

For more information, visit https://avenuehote.com.au/offer/2/bentspoke-beer-tasting-package