Australian-owned Scotch whisky distiller on the move

Bladnoch is not only Scotland's oldest private Scotch whisky distillery: it also Australian owned.

Bladnoch is aiming to lift its profile in the homeland of owner David Prior by releasing 8-year-old and 16-year-old single malt whiskies to the Australian market.

Melbourne-born and -raised Prior, a powerhouse in the yoghurt and packaging industries, purchased the Lowlands distillery a decade ago when it had been mothballed for some time. He became the first Australian to own a Scotch whisky distillery.

Bladnoch's spirits are now being rolled out globally.

Dr Nick Savage, Master Distiller at Bladnoch Distillery, said: "At Bladnoch, our whiskies are a true reflection of our passion for innovation and craftsmanship. Each expression is a result of our dedication to exploring unique maturation techniques in our whisky-making process to create indulgent single malts with deep, complex flavours.

"We lead with a taste-first approach, imparting our bold Galloway spirit into each of the intricately crafted expressions we create. Bladnoch 8 Year Old's American oak red wine casks deliver a vibrant, fruit-forward profile, while Bladnoch 16 Year Old, matured in oloroso sherry casks, brings notes of dark fruit and spice."

Bladnoch 8 Year Old has been matured in two different American oak red cask styles one after the other and has an ABV of 46.7 ABV. Bladnoch 16 Year Old is matured exclusively in oloroso sherry casks and also weighs in at 46.7% .

I haven't tried them yet, but hope to.

The whiskies are made in the distillery's 208-year-old bluestone warehouses. Dating back to 1817, Bladnoch Distillery is one of the oldest single malt Scotch whisky producers in the world. It is located at Bladnoch, near Wigtown, in Dumfries and Galloway in south-west Scotland. 

That makes it the southernmost distillery in all of Scotland.

Bladnoch 8-Year-Old retails for $125 and Bladnoch 16-Year-Old retails for $230.

Contact www.iconicbeverages.com.au and see www.bladnoch.com.

Unrest in Champagne as workers strike

There is unrest at some of the major Champagne Houses with workers going on strike this week over pay rates and job security.

Workers at Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy Champagne houses in Reims walked out - and employees from Pernod Ricard’s G.H. Mumm and Perrier-Jouët joined the strike action, industry website www.just-drinks.com reported.

The protests highlighted growing discontent among staff in the LVMH wine and spirits arm.

Unions says that cost-cutting measures are putting jobs and livelihoods at risk.

While Pernod Ricard employees were also involved in the Reims demonstrations, the strike action from LVMH staff comes at a turbulent time for the group’s drinks division.

LVMH’s wine and spirits business is under financial strain following years of expansion. The Financial Times has reported the division made a loss of €1.5 billion in 2024. 

The downturn is blamed on aggressive price increases, underperforming acquisitions, and a costly push into direct-to-consumer channels. Sales have dropped back to near-2019 levels.

Pernod Ricard workers, meanwhile, protested outside the Mumm cellars.

Stéphane Levasseur, secretary of the economic and social committee at Mumm, told Just Drinks that around 60 Mumm employees took part in the strike.

He cited two key reasons for the stoppage: a failure to secure wage increases in annual negotiations and concerns over the “potential sale of Mumm by Pernod Ricard to another buyer”.

“There will certainly be other strike movements in the coming weeks,” Levasseur said. "And these will be amplified if the sale of Mumm Champagne is confirmed.”

Image: Milton Cogheil, Scop.io 

Thai tourism glitches cause industry concern

Thailand's continued upward trajectory in the tourism industry has stuttered, provoking concern among hoteliers and other businesses.

Not only are there no positive factors supporting growth, but negative influences are compounding, The Nation newspaper in Bangkok reported.

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports reported the number of foreign tourists between January 1-May 11 this year stood at 12,948,032 - a decrease of 1.04% compared to the same period last year.

But the growing strength of the Thai currency - making Thailand more expensive for visitors - as well as competition from several other Asian destinations is provoking concern, particularly a drop in visitors from China.

Thienprasit Chaiyaphatranan, president of the Thai Hotels Association (THA), has reported that most hoteliers expect a year-on-year decline in international guests in the traditional quieter second quarter of the year, especially in the central and southern regions. Around 25% of respondents expect the number of Chinese tourists to drop by more than 30%.

The average hotel occupancy rate in April 2025 was 63%, down from the previous month, in line with that drop in international arrivals, especially from China.

Chinese travellers are reportedly concerned about safety issues in Thailand.

But Thienprasit added that tourism in April remained vibrant, largely due to the Songkran Festival, which attracted both Thai and international tourists.

“At the same time, regional competitors like Vietnam and Malaysia are aggressively promoting tourism, offering incentives, cutting costs, and adjusting policies to attract more visitors,” he said.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) this week unveiled 12 travel campaigns tailored to a variety of lifestyle subcultures, aimed at boosting domestic tourism during the green season to counter falling international visitation.

But the Pattaya Mail has reported industry concerns about rising costs and reduced spending power among tourists who do visit Thailand and negative publicity, particularly after the high-profile kidnapping of a Chinese actor. 

Our Thai correspondent also points out assaults on foreign tourists by locals have generated adverse publicity.  

Image: Phuket: Nelly Lo.scopio.com  

Done and dusted: all change in the Hunter Valley

There has been a changing of the guard in the Hunter Valley with Bimbadgen Estate chief winemaker Richard Done (above) resigning to concentrate on his own brand: John Wallace Wines.

Done, who learned his trade at Hunter icons Scarborough and Thomas Wines, has been chief winemaker and head of production, sales and distribution at Bimbadgen and Night Merchant Distillery for almost eight years.

John Wallace Wines has its own cellar door in Pokolbin.   

"I will be going full steam ahead with my side hustle now to be the big hustle," Done said.

"I will also be offering consulting for any wine or spirits brands that need the extra love."

Done's replacement at Bimbidgen will be familiar Hunter face Michael Hatcher,

Hatcher was the long-time general manager and winemaker at another leading Hunter producer, Hungerford Hill, when it was very high profile.

He was most recently manager and winemaker at Bunnamagoo in Mudgee.

Bimbadgen, in a prime location in Pokolbin, is one of the leading wine producers in the Hunter. 

The estate comprises two vineyards, a popular cellar door, award-winning Esca Bimbadgen restaurant, a café, an an outdoor amphitheatre. The estate hosts A Day On The Green concerts each year.

New day trip offers overseas visitors a slice of rural Australia

International visitors to Melbourne are about to be offered a day tour to the Murray River and a river trip on a traditional paddle steamer. 

Day tours from Melbourne take overseas tourists to Phillip Island, Puffing Billy, the Great Ocean Road, Ballarat and the Yarra Valley - but this will be the first to offer a typical Murray experience. 

Melbourne-based tour company Local Way Tours, established in 2022, is to launch a day tour from Melbourne to Echuca, where guests will enjoy a one-hour cruise on Murray River Paddlesteamers’ historic PS Canberra.

Starting from June 1 the full-day ‘Murray River Paddlesteamer and Wine Tour’ is designed primarily for international guests. 

Limited to just 15 guests per day, the small-group experience aims to offer an authentic taste of classic Australian countryside, blending river heritage, native wildlife, award-winning wine, and the Australian bush.

The 11-hour itinerary takes in Hanging Rock, the painted silos at Rochester, a cruise on Australia’s longest river, the Murray, native wildlife at the Kyabram Fauna Park and wine tasting at Mitchelton Wines on the way back to Melbourne.

The new trip will run every Wednesday to Sunday from Melbourne with a standard cost of $230 per person, or $190 for children. 

Until July 15, bookings will receive a 20% discount, with adult fares $184 and children $152. Quote ‘launch fare’ when booking direct with Local Way Tours on + 61 417 887 234. 

Local Way Tours managing director Ray Staindl said: “Day tours from Melbourne to other places like Phillip Island and Puffing Billy have become busy and everyone was offering the same thing so we decided to feature a destination no other day tour included and that was the beautiful Murray River. 

"Our new tour offers an immersive insight into the classic landscape of the Australian bush, with majestic river scenery, sweeping horizons, colourful history and our famous fauna and wines all featured in a stress-free, well-paced day and in small group comfort." 

Visit www.mrps.com.au

Kiwis warned about travel to the US

New Zealanders have been warned to be careful if they intend to visit the United States.

The New Zealand Foreign Affairs Ministry this week updated its travel advice for Kiwis travelling to the US for the first time since Donald Trump became president for the second time.

It warned they could be detained, deported or banned from re-entering the country if they don't meet strict requirements.

MFAT said in a statement that 17 New Zealand passport holders had sought assistance since November 2024 because they have experienced immigration difficulties in the US.

MFAT said the update followed a routine review of the US travel advisory which was last fully reviewed in 2023.

While the travel advice level for Kiwis heading to the US remains at Level 2 “Exercise increased caution” - the advisory now includes more cautionary wording about the potential for detention at the border.

It also warns travellers about laptops, mobile phones and other electronic devices potentially being subject to border security inspection.

Otago and Auckland universities have already alerted academic staff to the potential issues they may face if travelling to the US.

Otago University Professor of international relations Robert Patman says he would not travel to the US at present, and he thinks the MFAT travel advice is cautionary for anyone who may have criticised the Trump administration in any way.

Image: Andrew Zuber, Scop.io