This Month
The Perth-born chef on global diners’ hot lists
You have to be quick to secure a booking 30 days ahead at Burnt Ends in Singapore, where Dave Pynt has foodies fired up over his wizardry cooking on wood.
- Jennifer Hewett
- Opinion
- Life & Leisure
Family winery defies the odds to produce top drops from parched vines
In the hot north-west corner of Victoria, Chalmers Wines is pushing the limits to see how little irrigation it can get away with.
- Max Allen
Why it costs $290 (no refunds) just to book this dining experience
Degustation, the eating style that refuses to die, is being served up in new ways at top Australian restaurants.
- Updated
- Jill Dupleix
Comté and vin jaune: An Australian winemaker’s tribute to Jura
Crittenden Estate in Victoria planted savagnin grapes quite by accident. The result is a superb wine best paired with a classic French cheese.
- Max Allen
The thrill of the grill is hot again
You’d be forgiven for thinking humans had just discovered fire, with the plethora of restaurants serving coal-cooked or flame-licked food these days.
- Necia Wilden
June
Chef Nornie Bero wants you to try these really great Indigenous drinks
There’s a reason why all-Australian beers, wines and spirits are front and centre at Big Esso, the restaurant Bero opened in Melbourne last year.
- Max Allen
What does a $40,000 whisky taste like? Here’s my verdict
It’s delicious, but it costs more than a first-class, round-the-world Qantas flight for two. So, should you drink it – or flip it for a profit?
- Wayne Heeley
At these fine diners across the world, seaweed is the star
Relais & Chateaux chefs are on a mission to use more of the stuff – in recognition of its role in restoring life to the oceans.
- Jill Dupleix
Top chefs reveal the next big thing in fine dining – your place
The key differentiator from the likes of Deliveroo and Uber Eats is that the cooking needs to be finished off (simply) at home.
- Dan F Stapleton
This couple may be typical, but their wine isn’t
Greg Lane and Sarah Adamson’s love affair is a story common among vintners. But the superb drinks they make under their Scout label in New Zealand are unusual.
- Max Allen
How to deliver haute cuisine on a cruise for weeks (in Antarctica)
Spare a thought for those who create thousands of high-end dishes for 25 days on a journey to the end of the Earth.
- Charis Perkins
Why more alcohol-free drinks are now pouring at a venue near you
Beverages with little or no ethanol are no longer just for non-drinkers. Going booze-free is part of a profound cultural shift.
- Max Allen
Why MasterChef’s Melissa Leong blew up her life
The TV host got her job by leaning into opportunities and asking, “Why not me?” It’s a philosophy that might nab her the Gold Logie this weekend.
- Lauren Sams
Can a vegan diet actually make you (and the world) worse?
Despite what the documentaries tell you, a plant-based lifestyle isn’t better for your health and it certainly won’t save the planet.
- Boudicca Fox-Leonard
From capital markets’ Mr Fixit to a foodie with a big farm dream
Nick Venter has invested “a small fortune” to show Australia what unadulterated food – produced using sustainable and regenerative practices – tastes like.
- Philippa Coates
Six of the best wines made by 2022’s Young Gun winners
Do you want a taste of what’s new and exciting in Australian drinks? Here are half a dozen top drops from the country’s most talented emerging winemakers.
- Max Allen
Geologist turned WA winery owner says China market lost for good
Steve Hall’s winery, Rockcliffe, was decimated by China’s tariffs on Australian wine, but is hopeful he can replace it with growth in his own backyard of WA.
- Michael Bennet
Destination dining hots up across the Sunshine Coast
The food scene is expanding fast in some of Queensland’s most popular holiday towns. From Eumundi to coastal Maroochydore, here’s where to book.
- Necia Wilden
McDonald’s dumps its ‘healthier’ foods to chase profits
The restaurant chain has been nixing items that sell less, such as salads and yoghurt, to shrink its menu and speed up service. Investors should be happy.
- Leslie Patton
These cellar doors are well worth a visit – the wine’s superb, too
Hubert Estate in the Yarra and Mount Pleasant Wines in the Hunter have both been extensively revamped. Expect a lavish welcome.
- Max Allen
