FOOD & WINE

Ah, champagne: drink of fabulous socialites and extravagant occasions. We searched Australia high and low for our most sparkling champagne venues: places that celebrate unbridled dedication to its service, history, presentation… and flavour. Here, 10 of the best. By Edward Washington   The Champagne & Oyster Bar, The Atlantic, Melbourne Open since mid-2011, The Atlantic has more recently added a dedicated champagne and oyster Bar. Designed by the Melbourne-based designer Blackmilk, Atlantic (and its underground bar, The Den) mixes classical elements with modern touches and the result is a streamlined interior that exudes a warm and welcoming atmosphere – the perfect...

Melbourne’s much-loved Spanish institution has opened its first NSW outpost –but, asks Alissa Jenkins, does it live up to the hype?   In literal terms “MoVida” means move, which seems rather fitting, considering the recent migration of Melbourne’s award-winning Spanish restaurant brand north of the border to Sydney. Not that it feels as though there’s been much movement. Its chosen haunt – Surry Hills – has the same graffitied laneways as its Melbourne counterparts and has been crafted to bare the MoVida stamp of effortless cool. A garlic-laden waft of something char-grilled suggests a promising menu almost immediately upon entering...

Elspeth Callender gets a taste of some of Hobart’s bright local talent. The once Gibson’s City Flour Mills has been many things, and although now it’s predominantly offices, the ground-level street front has been a restaurant space for years. Today it’s The Mill on Morrison, with five co-owners all under the age of 30. To enter, you walk beneath a hulking great weathered wooden chute. The interior of the window-lined restaurant has retained the industrially elegant bare floorboards, exposed beams and painted metal support columns. Furnishings are predominantly black and white and the kitchen is open to the room. The...

Rachel Hanson gets an insight into eating well... and eating quickly in WA's Wan Valley Not for the first time today, I feel like the naughty kid in school. I’m holding up my entire group and we’re already running late to our next destination. Weighed down by my handbag, scarf, jacket, camera and just-purchased bags of chocolate, I stumble back to the tour bus and apologise profusely… again. As I’m not-so-quickly learning, ‘speed’ is the operative word in Taste Bud Tours’ Speed Grazing tour. With nine tastings in roughly four hours, this experience is the only one of its kind...

Book well ahead, foodies are flocking to this Tasmanian treasure. Why? Angeline Nicholas heads to the Apple Isle to find out On paper, it sounds idyllic: Australia’s best cooking school. On a picturesque farm. In a converted 19th century schoolhouse. With an instructor trained by Tetsuya. Understandably, my expectations are high. The husband and I are booked on the ‘Agrarian Experience’; a full day paddock-to-plate workshop. It’s 9am and a chilly 5°C as we pull up to the cheery green house. Roosters crow and a gaggle of geese honk as we crunch over the frost-covered ground. The other seven students...

Stanthorpe in QLD is one of  four up-and-coming foodie hotspots to tantalise your tastebuds... Stanthorpe is home to over 20 ‘Strange Birds’. No, not a bizarre new species – ‘Strange Birds’ are Granite Belt wines, made from alternative grape varieties like Sylvaner, Nero d’Avola and Petit Verdot. The Strange Bird Wine Trail is one of the most unique wine routes in Australia, and just one of the many reasons visitors flock to the Granite Belt. With four distinct seasons and an abundance of fresh local produce, this picturesque food and wine destination located an easy three hour drive from Brisbane...

The Otway Ranges in Victoria is one of  four up-and-coming foodie hotspots to tantalise your tastebuds... The beautiful Otways Region is home to some of Victoria’s best coastline along the Great Ocean Road. But that’s not all. Nestled in the hinterland are several small historic and rural towns; tiny places that fall into the ‘best kept secret’ category – they may be small, but they pack a big punch when it comes to showcasing the region’s gourmet treats. Bite off this section of Victoria over a couple of days, and you’ll sample everything from local seafood and organic farm produce, to...

Georgia Rickard discovers four up-and-coming foodie hotspots - perfect for a gourmet weekend drive... There’s nothing quite like a road trip where lusciously scrumptious eats somehow get better at each and every stop. Think rustic pies home baked to perfection, fresh, crusty bread, luscious creamy butter… In fact, the only thing better than making discoveries like these along a food trail, is discovering a new food trail! So we’ve uncovered four up-and-upcoming foodie hot spots… just for your eating pleasure. You’re welcome... The Poacher's Way, ACT Otway Ranges, Vic Shoalhaven, NSW Stanthorpe, Qld...

There are certain experiences you absolutely, categorically, must enjoy in this life – and dining at one of our world-standard regional restaurants is one of them. We asked Australian food writer Sally Hammond to share her favourites – and she scoured the countryside to serve up the 10 best dining experiences out there. Bon appétit… 1. Palate, Saffire Freycinet Chef Hugh Whitehouse’s background sparkles with awards and is based on a lifetime’s solid principles. His skills are the ideal mix for this resort in one of the loveliest corners of this already stunning island-state, and Palate is the perfect showcase for the squeaky-fresh local seafood. The...

Champagne, cupcakes, spa treatments… there’s nothing stuffy about today’s high tea, writes Tatyana Leonov.  There’s something fabulous about sipping tea out of dainty crockery while nibbling on cute sandwiches and petite pastries, and you’ve got to admit, Aussies are leaders when it comes to leisurely activities. High tea (or afternoon tea) can be traced back to the 1700s – and Britain of course. Working men and women used to fill up on their afternoon break, sometimes in place of eating a late dinner. Then the rich got hungry. Picture the 7th Duchess of Bedford getting peckish in the afternoon and...

Eat delicious food and sip beautiful wine at one of these weekend getaways. By Alissa Jenkins  EPICUREAN DELIGHTS, TAS Where? // Red Feather Inn Cooking School is in Hadspen, 15 minutes from central Launceston and 200km north of Hobart. Why? // Adding to the area’s existing foodie delights, cooking classes include smoking and curing meat, artisan bread making, food styling and photography, pastry making, Christmas feasts and more. There are also several well-known wineries and foodie stop-offs nearby. How much? // Class and accommodation packages at the Red Feather Inn from $395 per person, twin share. redfeatherinn.com.au FARMS, WINERIES, ORCHARDS AND FOOD, NSW Where? The...

Each issue Australian Traveller Magazine looks at everything food; including gourmet getaways, recent restaurants and a special new recipe to try. By Georgia Rickard.  CROWN CASINO WORTH TWO STARS The rivalry between Melbourne’s Crown and Sydney’s Star casinos has never been closer – and Crown has just upped the ante by appointing two-Michelin-starred chef Peter Chan to its Chinese restaurant, Silks (pictured above). No complaints here… RUMOUR HAS IT... A new five-star restaurant will hit the Brisbane scene on South Bank’s Grey Street precinct latert his year. The establishment, Bacchus, will come complete with an outdoor pool and cabana, custom-made chandeliers, Italian draperies and a 4.5m-long onyx marble dining...

Each issue Australian Traveller delves into the world of wine - including new reviews, cellar doors, books and tours. By Alissa Jenkins. REISLING REVIEWS: WATERTON RIESLING, 2009 Having recently taken out the top spot at the 2011 Canberra International Riesling Challenge, this Tasmanian treasure has an air of sophistication. To begin it has a fresh-bread scent with a hint of kerosene, typical of matured riesling, while smooth lemon and lime flavours coat the palate, demonstrating great acidic balance and length. $32.50; www.watertonhall.com.au PAULETTS POLISH HILL RIVER RIESLING, 2011 We couldn’t cover rieslings without a representative from the Clare Valley, which is...