WINE > Irrewarra Pinot Noir 2020

The Irrewarra Pinot Noir comes from grapes dry grown on a plot of land planted in 2001 by the Calvert family, in the Western Plains of Victoria. This wine made Nick Farr now also wine maker for ByFarr Wines. Nick Farr readily acknowledges the influence of his father (the legendary Gary Farr who established…

ByCrispinMay 10, 2023

DESIGN

DRIVE > Ineos Grenadier

Land Rover Defender The Ineos Grenadier features the marketing line “built on purpose” and that is exactly what you get with this new entry to the four wheel drive all terrain workhorse car market. If you are not aware of the back story of how in 2017 billionaire Jim Ratcliffe CEO of Ineos (a…

ByCrispinMay 5, 2023

EAT > MELBOURNE WHERE TO EAT >

EAT > Ishizuka (Melbourne)

It's not easy to find Ishizuka, there are few discreet signs near the street entrance, leading down a narrow lane, to a door and what looks like an apartment complex lift lobby. Take the lift to the basement and you are ushered into a very special room where you are elevated to one…

ByCrispinMay 3, 2023

DRINK > WINE DRINK > WINE > Pinot Noir

WINE > Bindi Dixon Pinot Noir 2021

I have been a fan of Bindi wines for 5 or 6 years and a regular collector of the Bindi Dixon which has continued to be an outstanding representation of the best Pinot Noir from the Macedon region of Victoria. But there is something special about the 2021 release that lifts it above recent releases…

ByCrispinApril 28, 2023

DRINK > WINE DRINK > WINE > Tempranillo

WINE > La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 904 (2011)

There are some wines that are truly remarkable, recalling them evokes memories that touch all of the senses, reminding you of where you were, what you ate, who you were with. I clearly recall the first time I tasted the La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva, it was in New York at the super…

ByCrispinApril 20, 2023

DRINK > WINE DRINK > WINE > Pinot Noir

WINE > Hurley Lodestone Pinot Noir 2020

THE VINEYARD The original Hurley Farm was established by Irish settlers (William and Johanna Hurley) in the 1860's, but it is the current owners Tricia Byrnes and Kevin Bell who first planted vines at the Balnarring property on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria in 1998. Their the sole intention was to establish single vineyard pinot…

ByCrispinApril 18, 2023

EAT > SYDNEY WHERE TO EAT >

EAT > Promenade Bondi Beach

Promenade is the newest restaurant in Bondi and the premium tennant in the newly renovated Bondi Pavilion which is right on the foreshore at Bondi Beach in Sydney. With so many restaurant options around it is a challenge to have a smart new venture with quality fine dining, a good wine list so close…

ByCrispinApril 10, 2023

DRINK > WINE DRINK > WINE > Pinot Noir

WINE > Hochkirch Maximus 2020

Situated in Central Victoria (south of the Grampians and near the town of Hamilton) in the town of Tarrington you find Hochkirch wines, John & Jennifer Nagorcka’s family vineyard of 20 acres, was originally planted in 1990, after some early struggles the vineyard settled on a biodynamic approach to farming and have been using this…

ByCrispinApril 7, 2023

EAT > SYDNEY WHERE TO EAT >

EAT > Restaurant Hubert

Editors Note (25/8/24): We are saddened to hear the recent media reports and claims about Swillhouse venues. The accusations are extremely disturbing. As a result we are removing the review rating we gave for the venue. Restaurant Hubert is very hard to position, when you describe it to people who have…

ByCrispinApril 7, 2023

DESIGN

Pontoon Time

The floating pontoon is an icon of American film and television, tethered out on a lake, a place for sun baking and hanging with mates. In late 2022 Boia launched a modern take on the iconic pontoon, an inflatable floating platform easily packed into a small bag. The Dock, Harbour and Wharf come…

ByCrispinApril 3, 2023