VISIT > PRIMO ESTATE, McLaren Vale SA

Step through the glass doors at Primo Estate and the first thing you notice is the light: refracted off pale stone, softened by timber, framed by rows of vines that run towards the Willunga foothills. It feels more like a contemporary Italian villa than a conventional Australian cellar door – an architectural expression of the…

ByCrispinMarch 24, 20260Comments

VISIT > AUSTRALIA VISIT > McLaren Vale VISIT > SA

VISIT > D’Arenberg, McLaren Vale SA

Founded in 1912, D’Arenberg is family created a winery that has become synonymous with the McLaren Vale region, today many of the visitors are just as familiar with the architectural cube museum and the restaurant. I grew up in the McLaren Vale region and D’Arenberg winery was part of my childhood, my mother worked…

ByCrispinMarch 24, 20260Comments

VISIT > AUSTRALIA VISIT > McLaren Vale VISIT > SA

VISIT > PAXTON WINERY, McLaren Vale SA

Paxton’s cellar door at historic Landcross Farm makes a strong first impression: biodynamic vines rolling down to the valley, a repurposed 1850s shearing shed, and a quietly confident organic ethos that runs from the soil to the glass. This is McLaren Vale in a slower, more grounded key – relaxed lawns, build-your-own platters, and a…

ByCrispinMarch 23, 20260Comments

VISIT > AUSTRALIA VISIT > McLaren Vale VISIT > SA

VISIT > CHALK HILL WINES, McLaren Vale SA

Nestled into the slope above McLaren Vale with a long, low view across vines to the ranges, Chalk Hill feels less like a single cellar door and more like a small, well‑edited village built around wine, gin, and golden hour. APPEARANCE > Nestled into the slope above McLaren Vale with a long, low view across…

ByCrispinMarch 22, 20260Comments

DRINK > WINE DRINK > WINE > Pinot Noir

WINE > Bannockburn Pinot Noir, 2024 (18/20)

There are a few wines that are always in my wine cellar and regular and reliable choices when out for dinner with friends and it is found on the wine list. The Bannockburn Pinot Noir is a crowd pleaser, delightfully pretty but retaining enough structure and elegance to appeal to the wine snob…

ByCrispinMarch 21, 20260Comments

EAT > AUSTRALIA EAT > MELBOURNE EAT > VICTORIA WHERE TO EAT >

EAT > Scopri, Carlton (18/20)

There are places that stay forever on your most reliable list. It takes a special mix of reliably fine food a warm and comfortable room, good acoustics and genuine service. Scopri remains one of those establishments that remains on our favourite list and is one of Melbourne’s most quietly assured Italian dining rooms: a…

ByCrispinMarch 21, 20260Comments

DRINK > BARS DRINK > ITALY DRINK > SICILY

DRINK > Fratelli Burgio, Ortigia, Italy (15/20)

There are lots of bars in the beautiful historic town but the Salumi and wine at Fratelli Burgio make for a perfect combination and of course it is in the perfect location, combine it with the harbourside bar Alporto you have it all sorted. AMBIENCE > In the beating heart of Ortigia’s open-air market, Fratelli…

ByCrispinMarch 13, 20260Comments

DRINK > WINE DRINK > WINE > Pinot Noir

WINE > Corofin, Pinot Noir, Marlborough (17/20)

Marlborough is a region much better known for Sauvignon Blanc than for Pinot Noir but Corofin make a wine in Marlborough that surprises as it rises above the quaffable and into the respected tiers of premium wines; competing with wines with great accolades from Central Otago in New Zealand's South Island. APPEARANCE > Corofin’s 2023…

ByCrispinMarch 8, 20260Comments

EAT > AUSTRALIA EAT > VIC ALPINE REGION EAT > VICTORIA WHERE TO EAT >

EAT > Stallion, Mansfield Victoria (16/20)

Since the closing of Bounty in Bonnie Doon and BOS Taurus in Mansfield, the fine dining offerings in this alpine region have been very limited. Not to say you can’t get a good steak and there are gourmet pizza’s and Thai but nothing you would really say this is definitely worth visiting. But…

ByCrispinMarch 8, 20260Comments

EAT > ITALY EAT > ORTIGIA EAT > SICILY WHERE TO EAT >

EAT > Ristorante Regina Lucia, Ortigia, Syracusa Italy (18/20)

Nestled in the heart of Ortigia’s iconic Piazza Duomo, Regina Lucia delivers refined Sicilian cuisine with contemporary flair in a historic baroque palace setting. This MICHELIN Guide-recommended spot earns consistent praise for its inventive dishes and polished service.Summary Intro goes here. As you wander the Piazza Duomo with its buskers, tourists and the occasional wedding…

ByCrispinMarch 7, 20260Comments