Your weekly taste of Australia’s best food, drinks and spirited discoveries
Who says a great Australian red needs to cost a fortune? This week, a $28 Barossa Shiraz is collecting international honours, while I’ve discovered a beautifully smooth Coonawarra wine at a favourite Melbourne bottle shop.
We’re also exploring Cantonese dining on the Gold Coast, a rather unusual Finnish dating adventure and one of the Northern Territory’s most colourful pubs.
There’s something very satisfying about seeing an Aussie wine costing less than $30 earn international recognition alongside bottles with much grander price tags.
That’s exactly what’s happened to First Drop Wines’ Mother’s Milk Shiraz 2023. The cheekily named Barossa red has collected another Wine Spectator Critics’ Choice Award, recognised in New York alongside some of the world’s celebrated wines.
It’s the sixth time Mother’s Milk has received the honour, including four consecutive years of recognition.
Not bad for a bottle costing just $28. Mother’s Milk has also appeared twice in Wine Spectator’s prestigious Top 100 Wines of the Year, with the 2020 vintage reaching number 26 in 2022 and the 2021 vintage placing 38th the following year.
Made using fruit from the Barossa and Eden valleys, the 2023 Shiraz offers dark cherry and blackberry characters, gentle spice and supple tannins.
It’s matured in seasoned French oak, allowing the fruit to remain the star.
What I love is that First Drop isn’t asking wine lovers to mortgage the house to enjoy a highly regarded Australian red. The Barossa has built its international reputation over generations, and it’s encouraging to see a producer winning recognition with a wine that ordinary drinkers can afford.
With Christmas entertaining approaching, this might be one to put on the shopping list. I’m locking it in.
First Drop Mother’s Milk Shiraz 2023, Barossa, South Australia. $28.
One of the great pleasures of buying wine is wandering into a good independent bottle shop and discovering something unexpected.
That’s how I came across a bottle of Brand’s Laira Blockers 2021 at Templestowe Cellars, a diamond of a bottlo in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs with an outstanding selection of wines.
What a lovely discovery it turned out to be. I opened it the other night and found a beautifully smooth Coonawarra red that was easy on the palate. Very smooth!
No complicated tasting terminology required, just a thoroughly enjoyable glass of Australian wine.
Brand’s Laira has a long history in Coonawarra, and its Blockers range pays tribute to the district’s early grape growers.
My Verdict: Beautifully smooth, easy-drinking and a lovely reminder of why good independent bottle shops deserve our support.
The Region: Coonawarra, South Australia.
Best with: Roast lamb, a good steak or a relaxed evening at home.
Melbourne distillery The Gospel has released what it describes as Australia’s first whiskey produced to the strict American Bottled-in-Bond standard.
Its new Bottled-in-Bond Rye uses grain grown in South Australia’s Murray Mallee and has spent more than four years maturing before bottling at 50 per cent alcohol.
The American designation dates back to the 19th century and requires whiskey to meet specific production standards.
The reported tasting notes include rye bread, spice and toffee apple, making this an intriguing release for anyone interested in Australian whisky.
At $140, it’s more of a special-occasion purchase.
My Verdict: An interesting new Australian release with a distinctive grain-to-glass story. One for the whisky enthusiast’s wish list.
The Region: Melbourne, Victoria.
Best with: A quiet evening and a little time to appreciate what’s in the glass.
Price: $140.
Victoria’s Macedon Ranges will celebrate 35 years of its Budburst Wine Festival on November 14–15.
Across the weekend, 26 winemakers will welcome visitors at more than 15 venues, offering tastings, local food and opportunities to discover smaller producers.
The region is renowned for cool-climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and sparkling wines, and Budburst provides a wonderful excuse to explore its cellar doors.
Festival transport options make it easier to enjoy the wines without worrying about driving. With beautiful countryside and welcoming country towns nearby, it could make a lovely spring weekend away.
Passes start from $39.
Budburst Wine Festival, Macedon Ranges, Victoria. November 14–15.
There’s a new reason for food lovers to visit The Langham, Gold Coast.
T’ang Court reopens on October 31 under chef Mark Tumacder, bringing a fresh approach to Cantonese cooking with Australian produce taking centre stage.
Tumacder, formerly senior sous chef at Brisbane’s Stanley, has created a menu featuring applewood-smoked Bangalow pork char siu, southern rock lobster har gow and Moreton Bay bug XO noodles.
Then there’s the rather intriguing Peking duck doughnuts.
“What I love about Cantonese cooking is how much attention it gives to the ingredient,” Tumacder says.
“A beautifully steamed fish can look simple, but the timing and seasoning have to be exactly right.”
T’ang Court shares its name with Michelin-starred sister restaurants in Hong Kong and Shanghai, although the Gold Coast restaurant is developing its own identity.
It opens Thursday to Monday from 5pm.
T’ang Court, The Langham, Gold Coast. Reopening October 31.
If you’ve had enough of dating apps, Finland has come up with a delicious alternative.
The world’s happiest country is inviting international singles to apply for a blind dinner date, complete with a four-day food adventure in February 2027.
Sixteen lucky applicants will be selected for group dining experiences in Helsinki and Tampere, sharing Finnish tasting menus with local singles.
Think wild fish, seasonal berries, mushrooms and dishes inspired by the country’s culinary traditions. There’s even a little mystery involved. Successful applicants won’t discover which city they’re visiting until their participation is confirmed.
To apply, create an English-language video answering one question: What would you serve on a dinner date, and why? Then post it using the campaign hashtag and complete the online application.
Applications close November 10.
You might discover a new favourite cuisine and you might even find romance.
Finnish Dinner Date, February 9–19, 2027.
Some pubs are famous for their food. Others for their history.
And then there’s the Daly Waters Pub in the Northern Territory, where visitors have been leaving their underwear behind for decades.
This wonderfully eccentric watering hole, established in 1930, is famous for its walls covered in bras, hats, photographs and souvenirs left by travellers from around the world.
The tradition reportedly began with a drinking bet in the 1980s.
But there’s more to Daly Waters than its unusual decorations.
The pub is renowned for its Beef ‘n’ Barra barbecue, featuring steak and Northern Territory barramundi, while its collection of old vehicles and outback memorabilia adds to the atmosphere.
Located along the Stuart Highway, about 590 kilometres south of Darwin, it’s become a favourite stop for travellers exploring the Territory.
And it proves that sometimes the best country hospitality comes with a cold beer, a good yarn and absolutely no pretensions.
Daly Waters Historic Pub, Daly Waters, Northern Territory.
Until next Friday… keep discovering, keep tasting and never drive past a country pub on an empty stomach.
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