Coopers goes dark for its new Vintage Ale

Australia’s largest independent brewery, Coopers, has gone for innovation and given a nod to its craft beer heritage in the hop selection for its annual Vintage Ale.

Each year, the Coopers brewing team creates a unique, premium-quality craft-style beer with a distinctive blend of hops, a release which is awaited by beer lovers around the country.

The 2026 Vintage Ale features an experimental hop - HBC-1134 - delivering floral, citrus and herbal characters, alongside the US hop Krush, with distinct aromas of navel orange, supported by peach, berries, ripe mango, guava and lychee.

The result is promised to be "a smooth and creamy palate featuring fruit-forward flavours of mango, passionfruit and stone fruit which balances the woody notes and malty flavour for which Vintage Ale is renowned".

Coopers managing director Michael Shearer said 2026 Vintage Ale continues the Adelaide brewery's tradition of releasing a full-bodied, extra-strong seasonal ale that is perfectly suited to cold weather drinking.

“Vintage Ale has developed a legion of fans over the decades and we expect this year’s release to be well received by loyal Coopers drinkers,” he said.

“Full of rich and complex flavours, the 2026 brew is a special strong, dark ale which drinks exceptionally well and will pair excellently with hearty winter meals.

“While it’s ready to enjoy right away, Vintage Ale can also be cellared to allow its malty characters to develop and patience is certainly rewarded for those who are willing to wait.

“As with all vintages, Coopers 2026 Vintage Ale is a limited release and expected to be highly sought after, so we encourage fans to secure their carton early.”

This year’s release marks the 26th in Coopers Brewery’s Vintage Ale series since its inception in 1998.


With an ABV of 7.5%, Coopers 2026 Vintage Ale will be available in 50-litre kegs and 355ml bottles from August.




The launch will also be marked with a series of Vintage Ale events held across the country in August and September.

Shaw+Smith Australian benchmark delivers again

 

For almost four decades there is one Australian sauvignon blanc that has been the benchmark. 

When cousins Martin Shaw and Michael Hill-Smith launched their first Adelaide Hills sauvignon blanc 37 years ago the grape variety was virtually unknown in Australia. 

A few wine lovers drank imported Sancerre, or knew the variety was a key component of Bordeaux white blends, but the Kiwi savalanche had yet to be fully unleashed and the cousins were largely taking a leap into the unknown, buying some fruit from neighbour Geoff Hardy to kick start their endeavour. 

The 2026 Shaw + Smith Sauvignon Blanc has just been released - and it remains hugely popular, a staple of wine lists at seafood and Chinese restaurants across the country. 

The strength of the brand is that the fruit is always from the Adelaide Hills - and that the style delivers exactly what consumers have come to expect. 

Shaw + Smith offers aromatics, vibrancy, fresh fruit character and dryness on the palate. There is no intrusive oak, no excessive lees stirring. Just what it drinkers have come to expect. 

I attended one of Shaw+Smith's annual yum cha lunch launches - at Kwan Ho in Hobart - and can confirm the new release is as good as ever. 

"It was a unique vintage with a bit of everything thrown in weather wise, but we are very happy with the end result," said Shaw. 

"We had a few sleepless nights but hand picking and table sorting helped with quality fruit and we ended up with a wine with great natural acidity and bright fruit."

After just a few weeks in bottle the wine is already fun and approachable, zingy with benchmark pink grapefruit and flinty mineral notes. It's a lovely drink and well priced at around $35 a bottle. 

Nowadays, of course, Shaw + Smith is one of the leading Adelaide Hills wine producers - with an impressive cellar door tasting facility.

They focus on varieties that suit the cooler Hills climate with a range that now includes riesling, chardonnay, pinot noir and shiraz.

Their peak releases are stellar single-vineyard wines. 

See https://www.shawandsmith.com/    

   

 

New Auckland eatery aims to offer authentic experience

A new hotel restaurant in midtown Auckland is aiming to reflect "the flavours, landscapes and ingredients of Aotearoa".

Radisson RED Auckland has just opened 33 South with a stated aim to showcase local flavours, creativity and hospitality of Aotearoa to the heart of midtown in Auckland.

Located in the lobby level, 33 South is described as a contemporary restaurant inspired by New Zealand’s diverse landscapes, rich produce, and vibrant food culture.

With a menu drawing on seasonal ingredients sourced from across the country, it can cater for casual breakfast catch-ups, working lunches, after-work drinks, celebrations and dinners.

The restaurant is led by Fijian-born chef Mo Arun (below), whose three decades of culinary experience across New Zealand and the Pacific have shaped the food choices.



Items showcased include Southland wild venison and Canterbury pork, as well as sustainably sourced seafood and native herbs including horopito and kawakawa.

An extensive selection of New Zealand wines is promised, along with creative cocktails with a distinctly Kiwi twist, crafted using premium New Zealand spirits from Scapegrace, Cardrona Distillery and Pōkeno Whisky, alongside ingredients such as mānuka honey, feijoa, kiwifruit and locally sourced botanicals.

“We wanted to create a menu that celebrates the exceptional local ingredients we have across Aotearoa and combine them with the influences from across the Pacific to create dishes that are bold, seasonal and full of character. It’s a celebration of Aotearoa’s food story,” said Arun.

You can visit the website HERE or book a table HERE

 

Australian wine exports show steep decline

Bad news all round for the struggling Australian wine industry.

Australian wine exports declined by 7% in value to $2.30 billion and 6% in volume to 598 million litres in the year ended June 2026, Wine Australia’s latest Export Report released today shows.

This is the first time that export volume has fallen below 600 million litres since 2004.

The decline mirrors a broader global trend of declining wine consumption over the past decade.

The total export figures reflect increasingly difficult trading conditions across many of Australia’s key export markets, driven by a historic downturn in global wine consumption.

Worldwide wine consumption has fallen to its lowest level since 1961, as consumers increasingly moderate alcohol intake, face cost-of-living pressures and shift towards alternative beverages.

Wine Australia manager for market insights Peter Bailey said the challenges facing Australian wine exporters were not unique, with other wine-producing nations facing the same conditions.

“Data from multiple sources suggests the decline in wine consumption globally is more than a short-term downturn - it's a reflection of changing consumer behaviour that is reshaping demand around the world.

"This reinforces the importance of understanding where demand exists and the products and occasions that are driving consumer decisions.

“While global trading conditions remain challenging, Australia wine continues to perform relatively well in many key markets where it generally maintained or grew its share of imported wine over the past year.”

The decline was driven primarily by weaker demand in Australia's three largest export markets: mainland China, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Mainland China remained Australia's largest export market by value, despite exports falling 15% to $756 million as the initial post-tariff recovery and restocking phase came to an end.

“While exports to mainland China declined over the past year, Australia remains the leading source of imported wine in the market,” Bailey said.

“The market is no longer being driven by the re-stocking of Australian wine, rather we’re seeing a more mature and demand-led phase, reflecting a smaller and slower-growing Chinese wine market than existed prior to the imposition of tariffs in late 2020.”

The United Kingdom remained Australia's largest market by volume and the United States second, although export volume to both markets fell to their lowest level in 25 years.

Canada was a standout performer, with export value increasing 20% to $188 million - its highest level in seven years - and volume rising 13%.

Culture driving Italy's tourism boom, new report says

 

Cultural experiences remain a major driver of tourism to Italy, but the country’s visitor economy is increasingly concentrated in a limited number of destinations, a new report reveals. 

The annual Federculture Report, Cultural Enterprise – The Culture that Changes Territories was presented at Italy’s Ministry of Culture in Rome earlier this month and highlights the growing importance of cultural tourism while warning that its economic and social benefits are unevenly distributed across the country.

Italy recorded 476.4 million overnight visitor stays in 2025, up 2.2% from 2024 and 9.8% above pre-Covid pandemic 2019 levels. 

But almost two-thirds of those stays were concentrated in just 1,024 municipalities (equivalent to only 13% of Italy’s municipalities) identified as destinations with strong cultural and scenic assets.

These cultural destinations accounted for 63% of all overnight stays, reinforcing the central role that museums, historic cities, UNESCO World Heritage sites and cultural landscapes continue to play in attracting visitors, news hub Travel Mole reported.

Foreign visitors now represent more than 55% of tourism in Italy’s cultural territories, rising to 58% in municipalities with a strong cultural vocation and 73% in the country’s major art cities.

The report also highlighted growing public participation in cultural activities. In 2025, 48.2% of Italians went to the cinema, while 35.8% visited museums and exhibitions, up from 33.6% a year earlier. Theatre attendance reached 24.3% of the population.

“The growth in audiences confirms that demand for culture in Italy is strong,” said Andrea Cancellato, president of Federculture. 

He called for more stable support for the sector, including strengthening initiatives such as the Art Bonus and the Culture Fund, to reduce regional inequalities and help cultural organizations meet growing demand.

Image: Pisa

Two of Australia's storied family wineries celebrate together

Two of Australia's leading winemaking families got together this month to celebrate a decade of working together.

The Morris family from Rutherglen, in north-east Victoria, has been making bold reds and fortified wines since 1859. By 1885, Morris was reported to be the biggest wine producer in the southern hemisphere. 

Current winemaker Madden Morris is the sixth generation to hold the reins after taking over from his father David in the company's 165th year. He describes the family wines as "legacy in a glass". 

Casella Family Brands, from Yenda in the NSW Riverina, is Australia's largest family-owned beverage company. 

Founded in 1969, although the family sold grapes for decades before that, Casella is best known for selling over 10 million cases of [yellow tail] around the world each year and also owns labels including Peter Lehmann and Baileys of Glenrowan.

A decade ago, French conglomerate Pernod Richard Winemaker, the then owners of the Morris business, were keen to sell, and the Morris family was anxious to buy the business back - but lacked the cash.

Up stepped Casella boss John Casella, a long-time family friend, to acquire the rights.

In July 2016, Morris of Rutherglen was back in Australian hands, and the family regained control.

David Morris and John Casella 

David Morris told the 10th anniversary celebration how the Casellas had come to his family's aid.

“It was a very devastating decision that they [Pernod Ricard] made," he said. "It was the final nail that they could put into our coffin. We were making good sales, we were 70% table and sparkling wine and only 30% fortified wine at that point. We were a very small winery in their portfolio.

“When they made the decision, it came about very quickly, and they gave us a couple of weeks to find a buyer. Then we managed to get the deposit in the day before [the deadline]. It is now amazing to be back in family stewardship and have some longevity back in the brand.

“We went from devastating news to fantastic within about a month.”

Morris said Casella was one of the first friends he called, with the result that the historic winery returned to family stewardship and secure its long-term future as a partnership with the Cassela family.

“Morris is an Australian icon and we couldn’t allow it to be lost," John Casella told the event. "And to see where we are today, with the barrels in the cellar, this beautiful cellar door, none of this would have existed."

Over the past decade, Casella Family Brands has invested in the Morris of Rutherglen business, building on its cellar door offering and resuming long-lost distilling operations to produce world-class whiskies made by Scottish-born head distiller Darren Peck.

Morris is now a triple-threat destination offering wines, fortifieds and spirits. 

Its muscats and topaques are regarded among the best in the world and the Morrises have long championed the big red grape variety durif (aka petite sirah), which Madden Morris describes as "shiraz on steroids".

Guests at the event also enjoyed a tour of the Morris distillery - and the still built in 1933 - as well as a spectacular display of barrel charring. 

Visitors should not miss the aromatic - and atmospheric - old cellars.

 
# The writer was a guest of Morris of Rutherglen and Casella Family Wines.