Meet a new name on the Yarra Valley wine scene: e'Stellar

There is a new name in the Yarra Valley wine firmament.  

e’Stellar is owned by members of one of Australia’s highest-profile wine families but will operate independently. 

Joe and Cathy Casella, of the Australian winemaking empire Casella Family Brands, began their Yarra journey in 2017 when they purchased Graeme Miller’s historic Dixons Creek site. 

In 2025, they added the neighboring Mandala vineyards, unifying the two properties into a single 40-hectare project named e’Stellar Estate. 

It is a stand alone personal project for the couple, managed completely separately from the corporate Casella Family Brands portfolio. 

The project builds on the legacy of the Henkell family, who first planted the celebrated Mandala site in 1980, and the neighbouring Dixons Creek Estate established by Jimmy Watson Trophy winner Graeme Miller. 

Steering the project is winemaker and GM Martin Siebert, whose background includes vintage work in Burgundy and two decades at top-tier Yarra Valley producers Yarra Yering, Coldstream Hills, and Tokar Estate. 

Siebert found a 15-year-old museum sparkling base, resting on lees, in storage, from the original Graeme Miller days, which has been disgorged and released as the limited e’Stellar Legacy Sparkling ($60). 

While reviewing old records, Siebert unearthed invoices indicating half of that parcel of sparkling wine was quietly resting on lees at the contract facility. Upon requesting a sample bottle to be disgorged for evaluation, Siebert and the team realized they were sitting on a vinous treasure,

There are 11 wines included in the first release, divided across two core tiers ($32 and $45): the e’ Range ($32): chardonnay, pinot noir, rosé, and cabernet syrah and e’Stellar Range ($45): chardonnay, pinot noir, syrah, cabernet sauvignon, blanc de blancs, and sparkling rosé NV. 

A new cellar door by Q+Co Design Studio is currently under construction for a launch in the coming months, the estate's commercial footprint is already anchored by the property's existing dining establishment: DiVino Ristorante.

Operating under the new e’Stellar banner, the Italian pavilion has called this site home for seven years and welcomes guests from Wednesday through Sunday for lunch and Friday and Saturday evenings for dinner.

The debut 2025 e’Stellar Estate wines are now available online, before the cellar door experiences open to the public in the coming months.

More info at https://www.estellarestate.com.au/.

Hotel chains are deep diving into customers' motivations

Guests are being judged, and their motivations analysed, by major hotel chains. 

New research by the Luxury Group by Marriott International challenges common assumptions about Gen Z travellers, uncovering diverse motivations and definitions of luxury travel.

As Gen Z rises as a defining force in luxury travel, one long-held assumption no longer holds: there is no single Gen Z traveller.

A new report from the Luxury Group by Marriott International in Asia Pacific excluding China (APEC), reveals a generation comprising four distinct luxury mindsets, with each redefining luxury on their own terms, from cultural immersion and personal wellbeing to digital disconnection and heritage-driven exploration.

Drawing on insights from 2,800 affluent travellers across eight Asia Pacific markets, including 1,200 Gen Z respondents aged 18 to 29, the report signals a decisive shift. 

Luxury travel is no longer anchored by demographic factors, but increasingly shaped by intention, identity, and personal meaning.

"Luxury today is no longer defined by a singular standard. It is deeply personal," said Oriol Montal, regional vice president of luxury. 

"Our research reveals that affluent Gen Z travellers are not just participating in luxury travel. They are reshaping it, driven by a desire for meaning, wellbeing, and authentic connection. As the definition of luxury continues to fragment and evolve, understanding these emerging perspectives will be critical for shaping the next generation of travel experiences."

The research shows today’s affluent Gen Z travellers are no longer passive participants. Rather, they are deliberate architects of their journeys. More than half fund their own trips, while nearly half plan every aspect of their journeys themselves. 

Immediate family remains their preferred travel companions (51%), while small-group travel has grown by 17%, signalling a shift toward more intimate, shared experiences.

They also bring sophisticated expectations to every journey. Cultural immersion and engagement with local communities influence destination choice for 87% of respondents, while culinary discovery (86%), proximity to nature (86%), and wellness (85%) are key priorities shaping travel decisions.

At the same time, Gen Z travellers expect luxury to be seamless. Time inefficiencies and communication gaps are among their biggest frustrations. 

Technology, meanwhile, is playing an increasingly important role in trip planning, with 23% already using AI tools for travel inspiration and planning.

The report identifies four Gen Z archetypes whose definitions of luxury diverge significantly: 1) The Connoisseur Traditionalist (34%), 2) The Future Proofer (30%), 3) The Quiet Luxurist (20%), and 4) The Cultural Reclaimer (16%). 

If you'd like to know more, the full report is available to download.

New technology to aid hotel guests

Leura Gardens Resort in the NSW Blue Mountains will be the first hotel in Australia to launch digital wallet key technology, allowing guests seamless access to the hotel’s rooms and facilities with a tap of their phone.

This new system provides guests with a convenient alternative to physical key cards, while still offering traditional options for those who prefer them.

Owner Dr Jerry Schwartz has been trialling keyless technology for several years and will utilise cutting-edge door lock and software solutions developed by Vingcard - a leading innovator of advanced technologies tailored to the needs of the hospitality industry - at Leura Gardens Resort.  

With Vingcard’s cloud-based Vostio Access Management technology, the property can automatically generate digital wallet-compatible keys that are securely delivered to guests' devices via advanced encryption.

The digitalised room keys are automatically activated when a guest checks in electronically and are ready to use as soon as their room becomes available, allowing guests to go straight to their rooms and access them with a tap on their phones.

The room key is stored in a wallet on any iOS or Android phone and is similar to the technology used for concert or plane tickets.

The key works without needing to download or open any app, navigate to a special screen, or unlock the device.

The same digital wallet-based key can also be used to access the hotel's facilities for even greater convenience. 

If guests choose to extend their stay, the key is automatically updated, eliminating the need to visit the front desk.

While the technology has been used in hostels in Australia, Leura Gardens Resort is the first full-service hotel or resort in Australia to successfully introduce it.

"The hotel industry in Australia has been slow to adopt the technology, which is surprising given that we use our mobile phones to board planes and enter sports and concert venues,” said Schwartz.

“I’m convinced that entering a hotel room with a digital key on your phone will become another extension of that, and the innovation at Leura Gardens will become a template for the wider industry.

“This is all about enhancing the guest experience. Some people will prefer to go to the front desk and check-in in person, but others want a more seamless experience. We are catering for both groups.

“Our guests will be able to use the technology without needing to use an additional app. Instead, arriving guests will receive their ‘room key’ by downloading it from their check-in confirmation email and adding it to their smartphones.”

See https://www.leuragardens.com.au/

Rare cellar treasures to be uncorked

Do you love older wines, particularly those that have been cellared with care?

Passing Clouds is to open its doors for a rare cellar and museum wine release for one weekend only.

The family-owned Macedon Ranges producer - located at Musk, outside Daylesford - is planning a mini festival of decades of back vintages, cellar treasures and wines not offered to the public since their original release date, in some cases over 50 years ago.

From July 17–19, the Leith family will unlock its significant museum wine collections, offering visitors access to carefully cellared wines.

Some have never previously been available for sale.

And because many of the wines come from tiny remaining cellar parcels, once sold they will never be released again.

Owner Cameron Leith said the weekend is about sharing the winery's history.

“For decades we've carefully cellared wines because we believed they still had stories to tell," he says.

“Rather than keeping them hidden forever, we wanted people to experience them as they were intended - with family, friends and good conversation.”

Attendees will also be able to compare mature museum wines with younger vintages, demonstrating the ageing potential of Passing Clouds wines. 

There will be a $20 tasting fee, refundable on any wine purchase.

See www.passingclouds.com.au

Qantas boosts services to Japan

Qantas is going all in on flights between Australia and Japan.

The Australian flag carrier has increased services between Melbourne and Tokyo and added more seats across the Tasman as Japan and New Zealand continue to be popular destinations for Australian travellers.

More than 45,000 seats will be added to Tokyo and Queenstown by early next year.

Qantas has increased its Melbourne-Narita services from daily to 11 flights per week from December 2026 to March 2027 in response to growing demand. 

The new flights will add a total of 30,000 seats to the route.

Japan continues to be a favourite for Qantas customers, with passenger numbers up 8% between October 2025 and March 2026, totalling 350,000 passengers for the period.

In addition, the airline is increasing frequency across the Tasman over the summer peak for travel between Australia and New Zealand, including over 15,000 additional seats between Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane to Queenstown over the summer peak.

Qantas CEO International Cam Wallace said: 
“Japan remains one of the most popular destinations on our international network and is showing no signs of slowing down, with more than half a million Australians visiting between January and May this year alone.

"Adding more capacity out of Melbourne means more Aussies can experience one of the world's great travel destinations, whether they're heading there for the first time or going back for more.”

There was also enthusiasm from Japan National Tourism Oraganization Sydney Office Executive Director Naoki Kitazawa. 

"We're delighted to see even more flights between Melbourne and Narita, further strengthening ties between Australia and Japan,” Kitazawa said. 

“Last year we marked an exciting milestone, with over one million Australians visiting Japan.

“We hope that even more people will be inspired to come and experience Japan.”

Coming soon: The world's first robot-operated hotel

The future is now.

In China, Pudu Robotics, a leader in commercial service robotics, and Shenzhen Culture & Tourism Industry Development Co. Ltd have officially signed a strategic cooperation agreement to jointly develop the world’s first full-scenario robot-serviced hotel on the West Artificial Island of the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link. 

 The island is one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in China, travel news hub Travel Mole reports.

The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link is widely recognised as one of the world’s most complex cross-sea transportation systems, combining bridges, tunnels, artificial islands, and underwater interchanges into a single engineering marvel.

The plan is to transform West Artificial Island showcase for artificial intelligence, robotics and smart tourism. 

As a strategic gateway connecting key cities across the Greater Bay Area, the West Artificial Island provides a platform to showcase next-generation technologies to visitors from around the world.

Unlike hotels where robots simply assist employees, the project aims to automate virtually every guest-facing and operational task. 

Service robots already deliver amenities in many hotels across Shenzhen and other major cities, while some properties have introduced humanoid robots at reception desks. This, however, will be the world’s first hotel designed from the outset to operate entirely without human staff.

The 44-room hotel is scheduled to open in 2027, although visitors will be able to experience the concept earlier. Pilot operations are expected to begin in late 2026, with a limited number of rooms available for public testing.

Designed as a next-generation hospitality destination, the hotel will integrate robots across every major service scenario, including guest reception, room delivery, cleaning, food service, and guest support. 

Powered by embodied AI and multi-robot collaboration, the project represents one of the industry’s most comprehensive deployments of robotics in a real-world hospitality environment.

The company says its AI platform, powered by its proprietary PuduFM 1.0 foundation model and PuduAgent operating system, will coordinate all robotic services through a shared intelligence network. 

Different robot models will perform specialised tasks while communicating with one another.

Among them, FlashBot will deliver drinks and snacks ordered via smartphone, the T300 robot will transport luggage to guest rooms, while the CC1 Pro and MT1 autonomous cleaning robots will maintain the property using AI-powered waste detection and adaptive cleaning technology.

The hotel itself will be the first phase of a broader smart tourism initiative. 

Over the coming four years, robotics and AI services are expected to expand across West Artificial Island, supporting attractions, restaurants and visitor facilities. 

It will be fascinating to see guest reactions.