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If serving the newest, coolest Spritz is the mission at your next dinner party or knowing all the new cellar door openings is at the top of your agenda, then our curated guide to Australia’s latest in drinks news will be your boozy bible.
From the winners of GABS Hottest 100 in Aussie Craft Beer to Vinteloper’s chic tasting room upgrade in the Adelaide Hills, these are the spots worth having on your radar this month. And if trending sips are what you’re looking for, then we’ve curated the best, from a new top-shelf tequila to non-alcoholic bitters and the lesser-known spirits riding on a high this season.
Here’s our guide to the latest drinks news to know about.
Clare Valley Gourmet Week
16 – 25 May
Clare Valley Gourmet Week festival is setting the stage for South Australian wines this May. Opening with a six-course dégustation dinner courtesy of chef and sommelier Nicola Palmer, 34 events will pepper the 10-day agenda, from masterclasses and long lunches to twilight tastings.
clarevalleygourmet.com.au
Langtons x Barossa Australia Fine Wine Auction 2025
10 June
Barossa’s finest wines go under the hammer at Crown Sydney on 10 June. Bid on rare bottles and exclusive experiences at the unmissable Sydney Barossa Wine Auction by Langtons.
Tickets for the auction available via the Langtons website.
St Hugo Wines’ New Epicurean Cellar Dining
Barossa Valley mainstay St Hugo has introduced an Epicurean Cellar dining experience, where guests can enjoy a long, languid lunch paired with exclusive back-vintage wines. Dishes have been created with the St Hugo cellar in mind — think seafood paired with 2918 riesling, duck with a 2013 grenache, shiraz and mataro blend, and blush-pink lamb rump along with a 1993 cabernet sauvignon. Cheese and dessert pairings can be added to the experience should you wish to finish on something sweet.
For more information visit sthugo.com
Chandon’s new-look Yarra Valley homestead
Heritage meets luxury in Chandon’s reimagined Yarra Valley homestead. The glorious wraparound verandah gives way to light, airy interiors by designer Melanie Beynon, while local furnishings add to the polish. With views over the vineyard and oak garden, the scene is set for tasting Étoile or basking in the luxury of the exclusive event space — made with private dining and enchanting garden parties in mind.
GABS Hottest 100 Craft Beer winners announced
Every year, Australian beer lovers cast their votes in the country’s nationwide craft beer awards. This year, Blue Mountains-based brewery Mountain Culture and its Status Quo Pale Ale has taken home gold at the GABS Hottest 100 Aussie Craft Beers for the third year running. The beer is bright, lively, and tropical and is brought into balance with dry hop. Other beers flying high on the GABS radar are the classic Coopers Brewery Original Pale Ale, which was placed second and imparts a crisp bitterness and fruity character, and Queensland’s floral and aromatic contender Balter XPA in third place. Other notable mentions include BentSpoke Brewing’s Crankshaft, Gage Roads Single Fin Summer Ale and Range Brewing Disco Pale Ale.
gabshottest100.com/au
The oldest brewery in the world to make an appearance at GABS festival
Brisbane 23 -24 May & Sydney 30 – 31 May
World-renowned German brewery Schlenkerla has been announced as a special guest at this year’s Great Australian SpecTapular festival (GABS festival). Founded in 1405, the historic brewery is one of only two remaining breweries in the world that uses an open fire to dry their malt in-house. This labour-intensive technique imparts the beer with a unique smoky flavour; unusual in the bitter brew.
Schlenkerla’s unusual and traditional flavour offsets several left-of-centre offerings also to be showcased at GABS 2025: Vegemite toast beer, 1000 oysters in a beer, and Warhead lolly beer to name a few of the whackier creations.
With over 120 taps to be tasted, this year’s festival is not to be missed.
Tasmania’s Tolpuddle opens new tasting room
Tasmania’s Tolpuddle vineyard has opened a sleek new tasting room in the Coal River Valley. Expect to sip on Tolpuddle’s collectable chardonnays and pinot noirs as expansive floor-to-ceiling windows give way to sweeping views of the vines, while wooden interiors and rattan accents appoint a luxury mood.
Vinesmith is the new city cellar door in Melbourne
Melbourne’s Flinders Lane has a chic new opening to check out. Vinesmith’s city cellar door shows off a local wine list with drops from the Blue Pyrenees and Glenlofty Estates on the tasting menu, while walnut interiors set a sleek tone. Joining the venue’s roster is a late-night bar, French bistro and wine shop.
Adelaide Hills’ Vinteloper opens new cellar door after bushfires
South Australia’s Vinteloper has entered its relaunch era following the 2019 bushfires that took out its heritage farmhouse. The new opening sees high-spec restorations to its tasting room and cellar door, taking in its Adelaide Hills surroundings and showing off drops from new varietals to vintage releases.
Top drops for autumn sipping
Patrón El Alto
Patrón Tequila expands its prestige portfolio with Patrón El Alto, a rare, masterfully aged blend of Extra Añejo, Añejo, and Reposado tequilas, crafted from the finest Weber Blue Agave. Currently available for $315 at Dan Murphy’s.
Mumm 2015 Reserve Blanc De Blanc
This elegant and lively Champagne of Grand Cru Chardonnay delivers fine, delicate bubbles; a balanced mineral core with floral notes of jasmine; and a brilliant pale gold hue. It’s the Champagne to pop at special occasions. Our tip: serve on Good Friday before a seafood feast. Currently available for $190 at Dan Murphy’s.
Hickson House Oyster Shell gin
Joining traditional and Australian botanicals, repurposed oyster shell is the not-so-secret ingredient lending Hickson House’s gin its minerality and creamy mouthfeel. Saltbush and seaweed add to the oceanside ambience, while finger lime and ruby grapefruit shape its smooth, dry finish.
Papa Salt Paloma tins
Cool off with TikTok’s trending sip, the Paloma. Where warmer weather usually calls an Aperol or Hugo Spritz to mind, the Paloma is typically a grapefruit, tequila and lime refresh. Gin-based riffs are also on the rise, as seen here with Papa Salt’s easy-drinking Paloma tins.
Zonzo’s Cicchio Pistachio Spritz
While the Limoncello Spritz has been trending as TikTok’s drink du jour, it’s Zonzo’s Cicchio pistachio take that has our attention. Calling on Sicilian flavours, this bright bottling meshes notes of honey and melon with creamy pistachio. Best served on a balcony somewhere warm.
Pundi bitters
First Nations farmer Dominic Smith is bringing a native edge to seasonal spritzing. This trio of homegrown bitters picks up on the trend for non-alcoholic drinking with flavours of wood, leaves and fruit. Expect local mint, rosella, smoky peppercorn and wattleseed to amp up drinking.
Enchanté Rosé
Race car superstar Daniel Riccardio has rounded out his D3 wines range with Barossa stalwart St Hugo’s with the addition of new sip, Enchanté Rosé. Following two bold red varietals, this lighter tipple is ideal for sunshine sipping and snacking. In taste, Enchanté Rosé is medium-bodied and off-dry; crisp on the palate and perfect for an afternoon pour with friends.
For Barossa locals or visitors, be sure to stop by at St Hugo’s for an in-person pour. Otherwise, pick up a bottle at a local bottle shop.
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