travel NEWS
AN AUSTRALIAN GOURMET TRAVELLER PROMOTION
FOUR for the ROAD
DOBLO, BUDAPEST
Explore the country’s best culinary offerings and savour the journey with the All New Corolla Sedan.
BAR WATCH
Grand Budapest wine revival
The latest crop of Hungarian winemakers has sparked a new focus on the nation’s wines and a lively bar culture in the capital. Not since the halcyon days of the Austro-Hungarian Empire have Hungarian wines received this much attention. “We are seeing eager winemakers who are wanting to find their own way,” says András Jókuti, a Budapest food and wine blogger who has observed the revival of the nation’s wine industry and the recent emergence of wine bars in the capital. Leading the charge in 2009 was Doblo, an upmarket bar located in the Jewish 7th district. Owner David Popovits says wine bars have appeared in response to the nation’s burgeoning wine production and a local audience with renewed interest in the nation’s unique wine styles. “In the past two decades, the European Union and government have supported wineries, and in particular young winemakers,” Popovits says. “Today there are over 22 wine-growing regions in the country and most of it is consumed in Hungary because it’s so good.” The nation’s most distinctive styles include the highly prized Aszús dessert wine from Hungary’s famous Tokaj wine region and the full-bodied, oak-aged Egri Bikavér red variety from the Eger wine region. DiVino, in the 5th district, is a wine bar run by a group of entrepreneurial young winemakers who stock labels from 25 Hungarian cellars, including dry whites from the aromatic Furmint grape, and dessert wines from the light-skinned Ezerjó grape. “The winemakers frequently come to the bar to chat wines with enthusiasts,” says Jókuti. “This personal touch makes it a unique space in Budapest.” The guiding business principle at the elegant Drop Shop is storytelling; staff are keen to tell the story of the wines stocked at this busy bar. An eclectic, often VIP crowd can be found here late at night with staff, chatting, tasting and debating. budapestwine.com; dropshop.hu; divinoborbar.hu TATYANA LEONOV
30 PROVENANCE, BEECHWORTH, VIC Set your Satellite Navigation1 for historic Beechworth, where dining at this grand former bank is pure gold. Make a night of it and book a room in the converted stables on the property.
JUNE
IS A GREAT MONTH TO… Winter is coming. The nights grow longer. After the success last year of MONA’s first winter festival, Dark MOFO, solstice rites will be reprised in Hobart on 12-22 June. (A festival extension in Launceston has been cancelled.) To “face the darkness and celebrate the light” there will be winter feasts on the waterfront, a film program, performances and a MONA till Midnight open museum event on 17 June. And the chilling moment we’ve waited all year for: the Nude Solstice Swim in the Derwent at sunrise on 22 June. Last year, 203 “exhilarated” swimmers shed their gear in 12-degree water. darkmofo.net.au
ELEONORE’S, YERING STATION, VIC Slip into cruise control for this fine-diner at gracious Chateau Yering, in the heart of the Yarra Valley, which bucks tradition beautifully with a clever menu based on the local produce. BELLS AT KILLCARE, KILLCARE, NSW The road to this retreat on the Bouddi Peninsula isn’t called “Scenic” for nothing, and Stefano Manfredi’s food will more than reward your journey. THE LONG APRON, MONTVILLE, QLD Destination-dining doesn’t get much better than this, at a French-style lodge set amid the hinterland. And it’s just a 90-minute drive from Brisbane in ultimate comfort.
ZR Sedan model shown
SOLAR POWER Dermalogica has used safflower-seed oils to boost the SPF factor from 30 to 50 in this big-selling moisturiser. Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF50, 50ml, $87.50. dermalogica.com.au toyota.com.au/corolla Current navigation mapping database encompasses major capital and primary national road networks and offers some coverage in regional areas. 1