Wednesday, February 15, 2012

MELBOURNE’S BARS AND PUBS 2012


Take a scenic tour of Melbourne through ‘Melbourne’s Bars &Pubs’  guide – the second book MB&P have released  .... celebrating the amazing culture that is Melbourne and the famous and fabulous watering holes about town.


This photographic and descriptive little book, sporting a very classy heritage-style cover, is a cool look at some very hot venues, including your resident wine and cocktail bars, funky out of the way ‘down the lane’ hideouts, as well as live music gigs! This little gem is your backstage pass, a little ticket to freedom and fun! So small and compact it fits in your handbag or briefcase for every single night you’re hitting the pub scene!

With the Melbourne Food & Wine festival coming up in March, there’s never been a better time to grab your very own copy of this punchy little book.  We love the 220 pages of full colour professional photographs that make it a real collector’s item, as much as a guide to entertainment. Now you can experience Melbourne at its best! Why not purchase one for yourself, and one for a friend!

If you've been dying to try somewhere new, or you've been lost for ideas, then Melbourne's Bars and Pubs is an ace up your sleeve every time you're up for a night out! Isn’t it time you surprised your friends with your knowledge of the Pub scene, and grabbed them all for a fantastic night out at your quirky local venues, heritage-filled hotels or beer gardens! Why not call your interstate friends and remind them what a great time they had in Melbourne with you last time and it’s high time you all did it again... soon!

This is also a handy tool to have if you're seeking a function space to book your next event?



MBP is 100% Melbourne-made, using local businesses!  And it now contains 60% new venues for you to check out. Why not challenge yourself to work your way through the entire book, visiting each venue just for fun. You could even blog your adventures and share the good times with everyone! At The House of Vintner, we’d love to hear about your journey! So do contact us with details!

MBP are certainly sharing the good times with everyone! Everything you ever wanted to know about Melbourne’s bars and pubs is now available at the touch of a button via the inclusion of the iPhone and Android App. You will be able to find all of the hotspots, listed alphabetically and indexed by suburb; there is even an icon on each page to assist the reader with specific requirements. Get access to dress codes & standards, food offered (including prices), DJs, sport televised, and more! You simply can’t go wrong. Navigate your way through the nightlife of Melbourne with a click of your phone.  You can even find the average age of clientele for that venue demographic – now that’s really thinking!



Just some of the Venues featured in MBP 2012 include CQ whose multiple bars and expansive open-air beer garden heaves with an after-5 crowd, The Loose Goose with its New York industrial style and modern British delights to snack on and The Union Hotel where friendly banter, live sport plus weekly $14 parmigianas and steak nights keep everyone happy.

We're thrilled to have a copy of Melbourne's Bars & Pubs, at The House of Vintner. With loads of family and friends down south, we're sure to make great use of this fantastic little book .... but don't let the size fool you! It has everything to offer and at such a great price too! We can thoroughly recommend it. The presentation is brilliant, the information combined with the vast array of places to choose from makes it the perfect way to enjoy your city or to really get the most out of your holiday or business trip! Every taste and age group is catered to, so you can party anywhere, any time. Whether it's a quiet drink with a friend, or big bash, you'll find that perfect, magical place to enjoy! You might even catch one of us from The House of Vintner there!

So .... where can you get your hands on your very own copy!?
Melbourne’s Bars and Pubs 2012 publication is available at all good bookstores, newsagencies, airports and online (with free shipping) from www.melbournesbarsandpubs.com.au RRP AU$19.90 (Inc GST).




Sunday, February 5, 2012

Falling - debut novel by Michelle Hayward


"What if you could have the man of your dreams... what if you also wanted the one who lived on the edge of your reality..."

'FALLING' - the debut novel by Michelle Hayward of The House of Vintner, is now available online. Click 'Falling' to read the novel for a very short time for free or alternatively contact us and we will email you a PDF version!

Journey through the unpredictable minefield of dating with Jenna, as she navigates the lipstick jungle, faking it til she breaks it!

Michelle is currently working on the sequel to 'Falling' coming soon! Visit the official blog http://michellehayward.blogspot.com/ for more details.

Friday, December 2, 2011

Let Baker's Delight....delight you this Christmas!



At The House of Vintner we are huge fans of the Baker's Delight Christmas cake and that's really saying something! 

My Great grandmother's cake and pudding recipe has been passed down in my family for generations! And I have to admit, I don't buy Christmas cakes. Pre-packaged, mass-produced Christmas cake is not my thing. In my experience they can be dry, boring and lack flavour, they crumble and are generally just very ordinary and they seem to go off very quickly!  Grandma must have used plenty of Brandy to preserve hers because they lasted for eons!

Last week we received our review package from the wonderful people at Baker's Delight and it was with a little fear and trepidation that I opened the tin. And what a gorgeous tin it is too may I just say! And it keeps the cake beautifully!

What a pleasant surprise to find this rich, moist and flavoursome cake! It is absolutely divine!  This cake tastes and cuts like it just came out of your kitchen, fresh-baked and ready to go on the table to share with those nearest and dearest!

I am going to buy one this week so I have another to share round. I was kind of sad when I finished it. The friends who were lucky enough to sample it with me, while it lasted, raved about it too and went back for seconds and thirds.  Unusual, because generally speaking fruitcake is not a huge hit with friends or family!  It seems like they are a thing of the past... but not anymore! Bakers Delight have brought back and totally revamped with humble Christmas Cake with complete success!

Don't waste your precious Christmas dollars on inferior products. Buy nothing but the best from Baker's Delight!

So how do you get one of your very own?  Just pop into your local Baker's Delight store now and grab one before they disappear! 

Here's what they had to say about their cakes -

Bakers Delight Traditional Christmas Cakes… the perfect Christmas treat. If they last that long!


If you’re looking for some Christmas inspiration to get into the holiday spirit, Bakers Delight’s Traditional Christmas Cakes are a great (and delicious) place to start. Moist, dense fruit cake laden with sultanas, currants and cherries, they're ideal for sharing with family and friends during festive season

Available in Bakers Delight stores nationwide from November 24th 2011.

Large Traditional Christmas Cake


RRP $15.00

Traditional Christmas Cake – Small (single serve)


RRP $3.50

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Not Your Usual Christmas Drinks... what's going on there?


Want to WIN one of THREE double passes (worth $60) to the New Generation Hunter Valley ‘Not Your Usual Christmas Drinks’?!


If you or your mates haven’t yet bought tickets to this event, tomorrow (Wednesday 23 November) you have the chance to pick up a couple for for FREE before they sell out!

Not Your Usual Christmas Drinks is happening on Friday December 9 at TAP Gallery, 278 Palmer St Darlinghurst NSW. With over 24 heavenly Hunter wines to try, delicious Binnorie Dairy cheeses available, and your chance to meet the guys behind the brands, this will not be your usual Christmas drinks and tickets are selling like got cakes!!

So how do I win? On Wednesday 23 November at exactly 1pm we will post 3 questions on our Facebook page...

The first person to answer each question correctly scores a free double pass worth $60 to the upcoming “Not Your Usual Christmas Drinks”.

You will need to ‘like’ the New Generation Hunter Valley Facebook page to be eligible to win this prize and take part in the competition.

Good Luck, and feel free to forward this to your friends and let's spread the Hunter Valley love!!

Other important stuff: Promo tickets are not transferrable and cannot be exchanged for cash. You can enter as many times as you like, BUT you can only win once! Prize will go to the person with the next correct answer if someone has already won a pass.

Visit the website - http://www.newgenerationhuntervalley.com.au/

Monday, October 17, 2011

LIGHT UP YOUR CHRISTMAS AT HUNTER VALLEY GARDENS


The House of Vintner is always proud and excited to promote anything Hunter Valley related, and when it's a spectacular like this, we couldn't be more excited! The Hunter Valley Gardens are one of our favourite places to visit while we're in Wine Country, and Christmas is certainly no exception!


For the fifth year running, Hunter Valley Gardens is set to host Christmas Lights Spectacular, Australia’s biggest Christmas lights display and the largest display of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere. A wonderful experience for the whole family to enjoy, the Gardens will be alive with colour every night from Thursday 10th November, 2011 until Saturday 14th January, 2012 (excluding Christmas Day and Night).

Christmas Lights Spectacular has won the prestigious Hunter Region Tourism Award for ‘Best Festival or Event’ for three years running, placing the Hunter Valley Gardens event into the Hall of Fame within this category. This year, make sure to get all your friends and family down to the Gardens to see what all the fuss is about!

General Manager, Kyle McKendry says, “It is such an honour to be placed in Hunter Region Tourism’s Hall of Fame. Each year the event has been getting bigger and more spectacular. We are so excited to share with the public all the new additions to the lights display this year. We can certainly promise that it will not disappoint.”

This year’s Christmas Lights Spectacular has an amazing new music and light display as well as over a million Christmas lights on show throughout designated areas of Hunter Valley Gardens. The event includes a special visit from Santa, with Santa photos available, a range of entertainment, as well as food and beverage stalls.

There will also be a number of new and astonishing features including The Twelve Days of Christmas music and light display in the Border Garden, the cactus musical extravaganza, and the three mega trees that are an incredible 12, 9 and 6 metres high. There are also new lights and music displays throughout the Storybook Garden and the greatest story ever told at the nativity scene.

Gates will open nightly from 6.30pm, with pre-lights entertainment and food stalls so that families can make an evening of it. The lights display will commence at 7.30pm.

Entry to Christmas Lights Spectacular will be $12.50 for children aged between four and 15 and $17.50 for adults and children 16 and older. Children aged three and under receive free entry and every child will receive a FREE glow stick. If guests have visited the Gardens during the day they are entitled to a discounted entry to the Christmas Lights Spectacular of $10 per adult and free entry for children with a receipt as proof of entry.



If making a weekend of it is on the agenda, Christmas Lights Spectacular accommodation packages are available at Harrigan’s Irish Pub and Accommodation. For bookings and inquiries please contact Harrigan’s on 02 4998 4300.

To find out more about the Christmas Lights Spectacular, please visit http://www.hvg.com.au/ or call 02 4998 4000. In the event of wet weather, please contact Hunter Valley Gardens to find out if the Christmas Lights Spectacular will be open.


 ~ Below ~
Humpty Dumpty in the Storybook Gardens
So much fun for the whole family!

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

THE GCGHOV HEADQUARTERS NEWS



Don't forget to check out our GCHOV Blog Headquarters to find out what's going on in the coming edition of The Gold Coast Grapevine!  Catch up with The House of Vintner's very own chapter in the Grapevine, see our latest renovation, get the scoop on 'Planning Kids Parties with Pizzaz'...or that Baby Shower!  We've also got a product review of 'MooGoo' for eczema sufferers, so you definitely won't want to miss that with the warmer weather starting up!  This is one of our all time favourite products and we absolutely swear by it!

More to come soon.... watch this space!

Thursday, September 22, 2011

EXPERIENCE THE ROSE SPECTACULAR AT HUNTER VALLEY GARDENS



This October, experience a sensory explosion with over two million rose blooms at the annual Rose Spectacular, on from October 10 until November 13, 2011 at Hunter Valley Gardens.


Expect to be enlightened with fun facts about the history of roses and master the art of how to plant and grow your own fabulous roses at home.

Sean O’Brien, award winning Horticultural Manager at Hunter Valley Gardens says, “Roses are one of the earth’s most spectacular creations. Growing and maintaining your own roses definitely takes practice. As well as experiencing an unforgettable visit to the Gardens, visitors will learn top tips on how to overcome any challenges when growing roses at home.”

Rose Spectacular features a program of daily demonstrations and talks by the Gardens’ highly knowledgeable and qualified Horticultural Team and the Hunter Regional Rose Society including;

10:30am & 12:00 pm Daily - Story of the Rose

Learn interesting and unusual facts about the history of roses

11:30 am Daily Hunter Valley Gardens Rose Talk

An informative talk on all that you need to know about roses with question and answer time at the end. The perfect opportunity to pick the experts’ brains for advice on growing roses at home.

2:30 pm Daily The History of Hunter Valley Gardens

Learn about how the Gardens came to be. An inside look on how they have evolved and the work that has gone into developing them to where they are today.

The Rose Garden spans 1.5 acres, with a centre garden of 50 meters in diameter. There are over 8000 roses, that include 56 different varieties.

Entry to the Gardens is $24.00 per adult, $12 for children between 4 – 15 years of age with children 3 years and under admitted free. For further information about the Rose Spectacular telephone Hunter Valley Gardens on 02 4998 4000 or visit http://www.hvg.com.au/