From squash to crush
In part five of the story of their excursion to Australia, former Claridge's general manager Ron Jones and his wife, Eve, rate a few grapes - and hotels.
Hunter Valley, New South Wales, 30 January. There was something familiar about the moustachioed vineyard manager of the new Northern Hunter Winery at Gresford, NSW. He turned out to be former Australian squash professional Colin McLeod, who spent some years competing and coaching in London.
Colin was working flat-out on the last day of January to get first the Verdelho grapes, then the Chardonnay and Sémillon, and by mid-February the Shiraz and Cabernet, to the winery seven kilometres away. "Come back in a week when that Verdelho's fermenting," he enthused, "and you'll think you're walking into a perfumed garden."
Winemakers Geoff Bradfield and James Evers will vinify 250 tonnes in this, their second vintage. All three are giving thanks for three months of warm, dry weather - a total reverse of last year's rainy harvest in the northern Hunter Valley. They aim to produce 17,000 cases of 2002 wine with the Glendonbrook label, including 2,000 cases of Verdelho, this year's fashionable variety. We arrived just in time to taste the juice after the crush and settling, tropical and intense at 13.2º Baumé.
The new winery's owners, Tom and Terese Smith, have invested heavily in this region to the north of the main Hunter Valley production area. They reckon that they can afford to be confident, though, since this is where the valley's first vineyards and wineries were established by Dr Henry Lindeman and other pioneers.
Beating the downturn
Sydney, 7 February. Along with the depressing but not unexpected prediction that the coming year will be a tough one here for hotel owners and managers come a few glimmers of light. Currently, 55% of tourist accommodation is locally owned and, while many hotels are performing poorly, the time seems promising for overseas investment.
Average room rates have dropped by between 28% and 35%, with budget accommodation performing best. We were pleased to see Medina, a privately owned company with three- to five-star serviced apartments, including "our" city centre apartment, mentioned in the report as "performing well despite the downturn".
Hotel impressions Sydney's Central Business District may have a skyline as modern as those of Dallas and Chicago, but the city has done a good job of preserving and using its Victorian heritage buildings. Some of these house Sydney's leading hotels, and while we didn't stay in them - eight weeks demands the independence of an apartment - we did visit a baker's dozen.
The Inter-Continental, with its own hotel school next door and the pick of the best staff, struts its five-star stuff in the former Treasury building. It incorporates the original sandstone fa‡ade with classic courtyard atrium and wrought-iron Paris-style lift, with bedrooms in the 31-storey tower that rises from behind the Victorian building, out of sight unless you're in the street and looking up.
Our near neighbour the Westin, in Martin Place, occupies what was the colonnaded General Post Office. A high atrium houses upscale shops and food and beverage outlets, retaining the original marble grand staircase, now with a café-bar on a raised terrace overlooking a public walkway. Passers-by enjoy goldfish-bowl views of guests. The Mosaic restaurant, with one of Sydney's celebrity chefs, is on the first-floor balcony with views over the atrium. Smart, modern decor throughout. Impressive.
The Regent, near Circular Quay, was once the best address in town. The verdict today: strictly 1950s passé. It just failed to fulfil the first requirement of a hotel to the first-time visitor - it didn't exude a warm welcome. Pretty charmless, in fact.
Modern "essentialist" - as I heard minimalism described here - is well represented by hotels like the Quay Grand, which is stark and stylish, with superb views over Circular Quay and Sydney Harbour Bridge from one side (rack rate, double room, Aus$490 [£183]) and the Opera House and Royal Botanic Gardens from the other (Aus$399 [£149]). Two smart restaurants, the informal one with inside-outside dining. The fashionable W, within the Woolloomooloo Finger Wharf development, is "something completely different", built within the wharf, sharing super-cool premises with apartments, restaurants and club-bars.
Two hotels stood out, for different reasons. One was the Sir Stamford, to me quite simply the Connaught of Sydney. Formerly a Ritz-Carlton property, it is boutique-sized, with 106 rooms (including 11 suites) in Macquarie Street, Sydney's most desirable address. Stunning views, soothing French decor, public rooms intimate, welcoming and luxurious - and the most beautiful bar in town.
The other is the Russell at the Rocks. The building dates back to 1790 and became an inn in 1853 - not de luxe but quirky, cosy, and the place we'll choose when we need a hotel in Sydney. There are just 29 rooms, including a suite and an apartment. Key tags are painted wooden cutouts of local fruit and fish. Public areas are Victorian but manage to be light and airy, with plenty of fresh flowers and decent oil paintings. Guests linger over breakfast in the sunny roof garden looking out over the harbour. With charming double rooms from Aus$130 to Aus$235 (£48.60-£87.85) and suites from Aus$260 to Aus$285 (£97.20-£106.50) we should be keeping this one to ourselves.
Farewell, Sydney - we'll be back
Tomorrow we leave Sydney for Western Australia. Perth, the Margaret River and Fremantle have a hard act to follow. Maybe it's just as well - it's been pouring solidly for nearly a week and, since they need the rain so much, it's hard to mind. We hear it's 37ºC and humid in Perth.
