The green and lovely Clare Valley is one of Australia's finest wine regions. A fortnight's holiday among the vines convinces social planner Burt Surmon and his new wife Jeni to make a life-changing decision. They will quit the city grind to grow grapes, make wine, open a cellar door, art gallery and function centre ... Forever optimistic, but largely ignorant of farming, Burt and Jeni begin a life of hard yakka. There are so many lessons to be learnt. Marketing, soil types, grape selection...

This concise everyperson's wine guide elucidates the essentials of vino, from grapes and wine making, to wine types and terroirs, to tips on wine tasting! Armed with this little volume, you'll hold your own in discussions about wine, select the right bottle for any meal, and serve and order wine with panache. Got a minute? That's all it takes, so download The One-Minute Wine Expert, pop that cork, and get started!

Here's a fun guide to discover the nuances of artisan beers from lagers and ales to porters and stouts. Tasting profiles from the booklet get the ball rolling—they break down beer into style categories and include information on each variety's background, flavors, aromas, and unique character.

From London journalist to owner of the historic, ramshackle Nun's Cottage and two alpacas (named Jack and Kerouac) and providore of local produce, this is Hilary Burden's journey.'Looking back over seven summers, I know that who I am is where I am. It might not be the secret to life, but it is the secret to this life . I'll tell you how that came to be and that will be the story of the Nuns' House.'On the outside, Hilary Burden wa...

Now available in an all-new format, Bill 'Swampy' Marsh once again pays tribute to the people who have made Australia unique.'two bung knees. Can't swim. Is afraid of the water. Jumps in a kayak. takes a deep breath. Says a little prayer, and away she goes. And that's the character of the CWA, isn't it?' Helen Wall, Caniambo CWA, VictoriaPut your hand up if you think the CWA is a tea-and-scones group of women who sit around tables and chat away. Wrong! Well, they do make the best ja...

Pour a stiff drink and crack open this comprehensive guide to everything there is to know about the world’s greatest whiskeys. Exploring the traditions behind bourbon, Scotch, Irish, and even Japanese whiskey, you’ll discover how unique flavors are created through variations of ingredients and different distilling techniques. With advice on how to collect, age, and serve whiskey, as well as suggestions for proven food pairings, you’ll be inspired to share your knowledge and invite your fri...

The inspiring and entertaining story of a determined young woman alone, who overcame the isolation of her family farm to build a flourishing business. When Lisa Harper returned to her family’s farm at the head of remote Mahau Sound, in the Marlborough Sounds, after years overseas working as a scientist, she showed all the pluck and entrepreneurial streak of the earlier generations of women in her family. The isolation wasn’t going to deter her from starting a new business....

Revised and updated in 2013, 101 Whiskies to Try Before You Die is a whisky guide with a difference. It is not an awards list. It is not a list of the 101 'best' whiskies in the world in the opinion of a self-appointed whisky guru. It is simply a guide to the 101 whiskies that enthusiasts must seek out and try in order to complete their whisky education. Avoiding the deliberately obscure, the ridiculously limited and the absurdly expensive, whisky expert Ian Buxton recommends an eclectic s...

The funny, heart-warming and at times exhausting behind-the-scenes story of Matthew Evans' transformation from high-profile food critic to television's Gourmet Farmer.How do you go from being an urban dag to a country boy without any experience of the bush?In 2008 Matthew Evans, one of Australia's most powerful food critics, stepped off the Sydney treadmill to farm 20 acres in Australia's southernmost shire.What is it really like to take th...

A special book about a unique high-country farmer and her historic sheep station. New Zealand's high country farmers are a special breed. They farm in tough terrain, at high altitudes, in areas where extreme climate puts both man and animal to the test. When she was widowed, with three children, in 1992 Iris Scott had to call on all her farming skill and inner strength to carry on as the runholder of the 150-year-old, 18,000-hectare Rees Valley Station at the head of Lake ...

Making your own beer is surprisingly simple, very cost-effective, and healthy too. It's also a lot of fun – in fact, it can be addictive.Home Brew is a must-have manual for the novice brewer. It tells you everything you need to know to get started, including:The different styles of beerThe basic science of brewingThe ingredients and equipment you needStep-by-step instructions for brewing your first batchIt also features recipes to devel...

A new life running a high country sheep station in New Zealand. Christine Fernyhough is well known as a leading Auckland philanthropist, having set up Books in Homes and then the Gifted Kids Programme for high achieving children in low decile schools. In 2003 she was a recent widow when she spied an advertisement for the sale of the legendary Castle Hill Station, near Porters Heights in the Canterbury alps. A woman of energy and enterprise, she bought it and so began a ne...