English fizz, exotic grapes find favour in Melbourne

While Europe freezes, Melbourne is almost molten with heat, towards the end of yet another record-breakingly hot summer in Australia.

Nevertheless the organisers of the annual Melbourne Food and Wine Festival managed as far as I could see to serve all wines at the right temperature and to keep tasters cool, but not uncomfortably freezing.

Nick and I landed at 7.20 on Saturday morning and by 3 pm I was on stage with James Halliday, Michael Hill Smith and Sydney-based French sommelier Franck Moreau (who will be representing Australia in Tokyo's competition for World's Best Sommelier at the end of...