BITES

Howard Park wins gold

FAMILY-OWNED Western Australian winery, Howard Park Wines has taken out top honours at the prestigious Concours Mondial de Bruxelles 2009, held last month in Valencia, Spain.

The recently renamed 2005 Howard Park 'Abecrombie' Cabernet Sauvignon was awarded the gold medal, recognising the Howard Park's flagship drop for the fourth year in a row among the 6,289 entries at this year's event.

Named after Jeff Burch's great-grandfather, Walter Abercrombie, the 2005 cabernet sauvignon is crafted from the finest parcels of fruit from the Great Southern and Margaret River regions.

Howard Park Wines owner and marketing director, Amy Burch was thrilled with the result.

"This gold medal is testament to the Howard Park philosophy of crafting balanced and elegant wines," she said.

Stanley to Wembley

CAMBRIDGE Street in Wembley will soon have a new bar, located next door to popular burger joint, Flipside Burger Bar.

Paul Fowler, a former lawyer, is currently finalising the fit-out for his Melbourne-inspired creation to be called The Stanley, which he hopes to open by the end of the financial year.

"The lounge bar will have a faux gentlemen's feel to it, and also the courtyard area will be a little oasis in suburbia," Mr Fowler told Gusto.

"A lot of people have been quizzing me on opening, and quizzing the Flipside people too.

"So there's a level of excitement and enthusiasm for a place like it."