TASMANIA AIMS HIGHER

THE SAVOUR Tasmania wine and food festival will return in 2010 with a bigger format after this year's event proved a huge success. The line-up of degustation dinners for the May event, featuring international chefs Emmanuel Stroobant, Shane Osborn, Marcus Eaves and Tetsuya Wakuda, all sold out with 24 hours. Festival organiser Alan Campbell hopes the 2010 festival will involve an increased number of happenings around the state, and more international stars. "Tasmania is well known for its good quality food but didn't have a festival like Melbourne's or Noosa's," he says. "We thought it would be a really good time to start something that would raise our profile on the food and wine front."  See www.savourtasmania.com.au

Meanwhile, the Tasmania Unbottled wine show will hit the InterContinental Melbourne on August 4, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney on August 11 and Brisbane City Hall on August 13, with over 130 wines from the island available for tasting. There will be masterclasses, wine flights and artisanal Tasmanian produce. See www.winetasmania.com.au