Pitt St Mall

Here in Australia we’re pretty lucky to be home not only to multiple world-class wine regions, but some big-name labels, too. Penfolds got its start in Adelaide but has since become a major global player for its adventurous blends, a cracking shiraz, and winemaking in the USA (California), France (Bordeaux and Champagne) and China (Ningxia and Yunnan). And for a super limited time, you can sample top drops by the glass at the Penfolds Lounge in Sydney’s CBD at Pitt St Mall (from May 2-11).   Penfolds first dropped the news last month that their immersive wine tasting experience – Transcend by Penfolds – was landing in the Harbour City, but it’s since sold out. Lucky enough for local wine connoisseurs, the Penfolds Lounge is popping up alongside it, serving up gorgeous wines – and you can pop into the Lounge whenever you want, no booking needed.  Penfolds flagship, Grange 2020, is the drop everyone’s talking about, and this luxe bar is your chance to sample what might be Australia’s most famous (and opulent) shiraz.  For something a little more experimental, opt for the FWT 585, a blend of cabernet, petit verdot and merlot. The French Winemaking Trial (or FWT) is inspired by the curiosity that took Penfolds first chief winemaker Max Schubert to Bordeaux in 1950 with an idea to create a long-living red wine. The first experimental Penfolds Grange was released a year later, soon to become very well-known. Then there’s the Bin 600 cabernet shiraz. Its grapes are grown in...