CHEF Adrian Richardson is set to whip up a culinary storm in Camperdown as part of the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival.
The Corangamite Foodies' Feast will include a three-course dinner and each course will be matched to local beers and wine next March.
Richardson runs La Luna Bistro in Carlton and has appeared on television shows, including MasterChef.
Tickets for the Corangamite Foodies' Feast can be bought online.
Boost for smoke-free trial
AN education program about Baw Baw Shire's smoking ban in outdoor public areas has been given a $2000 boost.
The council's smoke-free outdoor policy started in August and will be tried out for a year. So far, council has issued 14 verbal warnings but no fines.
Baw Baw Shire Mayor Diane Blackwood said Quit Victoria and the Heart Foundation were working with the council to promote the trial across the state. She said the council had allocated $2000 to the education and compliance program.
Mobile library visits cut back
DECLINING use of outreach library services in Dartmoor, Digby, Merino and Nelson has led to changes to the service.
With only 63 users and a 63 per cent drop in loans during 2010-11, Glenelg Libraries will implement an ordering system and cut back visits to towns.
Glenelg Libraries manager Susan Bentley said fortnightly visits instead of weekly stops to Dartmoor, Digby and Merino would be introduced, while Nelson would remain a monthly visit. Books could be ordered online, over the phone or on a form.
State to buy bushfire land
A VICTORIAN bushfire land buy- back scheme will be announced in the new year.
Deputy Premier and Bushfire Response Minister Peter Ryan said more than 200 people from bushfire- affected communities had participated in information and consultations sessions. A voluntary bushfire buy-back scheme was a recommendation of the bushfires royal commission.
The sessions were conducted between November 10 and December 9 in Bendigo, Chum Creek, Churchill, Flowerdale, Kinglake, Marysville, Myrtleford, St Andrews, Strathewen, Wandong, Whittlesea and Yarra Glen.
"Selling their land is a watershed moment in the recovery process for fire-affected landowners," Mr Ryan said.
"Applications will be open (on) March 1."
New smoke detector signals better wines
MILDURA scientists have developed a new method to detect smoke taint in wine.
The researchers have identified more than 20 chemicals that could contribute to the unpleasant flavours in wine affected by smoke taint.
They are developing an online tool to help growers determine if grapes have been affected by smoke from planned burns or bushfires.
State Agricultural and Food Security Minister Peter Walsh said the Government had invested $4 million in investigating how vines and grapes absorbed smoke.
"The breakthrough will give producers a better idea of whether their grapes have been tainted and to what extent, so they are not investing money in producing wine only to find out later it is unsaleable," he said.
