Melbourne Food & Wine Festival turns 20

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Celebrate all things culinary at the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival this year as it celebrates its 20th birthday with a host of gastronomic extravaganzas. Boasting more than 300 events across Melbourne and Victoria, there is something for every gourmand including 80 events under $50.

Visitors can share in Melbourne’s obsession with food and wine with over 20 days of eating and drinking, comprising gastronomic delights from one-off dinners, whirlwind tours and crawls to hands-on learning, regional adventures and riverside parties.

The Festival kicks off with the brand new Riverside Opening Weekend on 3-4 March when the Yarra River transforms into a food and wine lover’s paradise. There’ll be plenty of activity including the Cellar Door & Farmgate at South Wharf, which will bring together craft brewers, artisan products and boutique cellar doors complemented by restaurants and bars along the promenade once the sun goes down.

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A firm Festival favourite, the IGA World’s Longest Lunch will snake itself along the banks of the Yarra River on Friday 2 March inviting guests to enjoy a three course seasonal feast under the tree line of Alexandra Park. Designed by hatted regional star chefs Patrizia Simone (Simone’s of Bright), Annie Smithers (Annie Smithers Bistrot, Kyneton) and George Biron (Sunnybrae, Birregurra), each course will be matched by the finest drops from Yering Station. Complementing all this feasting will be 29 Regional World’s Longest Lunches taking place across Victoria.

The Langham Melbourne Masterclass stage will be a hive of activity with world-class culinary whizzes over the weekend of 10 and 11 March including world number one chef Rene Redzepi (Noma, Copenhagen), three star Michelin chef Massimo Bottura (Osteria Francescana, Italy) and Claus Henriksen (Dragsholm, Horve), who will each provide inspiration and insights into their clever creations.

And for those keen to get their hands dirty, there are plenty of hands-on cooking classes to get involved in from making macaroons and passata to learning the art of porchetta.

Further afield, North East Victoria plays host to the Tastes of Rutherglen festival, which begins with a regional showcase dinner on 10 March highlighting the best produce from across the region. Visitors to the region over the following two weekends can continue to enjoy perfectly matched food and wine combined with culinary experiences and activities at participating venues.

For more information: www.melbournefoodandwine.com.au

RIPPER BLEND THAT HARKS BACK TO THE ’70s

Wc23Jan12

David Ellis

THE late Jim Barry often delighted in telling of his "scientific approach" to creating his first Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon blends in the 1970s – he'd make up a few with varying proportions of each wine, leave them open on the kitchen sink, and then watch and taste their development over the coming few days.

He'd then declare which blend he considered the best, always adding: "First call, best call…" But initially popular as they were at the time, consumer interest faded away in the early '80s as buyers swung back to single varietal wines.

Ten year's ago Jim's son, Peter went somewhat back to the future, creating a Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon from the great 2002 vintage in the Clare Valley, a drop he intended purely for personal enjoyment with family and friends. Their enthusiasm encouraged him to make another in 2005, a crackajack wine that's collected some prestigious medals and awards both here and internationally.

Peter's blend is 70% of his 2005 The McRae Wood Shiraz and 30% of the 2005 The Benbournie Cabernet Sauvignon, both very impressive wines in their own right. The blend's nose explodes with blackcurrant, blackberry, Satsuma plums and Morello cherries, with these following through on the concentrated palate.

The Jim Barry Pb (Personal Bottling) Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 will be released in February at $49.99; you'll find it a great partner with a good rib-eye.

ONE FOR LUNCH: NEW ZEALAND's Lindauer has been making a quite stand-out sparkling for some 30 years now, using fruit from its cool maritime climate Gisborne vineyards that's ideal for making premium bubblies.

A 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir blend, the Lindauer Brut Cuvée NV is just $14.95, a good price for this delightful drop next time there's a party on the horizon.

(NEED A FOOD/DRINK IDEA? Check out  http://www.vintnews.com )



                                                     ………………………….


PHOTO CAPTIONS:

[] LIKE father like son: a crackajack Jim Barry Pb Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon made by son Peter.

[] NEW Zealand bubbly's a good price when there's a party on the horizon.

 

Rymill Coonawarra @ Tasting Australia 2012 Celebrity Chef Event

MEDIA RELEASE:


THE TASTIEST CELEBRITY CHEF EVENT
RYMILL COONAWARRA @ TASTING AUSTRALIA 2012

As part of 2012 Tasting Australia (26 April to 3 May) Rymill Coonawarra will be teaming up with Stephanie Alexander to create The Rymill Coonawarra Harvest Lunch on Saturday 28 April.

This long lunch will be held on the winery's lawns and guests will enjoy a menu specially created by Stephanie to reflect her thoughts on the region's finest local fare. Rymill Coonawarra senior winemaker Sandrine Gimon will expertly match the menu with Rymill Coonawarra's fine wines, including the feature wine 2010 mc².

Rymill Coonawarra is thrilled to have the opportunity to work with Stephanie Alexander during the Tasting Australia festival. During the lunch Stephanie will speak about her Kitchen Garden Scheme and her passion for local produce and inspiring food.

A true food aficionado, Stephanie has been running successful restaurants and cooking programs since her first restaurant, Jamaican House, opened in 1964.

Her work includes the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to providing food education and introducing kitchen gardens into primary schools.

Rymill Coonawarra and Stephanie will be partnering with Pipers of Penola, four time winner of Best Regional Restaurant in South Australia, whose talented chef Simon Bowen will work with Stephanie to create delicious dishes for the guests to enjoy.

Since its inception in 1997 Tasting Australia has become a huge international success, providing entertainment, information and education. The biennial festival is the perfect opportunity for the public – alongside leading food and drink professionals, and the world's food, drink and travel media – to enjoy the best that the nation and particularly South Australia have to offer in terms of produce, food products, wine, hospitality and tourism.

South Australia and Rymill Coonawarra hope you will join them in the celebrations … Bon Appétit!

The Rymill Coonawarra Harvest Lunch with Stephanie Alexander

Where:              Rymill Coonawarra Winery, Riddoch Highway, Coonawarra SA
When:               Saturday 28 April 2012
Time:                12pm-3pm 
Cost:                $95 per person all inclusive
Bookings          Purchase online at www.rymill.com.au

 

New Generation Hunter Valley | On the Road Again

Media release:

Lock up your daughters and open your wine vaults – the New Generation Hunter Valley boys are once again ready to hit to the road for the second rendition of their hugely successful epic east-coast Australian adventure dubbed the New Generation Hunter Valley Caravan of Courage 'On the Road Again'.

Kicking off in Melbourne on Friday April 20th with one of their infamous Pop Up Wine Bars, this one-month long travelling roadshow will be bigger and better than ever. As the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it – so the itinerary will be very much similar to last year's and will include 10 not-to-be-missed Pop Up Wine Bar and dinner events throughout 2000km of the spectacular east Australian coastline. From Melbourne the boys will head northbound and pop into Sydney (Friday May 11), Port Macquarie (Tuesday May 15), Byron Bay (Wednesday May 16), Brisbane (Thursday May 17) and finally Noosa for the Noosa International Food and Wine Festival where the group are heavily featured in the star-studded festival program (Friday May 18 – Sunday May 20).

Entry to all of the Pop Up Wine Bar events (Melbourne, Sydney & Brisbane) cost $30 and each will be held in a secret city location. Over 24 New Generation Hunter Valley wines will be on offer, plus a few extra specials if you know the secret New Gen handshake! To register for tickets, visit www.newgenerationhuntervalley.com.au and venue details will be released in the week prior to the boys popping up.

The New Generation Pop Up Wine Dinners will take place in Port Macquarie at the Stunned Mullet restaurant, and in Byron Bay at the glorious Byron Beach Cafe. Seats for these dinners will cost around $90 and will feature over 12 New Generation Hunter Valley wines expertly matched to the sumptuous seasonal menus these award-winning restaurants have on offer. More details on these dinners and how to book to come shortly…

And how, one might ask, are these six winemakers going to cover such a distance with all that is required to put on 10 unforgettable events? This year the boys will be travelling in serious comfort and style – and the sort of style that can only be summed up in a picture….

So all aboard for what will be one huge month of wine, wheels and whacky adventures. Make sure you're following @NewGenHV on Twitter and on facebook.com/newgenerationhuntervalley for all the latest and greatest. Trust us, this is one bus you really don't want to miss.

The New Generation Hunter Valley includes the winemaking talents of David Hook (David Hook Wines), Andrew Thomas (Thomas Wines), Rhys Eather (Meerea Park), Nick Paterson (Mistletoe Wines), Mike De Iuliis (De Iuliis Wines) and Andrew Margan (Margan Wines). What they have in common is the uncanny ability to make fantastic wine and have a fantastic time and a relentless ambition to put the Hunter Valley back on the map as a sublime and sexy destination.

www.newgenerationhuntervalley.com.au

 

 

A BLACK LABEL DROP THAT’S A STEAL AT $9.99

WINEMAKER of the Year's $9.99 Cab Sauv
ideal with the Sunday roast.

Wc16Jan12

David Ellis

PUT the name Neil McGuigan together with "Black Label" that we normally associate with the best on the top-shelf, and you can expect that a McGuigan Wines' Black Label is going to be a pretty pricey drop – whereas in fact it's a steal for price, value and sheer enjoyment at just $9.99 a bottle.

There are some dozen varietals and styles catering to virtually all tastes in the McGuigan Black Label series, the newest addition being a Cabernet Sauvignon that Neil – International Winemaker of the Year in 2011 – crafted from 2010 vintage fruit from a diverse range of both dry and irrigated vineyards.

QUAFF this one with Thai soft
shell crab or a seafood platter.

And it's got plenty of nice varietal cherry and blackberry flavour highlights, coupled with influences of chocolate and vanilla. Not made with any intention of long-term cellaring, buy now and enjoy its full-on flavours with a Sunday roast.

(Interestingly red wine sales overall in Australia are growing at just 2.4% a year, whereas Cabernet Sauvignon sales are almost treble this at 6.7% a year. And as McGuigan Wines' Black Label Red is our #1 selling branded bottled red, it will be interesting to see if sales of their Cab Sauv overtake those of its "older brother.")

ONE FOR LUNCH: South Australia's Hesketh Wines are up there with the best when it comes to creating quirky labels to catch the eye of those browsing the shelves… although its not as if they really have to go to such extremes considering the excellent wines behind those labels.

The Protagonists, Thirsty Dog, Scissor Hands, Cruel Intentions and Rules of Engagement are just some of their creations, and a wine that impressed us recently was their Hesketh 2011 Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc Bright Young Things: at $20 this is a classic Sauvignon Blanc with nice citrus and tropical fruit flavours and a racy finish; quaff it down chilled with Thai soft shell crab, or a summery seafood platter.

(NEED A FOOD/DRINK IDEA? Check out  http://www.vintnews.com )

2012 Grampians Grape Escape

21st annual Grampians Grape Escape

May 5-6, 2012

Halls Gap Village Oval

Celebrating 21 years, this major regional food and wine festival will showcase Western Victoria's best offerings of wine, beer, olive and lavender products, ice-cream, preserves, gourmet sausages and pies, cookies, cakes and gluten-free food; as well as lentils, fresh fruit and berries and organic produce, yabbies, duck, venison, turkey, beef, lamb, pork honey, teas and herbs.  There'll be cooking demos by notable chefs, Grampians Winemakers Barrique Auction, Festival Dinner, Culinary Challenge and Junior Cupcake Competition. Guests will also be treated to live entertainment and fun for the kids. General Admission $20, Children $15, Family Ticket (online purchase only) $99. Opening times are 10am to 4.30pm Saturday and 10am to 3.30pm Sunday. For more information and ticket packages, go to www.grampiansgrapeescape.com.au.

Noosa International Food & Wine Festival Announces Full Program & Tickets Now On Sale

The Noosa International Food and Wine Festival has raised the bar for 2012 with a food and wine program to delight amateur cooks, serious foodies, industry professionals and families alike. From May 17 to May 20 some of the world's best chefs, Australia's celebrity chefs, and Australia's best wine makers will descend upon Noosa bringing their star power from the S. Pellegrino World's Best Restaurant Awards and Good Food Guide Hats to South East Queensland.

The full program is available and tickets are now on sale via the website: www.noosafoodandwine.com.au.

Festival goers will have direct access to internationally renowned chefs Mark Best, Fergus Henderson, Alvin Leung, Davide Scabin, Ben Shewry, David Thompson and Seiji Yamamoto with live cooking demonstrations or, for a very special treat, join them for the Qantas Best Dinner In The World - a stellar, seven course degustation dinner with matching wines presented by Lisa Perotti-Brown, Master of Wine and hosted by Matt Preston.

New highlights for the 2012 Festival include:

Maggie Beer and Simon Bryant combining forces with the Queensland Arts Orchestra along with Jane Rutter and Guy Noble, in The Cook, The Chef and The Orchestra for the Gala Concert and Dinner.
Three inspirational women Stephanie Alexander, Nicki Reimer and winemaker Jane Ferrari discuss food wine and their colourful career paths at a special Westpac Ruby Luncheon.

An expanded program of Hinterland Food Trails this year adds a luscious lunch visit beside the orchard at Freestyle Escape accompanied by a string quartet and a mini farmers market.

The Village Wine Marquee featuring some of Australia's best wine maestros presenting tastings and sharing their extensive wine knowledge.

The International Riverside Marquee showcasing three picnic lunches over three days presented by Australia's foremost specialty chefs celebrating France, Italy and Asia.

Add a series of Lifestyle Lunches celebrating Queensland produce, MasterChefs and wine, a two day Culinary Exhibition and a series of restaurant Food Kiosks plus the Courier -Mail Life Annex for all things food and travel; with talks from top chefs, food maestros and award winning writers. A definite favourite is the Food Critics Cooking Competition where food critics from around the country will be put to the stove test and judged by you. And top it all off each evening with a special dinner at one of the Guest Chefs at Sunshine Coast Restaurants, or one of the acclaimed degustation dinners which includes the prestigious Qantas Best Dinner In The World.

All this, and much, much more; including live performances from Anthony Callea and Jessica Mauboy on Friday, the Martini Club and The Fabulous Singlettes on Saturday and Audio Vixen and the sensational Sneaky Sound System closing the show on the Sunday.

Tickets start from $65 (adult) or $20 (child under 13) per day including two tickets for food or wine, for General Admission on Saturday and Sunday to The Grand Marquee, Food Critics Competition, Celebrity Chef Cooking Demonstrations, The Courier Mail Life Annexe and live entertainment.

The best way to experience the Festival is with a Weekend Gold Pass which costs $315 and includes VIP Admission for Friday's Welcome Cocktail Party, Saturday and Sunday with entry to hospitality pavilions and preferential concert seating.

Purchase your tickets before April 1, 2012 and receive a 10% discount (offer excludes tickets for Guest Chefs at Sunshine Coast Restaurants and Qantas Best Dinner in the World).

Visit the website for the full program and online ticket bookings www.noosafoodandwine.com.au
or call (07) 5455 4455 for further information.

Proudly supported by: Audi, Qantas, Westpac, Ilve, Seppelt, Vittoria Coffee,
Events Queensland, Tourism Australia, Tourism Queensland, Tourism Sunshine Coast Tourism Noosa