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Melb Food & Wine Festival
2012 HIGH COUNTRY PROGRAM - 20TH MELBOURNE FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL 2nd - 18th March 2012.
REGIONAL WORLD'S LONGEST LUNCH - HIGH COUNTRY
Five wine regions and their chefs will use their best seasonal and regional produce to celebrate the finest of North East Valleys overlooking the vines at Pizzini.
North East Victoria's five food and wine sub-regions - Rutherglen, King Valley, Alpine Valley, Beechworth and Glenrowan - produce some of the country's most diverse and best wines and seasonal produce. Featuring sommelier Rocco Esposito's choice of local wines, the lunch includes dishes by Michael Ryan of Provenance Restaurant, Adam Pizzini of Rinaldo's Casa Cucina, Bryan Alley of the Mountain View Hotel, Anthony Simone of Simone's of Bright , and Douglas Elder of Brown Brothers Epicurean Centre. WHEN: 2 March, 12:00PM - 4:00PM WHERE: Pizzini Wines, 175 King Valley Road, Whitfield COST: $125.00 five courses matched to ten wines BOOKINGS: 03 5729 8278 WEBSITE: www.northeastvalleys.com.au
HIGH COUNTRY FOOD & WINE TOUR Looking for an indulgent getaway? Dine at award-winning restaurants, visit local producers with Patrizia Simone as your guide, taste wine at the best vineyards, stay in luxurious accommodation. FoodandTravelCo has designed an incredible weekend away to mark the beginning of the 2012 Melbourne Food and Wine Festival, bringing city folk to the renowned regional restaurants, wineries and farm gates of Victoria's High Country to share in the joys of fresh, local produce. The tour has been designed to showcase this incredibly diverse region, including dining at the Regional World's Longest Lunch at Pizzini, Simone's of Bright and Provenance restaurants, meeting local producers at the Myrtleford Butter Factory and Warialda Belted Galloway Beef, sampling handmade cheese at the Milawa Cheese Factory, wine tastings at Sam Miranda, Battely Wines, Giaconda and Savaterre and staying in luxurious accommodation. Young Restaurateur of the Year award-winner Kim Coronica, and renowned chef Greg Feck, will lead this spectacular experience, beginning and ending at the FoodandTravelCo Cooking School in Hawthorn East. Special guest tour guide and chef Patrizia Simone will also be joining us along the way to show us her favourite food experiences in the High Country. WHEN: 2 - 4 March COST: $1375.00 per person, twin share BOOKINGS: 0487 415 057 WEBSITE: www.foodandtravelco.com.au
CATTLEMAN'S CULINARY ADVENTURE Enhance your spirit of culinary adventure on a horseback ride through legendary Mansfield High Country to indulge in a picnic of local produce and wine overlooking valleys and peaks. Need some help to find your spirit of adventure? It takes a local to give you a true culinary adventure through Mansfield High Country. Michael Watson's family has worked his land for generations, and he will lead you by horseback along his favourite valley ride to the perfect spot for an indulgent local feast. Taste your way through the wares of the producers of the Upper Goulburn area's wines, olives, trout and much more will feature. You will leave from the Watson farm and travel up to 360 degree views of the High Country and the Delatite Valley looking towards Mansfield, finishing at Kinloch Winery. Here you will enjoy a wine tasting followed by a gourmet regional platter matched with a glass of premium cool climate wine that you have chosen from your tasting. You can then sit back and relax as we offer transport back to the farm. WHEN: 3 March, 11:00AM - 2:00PM WHERE: Watson's Mountain Country Trail Rides, Three Chain Rd, Mansfield COST: $110.00 BOOKINGS: 03 5777 3552 WEBSITE: watsonstrailrides.com.au
Milawa Cheese Company's new Centre for Culinary Excellence will host a series of hands-on artisanal cheese and bread-making workshops each weekend of the Festival. Saturdays 9am-5pm Feel the curds between your fingers as you make your very own cheese to take home and mature. Sundays 11am-12pm Enjoy a private cheese and wine tasting with David Brown, founder of Milawa Cheese Company, and some of his local wine mates. Sundays 2pm-6pm WHEN: 3 & 4 March, 10 & 11 March, 17 & 18 March, 9:00AM - 6:00PM WHERE: Milawa Cheese Factory, 17 Milawa-Bobinawarrah Rd, Milawa COST: $175.00 cheesemaking, $100.00 breadmaking, $50.00 private tasting BOOKINGS: 03 5727 3589 WEBSITE: www.milawacheese.com.au
THREE NONNAS IN KING VALLEY
Join Nonnas Sartori, Politini and Pizzini and learn to cook their Italian-inspired home-style dishes: slow-braised goat with canerderli and duck ragout filled agnolotti. You'll be greeted with Nonnas biscotti and coffee and what follows is three hands-on cooking sessions, one with each of the Nonnas. WHEN: 3 & 4 March, 17 & 18 March, 10:00AM - 3:30PM WHERE: King Valley Cucina, 4515 Wangaratta-Whitfield Road, Whitfield COST: $95.00 class followed by lunch (food only) BOOKINGS: 03 5729 3604 WEBSITE: www.pizzini.com.au
HIKE, TOUR AND TASTE Join Hedonistic Hiking for a fascinating hike in the picturesque King Valley, hearing stories of the bush rangers and gold diggers who once roamed the area along the way. Stroll through prosecco vineyards to emerge at Dal Zotto winery where Otto and Michael Dal Zotto will chat about their wines over a delicious lunch celebrating the wonderful produce of North East Victoria. WHEN: 3, 17 March, 10:00AM - 4:00PM WHERE: Dal Zotto Winery, Main Road, Whitfield COST: $140.00 adults, $90.00 kids BOOKINGS: 03 5755 2307 WEBSITE: www.hedonistichiking.com/prosecco-road-walks-and-lunches
TASTES OF RUTHERGLEN Discover the passion of local producers and the winemakers behind our world-class wines when Rutherglen hosts the ultimate fête de gourmand, Tastes of Rutherglen. Start your experience on Friday 9 March with a regional showcase dinner highlighting the best produce from the Rutherglen region. Then let your tastebuds lead the way through the festival as you wander between the participating wineries over two weekends. Choose perfectly matched food and wine combinations and exciting culinary experiences and activities at each venue. Leading chefs and winemakers will be on hand presenting these fabulous experiences in a regional culinary event not to be missed. WHEN: 10 & 11 March, 17 & 18 March, 10:00AM - 5:00PM WHERE: Various venues COST: Prices from $50.00. Taste pack includes glass and two meal tickets BOOKINGS: 1300 787 929 WEBSITE: www.winemakers.com.au
ORIGINS Stay at Provenance, visit some of our great local producers and winemakers, pick up some cooking tips in our kitchen, and enjoy a private dinner created by Michael Ryan. Stay at Provenance for two nights, enjoying a relaxing cooked breakfast each morning. With the first day at leisure, on the second day head out to meet some of our local fruit and vegetable growers, producers and winemakers. In the afternoon pick up some cooking tips in the kitchen at Provenance, and in the evening enjoy a private dinner created by Michael Ryan with matched local wines. WHEN: 12 - 14 March WHERE: Provenance Restaurant, 86 Ford Street, Beechworth COST: $1200.00 per couple BOOKINGS: 03 5728 1786
WEBSITE: www.theprovenance.com.au
20 YEARS OF GIACONDA A once-in-a-life-time dinner in celebration of Melbourne Food and Wine Festival's 20th anniversary, hosted by Melbourne Food and Wine Festival Legend Rick Kinzbrunner. Twenty vintages of Giaconda (yes 20), one for each year of the festival, will be matched to a five-course degustation menu featuring local and foraged produce. This vinous journey will include Giaconda's roussanne, pinot noir, cabernet sauvignon, shiraz and the much celebrated chardonnay collections, a must for those who appreciate fine wine. WHEN: 18 March, 6:00PM - 11:00PM WHERE: Gigi's of Beechworth, 69 Ford Street, Beechworth COST: $325.00 BOOKINGS: 03 5728 2575 WEBSITE: www.gigisofbeechworth.com
TASTE OF TWO VINEYARDS Take in the spectacular views over the King Valley as you travel between the Brown Family's Whitlands and Banksdale Vineyards, enjoying a progressive lunch matched to wines from those vines. Meet at the home of Brown Brothers in Milawa and board the coach for a scenic drive to the Banksdale Vineyard for lunch, first stopping at Whitlands Vineyard for a glass of sparkling with canapes. Take in the spectacular views over the King Valley and taste the grapes that transform to produce the Brown Brothers wine you will enjoy with your lunch. Experience the local produce inspired menu that Brown Brothers' head chef Douglas Elder will create to complement the wines. WHEN: 17 March, 10:30AM - 4:30PM WHERE: Brown Brothers Milawa Vineyard, 239 Milawa-Bobinawarrah Rd, Milawa COST: $180.00 BOOKINGS: 1800 032 248 WEBSITE: www.brownbrothers.com.au
Our exclusive and intimate degustation at dusk on the terrace at Boynton's will feature head chef Eddie Huynh's exquisite food, matched with unique Feathertop wines. Limited to 12 guests. At dusk as the sun sets behind Mount Buffalo, a degustation dinner will be served under a canopy of vines on the terrace of Boynton's Winery. Head chef Eddie Huynh will present a menu that is not only exquisite to taste but each dish a delicate art form. Matched with Feathertop Wines, winemaker Kel Boynton will present a wine matching experience to remember, talking through some of his most celebrated creations. WHEN: 17 March, 6:00PM - 10:00PM WHERE: Boynton's Feathertop Winery, 6619 Great Alpine Road, Porepunkah COST: $200.00 dinner, wine and transfers to local accommodation BOOKINGS: 03 5756 2356 WEBSITE: www.boynton.com.au
WOOD, SMOKE AND WINE We're launching our new kitchen with pizzas and piadinas bubbling in the wood-fired oven and baby kid and Rutherglen lamb searing over the red-gum grill. All dishes matched to local wines. The new wood-fired kitchen - La Piazza - at Casa Luna Gourmet Accommodation, will host a group of fire-lovers keen to see the wood-fired oven in action. Think quick-toasting pizzas with a flight of King Valley proseccos, a slow-cooked wet-roast baby kid, herby porchetta and peppery peposo of beef, or Rutherglen lamb seared on the redgum-grill with King Valley barbera. WHEN: 17 & 18 March, 12:30PM - 3:30PM WHERE: Casa Luna Gourmet Accommodation, 1569 Boggy Creek Road, Myrrhee COST: $95.00 BOOKINGS: 03 5729 7650 WEBSITE: www.casaluna.com.au
GRILLIN' AND CHILLIN'
We get grillin' while you get chillin' at The Vic, a true-blue event of BBQ, bevvys, entertainment and fun in one of the region's best beer gardens. The Vic has one of the coolest beer gardens in North East Victoria, offering shady trees, comfy furniture and is a flamin' great place to participate in the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. The Beer Garden will be open all weekend featuring the best local brewers of our region with bevvys from The Bridge Road Brewer Beechworth, The Bright Brewery and The Buffalo Boutique brewery Boorhaman. On the BBQ we will be grillin' local meats for your enjoyment. Think sticky ribs with The Vic secret sauce, succulent Rutherglen lamb marinated in rosemary, juicy steaks from Locky's own farm from the upper Murray and local handmade snags from the Morrison Street Butcher, all served with fragrant sourdough from Rutherglen's Valentines Bakery, and a fresh, tasty array of salads and condiments. WHEN: 17 & 18 March, 12:00PM - 8:00PM WHERE: The Victoria Hotel, 90 Main Street, Rutherglen COST: $7.00 boutique bevvys, $8.00 - $30.00 BBQ menu items BOOKINGS: 02 9032 8610 WEBSITE: www.victoriahotelrutherglen.com.au
VILLA GUSTO SUGO FESTA BYO tomatoes ... let's cook pomodoro sugo. Learn the secrets to making authentic sugo from the Nonnas themselves. Then enjoy lunch of fresh pasta and a glass of wine. Villa garden chillies, basil, onions and garlic provided complimentary to those with their own home-grown tomatoes. So...let's cook sugo at Australia's first sugo/passata fiesta. For one day of the year Villa Gusto will replicate the ways of Nonnas from southern Italy and offer the perfect environment to create pomodoro sugo's rich tomato sauce, ready for the preserving jars. Head chef Emma Handley offers a secret or two on how to make the tastiest sugo, just like they do in Sicily, the home of the tomato. A lunch of pasta with pomodoro sugo, basil and parmesan, washed down with local Ringer Reef Rose is on the lunch menu. WHEN: 17 March, 12:00PM - 5:00PM WHERE: Villa Gusto, 630 Buckland Valley Road, Buckland COST: $60.00 lesson and jarring, followed by lunch, coffee, glass of rose and biscotti BOOKINGS: 03 5756 2000 WEBSITE: www.villagusto.com.au
Join Jodie Goldsworthy, a fourth-generation beekeeper, for an Australian honey tasting. Experience the difference, taste by taste, including our 100% Australian pure Beechworth Honey. As Jodie's passion for the extraordinary world of bees and the food they are responsible for securing unfolds, she will share the trials and tribulations of her relentless behind-the-scenes work to secure Australia's future food supply, change the will of our policy makers, educate our major retailers and leave her industry all the better for it. But just as importantly, you will get to taste your way through some amazing 100% pure Australian honey. WHEN: 18 March, 10:30AM - 12:30PM WHERE: Beechworth Honey Experience, Corner Ford and Church Street, Beechworth COST: $50.00 tastings, class and signed copy of Cooking, Tasting, Living recipe book BOOKINGS: 03 5728 1432 WEBSITE: www.beechworthhoney.com.au
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