Sydney Cellar Door 2016 - a weekend of wine tastings

2016's Sydney Cellar Door in Hyde Park South on the weekend of 26-28 February was lots of fun!  After last year, I arranged to visit on the Friday night again as it is always a great night out after work.

Collecting our stemless plastic festival glass and drink tokens (get there right on 5pm for a short wait in the line up otherwise the line is horrendous later on!) we started in Mudgee and worked our way through NSW.

 

A sheet of 8 tokens will set you back $20. One token gives you a 30ml sample of wine from your winery choice.

 

 

Regions represented this year are Mudgee, Orange, Hunter Valley, Bathurst, Canberra, Gundagai, Hilltops, New England and Northern Slopes Riverina and Southern Highlands. I didn’t realise that NSW had such an wide range of wine regions but I am very interested in learning more (and enjoying) the cool climate wines from NSW.

 

Of course I’m straight over to visit Ross Hill Wines from Orange for their delectable Shiraz. This has to be my favourite shiraz, each year slightly different but always robust and spicy. It never disappoints!

 

 

 

Over the course of the evening we managed to sample quite a few wines. Unfortunately due to a miscommunication with event staff and the wineries service was cut at 8.30pm (which nobody was aware of) and many of us were left with an abundance of leftover tokens. We were lucky to be in a position to return on Saturday, but I know many who weren’t. This slight overview was quickly rectified by Saturday morning and everyone was made aware of the laws and the times.  Cheers!
 

 

Saturday was hot, sunny and perfect for an afternoon of more wine. First up though, when there is wine there has to be good food and Porteno was calling my name. We hadn't eaten dinner last night (another reason perhaps why we enjoyed so many samples!).

 

Check out the slabs of pork belly on the BBQ.

 

 

 

 

The BBQ pork belly sandwich with jalapeno aioli and leeks certainly hit the spot!

 

The boy enjoyed his Ribs & Burgers ‘Butchers Cheese Burger’.

 

 

 

 

I was enjoying a variety of wines over the weekend.  Whites, reds and even a glorious Rose from Heifer Station Vineyard in Orange.

 

 

 

There is lots of produce tasting to.  Everything from vinegars and oils, jams, chutneys, sauces  and cheeses from around the regions.  Baxter & Bird bird had a great eggplant chutney.

 

 

 

A food highlight for me was Oysters Unplugged.  Sourced from Ralston Bros. Oysters on the Clyde River, the oysters are meaty, briny and succulent. 

 

 

 

So with a glass of bubbles in hand I indulged in two of these Jumbo and they were huge as big as your palm.

 

 

 

 Gotta have cheese with wine right?

 

 

A new feature this year is Castello’s cheese bar. Bring your wine along and they will match a cheese to your wine (or in our case whatever you wanted to try). We tasted test their Creamy White, Creamy Blue and their two new cheeses in the range, the White with Truffle and the Mellow Black. After tasting, choose your favourite and they cut you a decent wedge with some lavosh on a plate you can pull up a hale bale or stool under an umbrella and enjoy a mini cheese platter.

 

 

 

Along with sipping and samples there are plenty of competitions to enter and lists to join. Hungerford

Hill always have a great competition.

 

Once again, this was a lovely weekend to enjoy NSW Wineries.  A great way to sample the varieties without the travel! Saying that, my travel list has just gotten longer now that I want to do so wine travel...along with the food travel!!!

Sydney Cellar Door @ Hyde Park

My backlog of blog posts is getting longer and I am busy trying to work through the list so bare with me and enjoy.  If you missed out this year...there is always next year!

 

Sydney Cellar Door which was part of the NSW Food & Wine Festival was held in Hyde Park on the first weekend in March 2015.

 

The park played host for the abundant winemakers of NSW wine regions which included Orange, Hunter Valley, Mudgee and Southern Highlands.

 

Pre-purchased tickets which included a wine tasting glass (essential for any wine tasting event) can be arranged and collected at the beginning.

 

First stop for us is Bunnamagoo Estate from the Mudgee region.  I have not had the opportunity to taste Bunnamagoo before.  A friend highly recommended I do. 

 

 

I particularly liked the Shiraz and have now added this to my bucket list to visit.  Bunnamagoo is also known for Mudfest, an International Short  Film Festival event (another thing added to the list).

 

Another Mudgee wine is Moothi Estate, an award winning boutique winery from Mudgee.

 

 

 

I cannot pass up a stop at Ross Hill Wines.  I discovered  Ross Hill Wines at a Taste of Orange event in Martin Place a few years ago and instantly feel in love with their Pinnacle Series 2011 Shiraz, which to this day is still my favourite wine (and so sad I don't have another bottle).

 

 

Told you I loved Ross Hill wines!  Their shiraz is peppery and robust.

 

 Twisted River is from the Orange region and their wines are more focused on reds, although they do do whites and a rose too!

 

Feeling a little peckish we head to Salt, Meats, Cheese for some cheese and olives.  I love their olives.  Always plump and full of salty goodness.

 

Sometimes you just have to do a cheese platter and olives with a glass of wine.  Forgive me as I cannot remember what cheeses were included!

 

 

 

Over at Hungerford Hill there is a competition running and you can't stop me entering to win a weekend in the Hunter Valley.  Helps alot when Hungerford Hill also do a bloody great drop!

Moppity Vineyards grab my attention.  A new cool climate wine growing region at Hilltops is emerging.  Moppity have recently won many awards for their wines and are growing strength to strength.

 

Throughout the festival bands and DJ's are playing, people are milling about eating from the many food stalls and also tasting testing at the Mudgee Region markets. There are breakout areas hosted by various companies to chill out and kick back with.

 

Serious eats are calling and I had to grab a tray of chicken and pork belly bao's from Bao Stop to share between the three of us.  They were delicious as always.

 

This is a fabulous event that gives you access to a huge selections of wineries throughout NSW and I can't wait until next year.



Foodies Street Market

For those that know me and those that read my blog would know that I have been a long time shopper and visitor to Ramsgate Organic Foodies Market.  I love doing my shopping there on a Saturday morning.  The community comes together for shopping, coffee and good food and regulars love to have a chat and catchup. I try to go every 2 weeks or so and miss it when I don't get there.

So you can only imagine how excited I was to hear that they were hosting/running a Foodies Street Market at Peakhurst in the grounds of Our Lady of Fatima Church on Friday, 27 March 2015.

Traffic wasn't to bad when I arrived but parking was a small issue, eventually finding a spot about a block away. I headed into the markets eager and hungry. The crowds were already pumping an hour into the markets.

I headed straight over to It's Not a Lemon.  It was busy but the girls were keeping up with the demand.  This lemon (aid) stand has been created in loving memory of a grandfather who battled with Motor Neurone Disease and proceeds go to the Motor Neurone Disease Association of NSW.  I have previously met Juliette but there will be more on this young teenager in a near future post!

 

People were lined up for gelato, but I needed savoury first.

 

There are so many regular faces and stalls at the markets tonight along with a few new food stalls.  I just didn't know where to start or what to eat, so I stopped by Stevensons for a glass of Meg's Sour Cherry Sangria. 

 

Fruity and refreshing it quench the thirst on this warm evening.

 

 

 

Wandering around I just couldn't decide. Fresh ears of corn being prepared. Perhaps? Always love a fresh, hot corn with melted butter and salt and pepper....

  

 

 

 

Sarazine la Creperie are here!  Offering both sweet and savoury crepes at this busy little caravan, I head over to peruse the menu. I am not usually drawn to crepes..but after seeing the menu  I realise my mouth is watering for a savoury crepe. I know exactly what I'm having.

 

The Bordeaux - hot smoked salmon, marinated goats cheese and rocket crepe.  The savoury crepe is made using 100% organic buckwheat flour, making them gluten free.  The combination of hot smoked salmon and creamy goats cheese is a awesome pairing and adding a peppery rocket makes this crepe awesome.

 

Stopping by for a chat with Creamfork.  Her wonderfully inspiring paleo, raw and vegan sweets, slices and nut butters are selling out fast.  Everyone is going nuts (literally) over them. 

 

 

Not only food on offer there are a few stalls selling beautiful candles and homewares, table decor and the like.  Along with these beautiful handmade pumpkin lights from Turkey.  They look gorgeous lit up in the evening!

 

However it was the chips and beer batter prawns from Mamou that won the dish of the night, selling out within a couple of hours of opening.  Newcomers to the food market scene, the man and family behind Mamou has had a long career in the food industry.  Going out on a limb and making beer battered prawns and chips may not be 'new', but using home made beer for the batter and home made stout for the sauce was spectacular.  Crunchy batter and perfectly tender prawns were fantastic.  The thinly cut chips are deep fried and are reminiscent of a potato crisp.  In fact they are a cross between a crisp and a chip.

 

For the $10 price tag for prawn and $5 for the chips it was a winner.

 

 

I thought I had missed out as the wait for the sold out prawns was lengthy.  I was very honoured to be given the last few beer battered prawns along with my chips that I had ordered.  Thank you!  I'm really looking forward to seeing you join the markets!

 

Corn Fritter House always have a following at the markets and tonight was no exception!

 

 

 

I hung out for awhile with some friends chatting and sharing food and listening to the band playing some great tunes and keeping the vibe happening.

 

 

It was crowded with locals who were loving that the night markets were in their area and enjoying some great food and atmosphere.  The organisers and stall owners never anticipated the crowds and unfortunately ran out of food quite early in the evening (actually perhaps fortunately for most).  Hopefully this will be taken into consideration next time!

 

 

Actually speaking of next time, the Foodies Street Market will be once again held on 24 April at Our Lady of Fatima.  My only disappointed is that I will not be able to be there!

 

All I can say is get down there early and soak up the atmosphere, mingle with the crowds, pull up some grass and listen to the music and get some great food into you!



Hurstville City Council Night Markets - Greek

Last month, Hurstville City Council held the first of a string of festivals celebrating the various ethnic groups in the area. The festival is held in MacMahon Street on 14 March and it was Greek night.

I arrived just on start time and there were a few people milling about.

I was surprised on how small the festival was but enjoyed wandering around the few stalls to see the products on offer. Bibela Designs were there showing off their beautiful ceramic products and even The Footy Man was there selling Hellenic football gear. Homer St who sell Greek Gourmet food products and gifts attended and  I particularly liked the wild thyme honey that was being sampled.

 

 

 

Greek DJ , DJ Krazy Kon made an appearance for an exclusive live performance and was selling his 15th CD “Greece 2015 Volume 15” along with other entertainment, signing and dancing.

There was a demonstration on traditional Greek dancing, with the children dancing in colourful traditional costumes.

 

There were a handful of food stalls on offer too. Feed the Greek van that was selling yerros and the line was LONG....as much as I wanted to taste...I was so full from being at another food event during the day... I did stop by the Hellenic Bakery (from Marrickville) selling their famous spanakopita (cheese and spinach parcels) and true to form, crispy, hot and delicious!

There was a stall selling loukamades dripping in sweet honey too (and again line was long)! Also an ice cream van was in attendance and even Dutch Pancakes was there offering a Mykonos pancake, which looked liked strawberries and chocolate.

Inside the Civic Centre, there was a Playstation setup on the big screen with a few other games set up around the place. Although I understand that this is a way to entertain some kids and many would love to play a game or two on a large movie screen, in my opinion I just don’t think that this form of entertainment was necessary.

So this weekend the next festival is happening and it’s to celebrate the Indian/Nepalese community. It looks like it could be a delicious and colourful night!  Who's going?