HUNTER EVENTS

The Sydney Morning Herald
October 23, 2007
Good Living 15
HUNTER EVENTS
◆ A sister event to the hugely popular
Lovedale Long Lunch (see right) is the
inaugural Taste of Lovedale at Wandin
Valley winery on November 24. Visitors can
sample products from 10 Lovedale
producers, from olives to chocolates, along
with meals by regional restaurants. Wine is
$5 a glass and there will be the chance to
meet the winemakers and grape growers.
Cheeses and desserts are
$15 a plate. There will be
food and wine
masterclasses
throughout the day and
fine art and music
complete the picture.
For details, see
www.lovedale
huntervalley.com.au
/events.
◆ Two of the valley’s
largest festivals are
Hunter Semillon &
Seafood, held at
Tyrrell’s, and the
Lovedale Long Lunch.
Both events regularly
attract
large crowds. Semillon &
Seafood runs from April 11 to 13 next year.
Visitors can sample about 150 Hunter
semillons from a wide range of producers
alongside seafood dishes from Hunter
chefs. Semillon masterclasses with wine
expert Peter Bourne, seafood cooking
lessons with chef Peter Evans and
tastings of museum releases are
also on the agenda. For information see
www.huntersemillonandseafood.com.au.
◆ The Lovedale Long Lunch, held annually
on the third weekend in May, celebrates its
15th anniversary next year. It’s a progressive
lunch where visitors wine and dine their way
around several participating wineries over
the weekend, enjoying wine, gourmet food,
music and art. It is one of the most relaxed
events on the wine calendar and shuttle
buses constantly move between the
wineries, enabling guests
to enjoy the experience to
the full. For more see
www.lovedalelong
lunch.com.au.
◆ The annual Hunter
Valley harvest
celebrations, which feature
a range of wine and food
activities, happen
throughout May. The
Hunter also has several
musical festivals, including
Jazz in the Vines at
Tyrrell’s Vineyard this
Saturday. Entering its
15th year, Jazz in the Vines
this year features the likes
of David Campbell, Doug
Williams, Wanderlust and
Daryl Aberhart. See
www.jazzinthevines.com.au.
◆ Bimbadgen Estate’s Reds, Whites and
Blues concert takes place each September
at Pokolbin. World famous blues and roots
musicians perform on two stages as ticket
holders sample food from the winery’s
Esca restaurant. Bimbadgen also hosts
regular Day On The Green concerts (Lionel
On the Green ... at the Bimbadgen winery.
Richie is the headline performer on
December 8). See www.bimbadgen.com.au
/events.aspx.
◆ Wyndham Estate, Australia’s oldest
operating winery, stages the annual Opera in
the Vineyards concerts at Dalwood, outside
Branxton, and other occasional concerts (see
www.wyndhamestate.com.au). Burt
Bacharach and the Sydney Symphony are
performing on February 2.
◆ Tempus Two at Pokolbin is another popular
concert venue with the Beach Boys, Daddy
Cool and Christopher Cross performing on
November 3, while Bryan Ferry and
Joan Armatrading headline on November 24
and Elton John on December 1-2. See
www.tempustwo.com.au.
◆ On a smaller scale, Pat Drummond will
perform at the Gartelmann cellar door on
Tasty day by the beach
The Hunter Valley comes to Sydney on
November 4 with Hunter Uncorked at
Balmoral, a day of wine and food tasting
on the Esplanade at Balmoral Beach.
Sixteen wineries will be there – including
Allandale, Tulloch, Scarborough and
Littledale – while six Hunter and North
Shore restaurants will serve food
including a giant paella.
Hunter Valley cheeses and olives will
be there to sample and buy. Wine will be
sold by the glass and bottle with food
from $15 a plate. 11am to 5pm.
For details see www.uncorked.hvva
.com.au.
November 10. Sculpture in the Vineyards,
which runs until December 7, features 40
large-scale outdoor sculptures along the
Wollombi Wine Trail.
Winsor Dobbin
790 McDonald’s Road, Pokolbin Phone (02) 4998 4650