All blog posts tagged with port macquarie area
Milkbar -Port Macquarie
Milkbar Town Beach
2/38 William St,
Port Macquarie NSW 2444
It’s day 3 of my road trip with Lorraine from Not Quite Nigella. We have been on a really tight schedule with early starts, late nights and very little time for writing. I now have a backlog of about five stories from our Port Macquarie trip so far and my head is spinning trying to keep facts straight, (even with copious notes and memory cards full of photos). I am really impressed by how methodical and professional Lorraine is at handling the stories at hand.
Yesterday I didn’t finish writing and editing photos until about 1.00am, and I had only just managed to finish day 1 of our adventure! I was fairly confident Lorraine would be up to date and sure enough when we met for breakfast at the Milkbar, she announced that she had a clean slate and was ready for a new day of eating, meeting producers and restaurateurs.
The Milkbar is located on the ground floor of The Observatory Hotel and has a strong local following. When we arrive it is already quite busy, so we quickly grab a table outside in the sun and peruse the blackboard menu.
The menu is simple with just a few choices, but there are quite a number of dishes which take my fancy.
Naturally after such a late night I needed to start my day with a good strong coffee. I am pleased to say they make a fantastic cappuccino and before too long my eyes are opening as required.
Lorraine gave up her usual tea to try the cafes chai, and then we were then ready to make our breakfast selections.
For me I couldn’t go past the French Toast w sweet ricotta, marinated figs, strawberries and maple syrup.
Lorraine chose the Milkbar Breakie which is baked eggs, served with basil tomatoes, mushroom, spinach and toasted sourdough, we added a serve of bacon to the dish for good measure. After all, we had another big day ahead of us and we wouldn’t want to get hungry.
We noticed that the Milkbar keeps a lovely range of organic wood fired sourdoughs, including a delicious fruit and nut loaf which I have tried previously and loved.
The emphasis here seems to be on fresh, local food with homemade treats.
We had a wander around the lovely fresh food items whilst breakfast was being prepared and found that the Fruit loaf Lorraine had been eyeing loving was available at the cafe as a breakfast item.
We decided it may be easier to try the sourdough at the cafe rather than try and take a loaf home for later. So we added a serve of the Organic Fruit and Macadamia Sourdough toasted with Apricot & Vanilla Jam to our breakfast order.
Whilst at the counter the caramel tart which we had both already photographed was also calling out for attention, that too was ordered and we sat down as the first of our breakfast items arrived.
It was all so delicious! For two petite girls I am proud to say we demolished the breakfast like we had never eat before. I loved the fat little pan fried button mushrooms, and the basil cherry tomatoes. The French toast was covered in copious quantities of sweet strawberries and I could have happily drunk the maple syrup. Best of all, the caramel tart tasted exactly like my mother version... and my mum makes the best caramel tarts.
After a gorgeous hearty breakfast I was ready to go back upstairs to our room at the Observatory Hotel and nap!
...but alas, as we all know there is no rest for the wicked and we had a Mid North Coast Food Tour to continue.... stay tuned there is more to come!
Opening hours are:
Mon-Fri 7.30am - 3pm (breakfast till 11, lunch 12noon -
2.30pm)
Sat-Sun 7.30am - 12noon
Make sure to reserve a table as this is a very popular place during the rush hours Ph: (02) 6583 2700
Gourmet Getaways was a guest of the Observatory Hotel and Destination NSW.
The Corner Restaurant
The Corner Restaurant
11 Clarence Street
Port Macquarie
Despite having already eaten 12 dishes from 12 different restaurants today, courtesy of the chefs competing in the “Mid North Coast Signature Dish Competition” by the time of our dinner reservation I was actually feeling quite hungry.
Lorraine from NQN and I were dining at the Corner Restaurant in Port Macquarie, the head chef Todd Richardson had also just competed in the Signature Dish Competition , but was already back in the kitchen, and cooking for hungry patrons. Thankfully I had time for a bit of a snooze after my huge lunch, and I was now fully rested and ready for dinner.
At the suggestion on the waiter we order the house made sourdough with salted Myrtleford butter, confit garlic and caramelised onion to start. I love caramelised onion on crusty bread so I was perhaps a little overzealous in my gathering up of this condiment, but in my defense, it was delicious and I did leave Lorraine a taste.
I ordered the grilled local reef fish with carrot risotto and anchovy sorel butter. I love barely cooked, grilled reef fish and the thought of the anchovy butter was giving me heart palpitations. The dish did not disappoint, the fish was deliciously moist and salty. The carrot risotto had a lovely bite to it and I was very happy with my choice.
Lorraine decided on the orange dusted prawns and twice cooked ricotta soufflé with fresh peas and a sherry vinegar glaze. I had a mouthful of her prawns and happily declared my dish the winner.
We had ordered two mains, the first being barramundi with herb crusted smoked goats cheese, swiss chard and vincotto and the second dish a twice cooked veal served medium rare with chestnut puree, kale mashed potato tomato and olive salsa. We shared each of the dishes, with my favourite being the veal. The meat was deliciously juicy and a lovely and pink colour, and I was in the mood for a delicious mash.
Despite my now groaning stomach, I really wanted to try the five layer chocolate cake with double cream. I have realised I am a real cake lover and five indulgent layers sounded too good to be true. The waiter did name all the different layers, but alas it was lost to me in my chocolate frenzy. Suffice to say it is worth stopping in and trying for yourself!
Lorraine chose a Mascato poached pear with leatherwood honey ice-cream and thyme biscotti. Whist this was a far more sophisticated looking dish I was not tempted. I had eyes for my chocolate love only.
Lorraine & I dined as guest of Destination NSW and Mid North Coast Tourism. For bookings contact The Corner Restaurant on 02 6583 3300 or website.
Day 2 -2011 Mid North Coast Signature Dish Competition
On day two of the North Coast Food tour with Lorraine from NQN I find myself at the Port Macqaurie TAFE. We were inside a busy, bustling kitchen watching 12 Finalist chefs prepare their signature dish for judging.
The mid North Coast Signature Dish Competition is now in its forth year. Through this competition chefs have the opportunity to showcase the very best of local produce in a dish which they feel represents their restaurants signature dish. The competition is a Mid North Coast Tourism initiative which aims to highlight the area as a leading food and wine destination. Through the prizes supplied by industry sponsors such as Rydges Hotels, Cassegrain wines, Focus Magazine and Joyer Consulting the winner of the competition is given the tools to further promote their restaurant.
Judging the winner of this prestigious competition is previous winner Glenn Thompson from Zest Restaurant in Port Stephens, David Baker of Port Macquarie TAFE and our very own, much adored Lorraine from NQN. I have been asked to join the "people choice judging panel" so I also had the pleasure of tasting all the dishes you see before you.
So without further ado I will lead you through these mouthwatering dishes. I can honestly say I enjoyed every mouthful, and being a judge naturally I tried each dish! (It's a hard job but someone has to do it!) Be sure and visit the restaurants shown below, and support our wonderful food & wine industry. I think there is only two restaurants on the list that I haven't as yet eaten at, and I will be sure to rectify this situation shortly.
Lee O’Carroll
Bonville International Golf Resort
Coffs Harbour
Roasted Hastings Valley organic Chicken breast, boudin of chicken and basil, tomato consommé, sweet corn puree and baby carrots.
Clinton Hunter
Opal Cove
Coffs Harbour
Duck Assiette
Cured Duck Breast with Asian herb salad and macadamia Praline
Crisp duck confit with shitake mushroom
Five spice duck breast on braised wombok drizzled with spiced plum sauce
Todd Richardson
The Corner Restaurant
Port Macquarie
Assiettte of local Pork
Confit Cheek
Pork Belly & Trotter Sausage
Poached Fillet with winter vegetables and pumpkin puree
Luke Justin Cameron
Sandpiper Restaurant
Nelson Bay
Port Stephens Snapper Fillet w smoked prawn, basil & feta tortellini, roast cherry tomatoes and verjuice emulsion sauce
Robert English
AVE Restaurant
Bellingen
Assiette of local squid
Sautéed local squid with saffron mussel
Local tomatoes & broad beans with local smoked port foam
Squid ink risotto w crispy squid tentacles tossed in orange paprika salt and local wild violets
Joe Fallon
The Rustic Table
Woolgoolga
Pan roasted local goat rump with banana skordalia, fresh rocket and blueberry tzatziki.
Kien Nguyen
Rendezvous CEX
Coffs Harbour
Supreme of Gaian Duckling pocketed with lemon oil infused local king prawn on a chutney of garden fruits and lakeview fresh mushrooms with black truffle shavings and an Edition Noir 2008 Durif reduction. Sided by a timbale of green apple Jelly and crisp rice paper garnishing.
Chris Macleod
The Restaurant @ Cassegrain
Port Macquarie
Ballontine of locally farmed rabbit.
De-boned rabbit leg with herb vegetable and rabbit farse, prosciutto wrapped loin with celeriac puree and game jus.
Stefano Mazzina
Fiasco Ristorante & Bar
Coffs Harbour
Trio of Red Mullet
Steamed red mullet on a bed of fennel and garlic puree, zucchini caponata and veal reduction.
Zucchini flower filled with red mullet mouse on a cherry salsa and manzanilla olives.
Red Mullet and lard tartare with quail egg and red mullet foam.
Joel McCulla
Zulu’s Restaurant & Bar
Coffs Harbour
Cricket & Coconut Crumbed Prawn Platter
Sweet succulent locally caught prawns coated in an Umani rich coating of ground roasted cricket and shredded coconut, served with an array of sauces and sides. Sauces including Sik Sik, an African roasted capsicum sauce, Muamba, an African peanut sauce, a fresh salsa verde and a lemon foam. The dish is further garnished with a Berbere Chilli Paste from four different chillies so dinners can adjust the heat to their own taste.
Dustin Bowie Ford
Saltwater Restaurant & Bar
Emerald beach
Assiette of Dorrigo Valley Capretto, butternut pumpkin bread, butter pudding and jus fume
Scott Evans
Sundowner Tiona Tourist Park
Sizzling garlic salt and pepper squid with spring onions, coriander, baby potato, lemon verjuice served with oyster bomb.
Phew! That was a lot of delicious food! I was very pleased to find that all my favourite local restaurants were represented in the competition. Being from Coffs Harbour I tend to be a little biased toward my home area, we were very well represented with 8 of the 12 finalist coming from Coffs or the immediate surrounds.
David Bowie Ford 2010 Signature Dish Winner
Last years winner David Bowie Ford of Saltwater Restaurant, Emerald Beach put up another delicious plate but he couldn't hold on to the title. The judges found in favour of Robert English from AVE in Bellingen. Robert produced the Assiette of local squid, a meal which is currently on the menu at AVE should you wish to try the winning dish.
Robert English 2011 Signature Dish winner with Glenn Thompson 2009 winner & judge
Voting for this prize was a lot less of a hushed affair. We were a table of twenty and we were each served delicious canape style versions of the original dishes. There was much oohing and aahing and quite a bit of discussion about each dish, and the talented chefs that had produced our banquet. Cassegrain wines were served to compliment the meal, and I am sure everyone appreciated the opportunity for a long and leisurely lunch. Now to the all important "Peoples Choice Award."
Kien Nguyen of Rendezvous CEX Coffs Harbour won the peoples choice with his gorgeous ensemble of Supreme Gaian Duckling. Rendezvous is open for functions and group bookings.
I thoroughly enjoyed being a part of such an exciting local event. It is always great to have the opportunity to promote the wonderful tourism, food and wine we have available on our own doorstep. Congratulations to all who participated int he event.
Gourmet Getaways would like to thank Mid North Coast Tourism and Lorraine from Not Quite Nigella for the invitation to this event.
Tastings of the Hastings Market Day
October is a huge month for the Port Macquarie Area with a month long celebration of food and wine. There are a series of events held on almost every day, which all come under the banner of the “Tastings of The Hastings.”
The culmination of “Tastings of the Hastings” is the annual market day which is held at Port Macquarie Racecourse. Here producers, providores, restaurants and foodie take a day out to celebrate the great food of our region.
It is a wonderful family day with something for everyone. The sun was shining and the racecourse was packed with people enjoying the atmosphere, food, wine and music.
For the children there were three huge jumping castles, and no waiting or lining up. Please take note Coffs Coast Tourism, our own Food & Wine Festival is coming up, and yes it is a competition! :)
There was face painting, balloon animals, petting zoo and
cupcake decorating, most of these activities were free or a nominal amount. Locky played happily with his "sword" all day.
My kids had the best time! They were literally happy playing all day!
“Little Miss A” loved decorating a cupcake and the ladies on the stall were so helpful.
When the children are happy the parents can relax, and that is exactly what we did, we settled in for the day and enjoyed everything on offer.
My initial focus was on trying dishes from some of the regions restaurants that I haven’t quite made it to yet. However my first purchase of the day wasn’t a meal but a condiment. I couldn’t go past the garlicky pesto given to me to try by “Pure Greed.” It was the most non commercial tasting pesto I have tried, full of lemon, garlic and flavour. I was advised that it would need to be refrigerated, another good sign, no artificial additives. I couldn’t buy just one condiment so I also purchased a fig jam. This was a syrupy soft set jam which would go amazingly on a cheese platter.
While we were perusing the food pavilions we decided to try an assortment of appertisers to get started. The XS Food Tasting Plate was one of the most interesting platters. It included Oysters in Sparkling White Wine Foam, a Ricardo Tomato Bruschetta with apple balsamic and pecorino. The Wilmaria Olive Macaron with tapenade was mouth-wateringly delicious. Mr GG loved the salt & pepper cured Meltique beef skewer with Bago relish and we both enjoyed the labneh cheese with Wunda Crunch crust.
XS Food was conveniently located alongside of Long point Vineyard so naturally I tried a few of their wines while I was there.
The Long Point Vineyard Deckchair White 2010 was a lovely refreshing Chardonnay Verdelho blend. It is un-oaked, with a fruit aroma and crisp flavour. Next I tried the 2007 Duet which is a blend of Chambourcin and Cabernet Sauvignon, this was very much to my liking so I walked away with a few bottles for my collection.
Meanwhile hubby had been sampling and comparing the beers from the two brewing companies, the “Black Duck Brewery” & “The Little Brewing Company.”
The Little Brewing Company produces three beers under the “Wicked Elf” label, a Pale Ale, Witbier and the Pilsner. Mr GG has tried this range before and loved them, but for the purpose of being thorough he thought he should sample them again.
At the end of the tasting he declared his favourite to be the Witbier. The Witbier is a reproduction of the Belgian White Ale. Its made using a 50/50 ratio of wheat and barley malts and is ‘bottle conditioned’.
From memory I think this was Mr GG favourite beer in the range last sampling... but nevermind, I had a very happy husband who is pleased he tagged along.
iWife (Miss Rach) and family had also joined us at the market day. Miss Rach decided that if hubby was sampling the Wicked Elf she would try some of the beers on offer from the “Black Duck Brewery.”
She selected the Golden Goose which is an American style Pale Ale. It is light in body and colour with a hoppy flavour.
She also decided she should sample the Proper Bitter an English style Bitter with a hoppy aroma. The bitterness is balanced with Australian malts which add a body and sweetness to the beer. I was pleased to note that Australian malts are used in the brewing to reduce the food miles. Although it is necessary to use UK hops to get the true style of the beer.
The brewery uses harvested rainwater to ensure a fresh, tasty, pure Bitter is produced.
Black Duck Brewery also has a Dark Ale available which we didn’t quite get to trying, perhaps next time.
Mr GG & iWife(Miss Rach) both preferred a different beer in the Black Duck Range so I guess it is safe to say both beers met with approval.
It was time for a little more food and we were definitely spoilt for choice.
While Mr GG was purchasing some pasta dishes for the children I made a beeline for “Bent on Food.” I had caught sight of the magic words “Pork Belly” and I was already salivating whilst it was being prepared. The dish was showcasing the Kindalee Valley farm pork belly. It was served with red cabbage and noodle salad and then dressed with Bent on Food apple balsamic chutney. It was a delicious sweet dish of pork sitting on a bed of crispy red cabbage salad, a perfect food match.
Donna offers regular cooking classes at Bent on Food in Wingham and she mentioned the home wares shop is looking particularly beautiful at the moment. Just in time for Christmas shopping!
Sometimes my children remind me of a nest full of baby birds with their little mouths permanently open. Even after devouring the pasta dishes they were still hungry. I really couldn’t blame them though as the beautiful food aroma’s were everywhere. Once the children spotted the dutch pancakes there was no refusing them. They almost inhaled the plate full of donuts with sweet sticky maple syrup.
IWife was keen to try the two different tasting plates on offer from Cassegrain Wines. They had produced the Signature Dish, being a “Marinated Chilli Squid Salad” plus a “Tataki of Yellowfin Tuna”. I was really proud of Rachy, it wasn’t too long ago that I am not sure if she would have tried a sashimi style dish, but she thoroughly enjoyed both dishes and said she would have like more!
I tried the Marinated Chilli Squid at the Signature Dish Competition and again at the market day and I have to say it was even nicer at the market day!
There were also so cute little “Gourmet” treats for puppies. The “Best Friends Delights” stand was just so adorable little Miss A wanted to take one of everything home to her little Chihuahua Sofi.
So much food and so little time! Hubby went in search of more food and found the marquise for Port Macquarie Panthers. They were showcasing produce from Gaian Poultry & Game. Panthers had put together a plate of Smoked Pork with Onion Jam on a bed of Mizuna Salad Leaves and Hoi Sin Marinated Duck Breast with chestnut and shredded salad.
They were the most gorgeous flavours and probably one of my favourite meal of the day. The meats were succulent, sweet and tender and the sauces just mouth watering. It really is so hard to pick a favourite dish.
Mr GG spotted a sign for goats meat pies courtesy of Booma Boers. He had never had a goat’s meat pie and decided that now would be as good a time as any to try one. The pastry was deliciously crispy and the feeling meaty and silky. He did say that he really could tell it was goat’s meat; it just tasted like a nice pie.
Next on the list was a round of snow cones for everyone! Lots of hideous flavours and colour, just what we needed prior to a two hour trip home. BUT, while the kids are happy the parents are happy!
I had planned to sneak off and find the most decadent desserts I could get my hands on. I had already been on a reconnaissance mission and had determined my two favourite dessert stands.
The first was Cassidy’s, an old fashion bakehouse which had the cutest cupcake stand. There were so many designs and colours and they were each so pretty to look at I had no idea which I would choose.
Cassidy’s also specialise in special occasion cakes for weddings, engagement, and events but can be found producing massive numbers of these gorgeous cupcake creations for local markets. I don’t think I have met a lovelier couple, and they had been up all night producing 1500 cupcakes for the Port Macquarie market day.
If you would like to speak to Cassidy’s about their “Cupcakes by Design” here is the email address.
So with cupcakes in hand I went in search of tarts. Sweet delicious tarts! I had spied the most adorable little Lemon Meringue Pies and I had my heart set on the delicious tangy sweetness.
Unfortunately when I arrived at Kere’s Kitchen I found that everyone else had also taken a liking to these tasty bites and there were none left.
It is probably not a bad thing I missed out on the lemon Meringue pie because I still ended up with a selection of tarts and believe me I wasn’t inclined to share. They were just so good!
The kiddies got one more sugar hit in the form of a giant size lolly pop before we made our way to the car for the trip home.
What gorgeous family day out. Kids were exhausted and slept all the way home with parts of the lolly pop stuck to their face. Happy kids, happy parents.
The Stunned Mullet
24 William Street
Port Macquarie
Once again I seem to be starting a story in reverse, but imagine my joy when I saw this cutely named dessert, “The Sugar Pie Honey Bunch” I instantly knew to reserve some dessert space for this little gem.
The Stunned Mullet is located opposite town beach at Port Macquarie and was established by owner Lou Perry 6 years ago. The atmosphere is relaxed and the restaurant is obviously quite popular with the locals.
NQN and I peruse the menu, I could help noticing some delicious sounding cocktails but I reminded myself that I was here to do a job. The menu described so many luscious sounding dishes but I immediately had eyes for the Pork Belly entree.
We ordered our dishes and to our surprise the chef sent out an early entree of Crispy King Prawn wrapped in wonton shiso & shitaki served with a yuzu miso and fragrant oat flakes. This entree was in addition to those which we had ordered, and I was secretly very pleased. I had been looking at the description of this dish and the fragrant oat flakes had tweaked my curiosity. The wonton wrapped prawn was deliciously crisp and the prawn inside moist and tender. The prawns were sitting on a bed of smoky oat flakes for added flavour.
Next up was the Pork Belly which was served with Seared Scallop, a nuoc cham dressing and Asain salad. This dish was an easy choice for me, as I think the pork and scallop combination is a match made in heaven. The pork was succulent and salty, with a decadent layer of flavoursome fat. The scallop, sweet and delicate.
All this gorgeous food and we still had another entree to go! The salt and peppered baby squid tossed with garlic chips, fresh chilli and fresh coriander on a bed of baby rocket was another winning dish. The well seasoned squid was tender and full of flavour. It was great to have a fresh herby salad after the richness of the pork belly.
NQN and I had a chance to chat about the meal while we were awaiting our mains. Despite being very tired from a huge day of meeting producers and operators we needed a little time between courses. The next dish to the table was the Duck leg with truffle desire mash, sour cherry reduction, rocket, pear and hazelnut salad with verjuice vinaigrette. This was a really tasty dish and it really hit the mark for me. The duck was crispy skinned and gamey melt in the mouth flesh, I love creamy well seasoned mashed potato with truffles and I was pleased to see the sour cherry reduction which pulled the whole dish together nicely.
Readers may know that I spent ten plus years as a vegetarian, basically throughout my late teens and all my twenties. As a result I am always tempted by delicious sounding vegetarian dishes. When I saw the Buffalo Ricotta, spinach and roasted pumpkin Rotoli, crispy sage and tomato veloute with a meyer lemon aioli I knew this was another dish I wanted to try. I thoroughly enjoyed the flavour of the pumpkin, cheese and spinach but the best part for me was the crispy sage, I could have eaten a plate full of that with just the meyer lemon aioli.
For dessert we had ordered the Sesame Snap Mille Feuille with layers of Tahitian Lime and Coconut Curd with a chilli inspired caramel. Traditionally a Mille Feuille is three layers of pastry used to sandwich two layers of patisserie crème, such as a vanilla slice. The dish which arrived at our table was an exciting reinvention of this old favourite. The sesame snap was delicately thin and lacey and had a clear sesame and honey flavour. I loved the fresh tart flavour of the lime curd and was content to scoop at the curd with the sesame snap. All three flavours sesame, lime, and coconut complimented each other perfectly. The caramel was a very light sugar syrup, which was infused with red chilli although it didn’t provided any heat to the dish.
Finally the dish I had been anticipating all meal, the “Sugar Pie Honey Bunch”. When it arrived at our table I was immediately in love. This velvety brown sugar pie with crisp base was so sweet and creamy, and the delicious burnt orange syrup provided a gorgeous contrast in flavour. Dark chocolate lined the plate and crunchy candied walnut were scattered generously over the dish. Oh dear, be still my beating heart! Will I ever love another... hmm, I do like my desserts, so the answer is probably yes, but I strongly recommend you try this honey bunch.
Sadly the meal had come to a close. It was time to amble with full bellies, down to the Observatory Hotel to sleep off our meal, and prepare for another day of food discovery in Port Macquarie.
The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner for bookings pleased call 0404 409 809, or visit the website
Thank you to Destination NSW and Mid North Coast Tourism for hosting our meal at “The Stunned Mullet.”
North Coast Food & Wine Tour
Day 1 of my road trip with Lorraine Elliott, better known as “Not Quite Nigella.”
So what is my brief, I am to drive NQN around various places of interest from Port Macquarie, Comboyne and Nambucca Heads through to the Coffs Coast and finishing at Emerald Beach. We will be sampling produce from various regional growers, dining in gorgeous restaurants, Lorraine will be judging the 4th Annual Mid North Coast "Signature Dish Cook Off" at Port Macquarie Tafe.
I will be joining a panel of twenty, tasting the finalists dishes for the people’s choice awards. We will be staying in two beachfront properties, the first being The Observatory Hotel in Port Macquarie and the second Saltwater in Emerald Beach. The journey will take us three nights and four days and has been organised by the lovely people at Destination NSW and Mid North Coast Tourism.
Lucky me, I have the opportunity to show off an area I love to my FAVOURITE Food and travel blogger. On that note I also have to thank Lorraine Elliott for allowing me to be a part of her Mid North Coast Food and Wine Itinerary. It has been an amazing opportunity to work beside someone I consider to be a great writer, photographer and leader of our industry.
The itinerary for the four days is rather full, and day one see us launch straight into visiting some local producers in the Port Macquarie area. The first stop is Lorne Macadamia Nut Farm. The farm was established 15 years ago as a family business and produces 10 -12 tonnes of macadamia nuts each season. We are given a tour by the property owner Ray Scott. He explained the growing and harvesting process of the macadamia nuts.
The farming at Lorne Macadamia is based on organic principals. There are no fertilisers or pesticides used on the property. Instead they rely on environmentally friendly farming practises such as mulching with the residual macadamia husks, rainfall irrigation and chook manure to produce a more natural and sustainable product.
Ten different Macadamia nut varieties are produced on the farm, and we were given two varieties to sample. I was surprised at the difference in flavour and texture between the nut varieties as they initially appeared identical.
Also located on the property is a citrus orchard and we are given a lovely bag of blood oranges to take home with us. At this point Ray directed us to the cafe where we were to sample a meal from the cafe run by his wife Jo.
Jo explained that she uses predominately local and seasonal produce, with an emphasis on creating fresh, healthy dishes. When establishing the menu Jo wanted to create a point of difference between the farm cafe and what was commonly available in Port Macquarie. She had noticed that a lot of cafes serve the same commercially produced cakes and decided that it was important that she gave customers an alternative and thus a reason to continue visiting the farm.
All the cakes and desserts are made on the premises and served with delicious accompaniments and lovely garnishes. After sampling both the famous Carrot & Macadamia Cake with delicious plump sultana in a citrus syrup and served with Macadamia nut Ice-cream and the Decadent Flourless Chocolate Cake using ground Macadamia Nut served with a lovely liquor berry sauce and warm chocolate ganache, I can assure readers that I would drive a long way for another piece of cake.
Meals are made fresh to order so dietary requirements are easily catered for with notice. We are served two delicious salads, the first a “Harvest Salad” featuring char grilled vegetables, roasted macadamia nuts on mesculin lettuce with a homemade macadamia pesto dressing. I loved this dish and would order is again, the herby pesto had a lovely tang and went so well with the creamy pumpkin and smoky vegetables.
The second was a “Warm Chicken Salad” seared chicken in chilli, ginger and macadamia satay on a caramelised onion and char grill vegetable salad. Both meals showcased the fresh produced beautifully. It was lovely to sit and enjoy the tranquil cafe setting and I will be sharing the experience with my family next time we are in the area.
I finished up my meal with a Macadamia Plunger coffee and Lorraine with a Macadamia Tea. Both had a gorgeous macadamia aroma. My coffee was the perfect end to a very relaxed meal.
As we were leaving we also tried the oven roasted Macadamia nuts. Eight different flavours are roasted on the premises and naturally we felt we should try each flavour in turn. My favourite sweet flavour was the caramel, although the honey was also delicious. The smoked macadamia nut was amazing and I should have bought a bag for the family (sorry everyone, next time).
While I am admitting things I should have purchased for my family and didn’t, how cute are these gorgeous little biscuits! There were so many cute shapes decorated with lollies and icing. I love the platypus with the snake lolly on his back.
With a busy day still ahead we set off for our next producer Ticoba Blueberries & Avocado, but not before receiving this kind parting gift which was left on top of the car by Ray.
Ticoba produces 12 tonnes of Blueberries per year which then make their way into local retailers and the Sydney markets.
Being a small producer the farm’s focus is on producing the best berries, and quality control is most important. We were shown the blueberry bushes and the tiny blueberries which are the start of this season’s fruit.
Comboyne Culture is a local cheese factory which backs onto the Thone River in Comboyne. This boutique business has been owned and operated by Ron Lindsay for the past five years. Ron’s passion for cheese is the driving force behind the success of the business. His cheeses are available throughout the mid north coast, Newcastle and Sydney. I have been served Comboyne Cheese on many occasions in the past so I was pleased to have the opportunity to visit the factory.
Ron explained the cheese making process and showed us through his well stocked cool room. We were given a “sneak peak” at his work in progress, a Thone River White Mould cheese which is currently under development. The maturation process of this cheese is expected to take six months.
Hopefully at the end of that period there will be added to the Comboyne Culture range. Comboyne Culture currently produces 600 cheeses per year and five different varieties. The most popular cheese in the range is still the Camembert, but Ron is finding that older gentlemen tend to be partial to the Bluebert Cheese.
Ron has a theory on why the Bluebert is popular with this demographic. Once men get to a certain age their wives or doctors put them on a low sodium diet. The Bluebert is deliciously salty and creamy, without an overwhelming “blue” flavour. Naturally it becomes an instant hit with these salt restricted gentleman, so much so that Ron has unofficially renamed the Bluebert “Old Man’s Cheese".
Once our tour was complete we were able to sample the various cheeses in production.
Camembert
Washed Rind Camembert
Bluebert
Lindsay Blue
Thone River Blue
My favourite was probably the washed rind Camembert as it was a more pungent flavourful cheese, although I loved them all! Lorraine and I both felt that our husbands would appreciate the Thone River Blue which was a crumbly full flavoured blue.
Now what food tour would be complete without sampling a little bit of chocolate to finish. Located just two doors down from Comboyne Culture is Baba Lila Chocolate. These beautiful handmade chocolates are made following the traditional Russian method of hand mixing the centres, and then dipping the centres in chocolate.
Chocolate making is a tradition in Natasha’s family, the recipe she uses for her Baba Lila chocolate is the same one she used as a child when she would help her mother make chocolates for the family. It seems only natural than that the business would be named after her mother.
When we arrived Natasha is busy making two different varieties of chocolate, a traditional hazelnut and a native lime. Baba Lila carries a range of six traditional flavours and six innovated native flavours.
These beautifully handmade chocolates are available at Port Macquarie, Wauchope and Bellingen Markets. They retail for $15 per packet which includes one of each flavour.
I have to admit I actually tried one of each flavour! After all, I was writing a story, and I knew my readers would want to know what flavours to try. My favourites in the Native range were the Aniseed Myrtle, Lemon Myrtle and Pepper Berry. In the traditional range I could go past the Rosewater and Hazelnut.
I am sure I am making readers very hungry with details of such a gourmet itinerary. All of these delicious regional products can be found at the Port Macquarie and Wauchope farmers markets. So I would encourage you to consider booking a little Gourmet Getaway and explore the area for yourself.
Lorraine and I are staying at the Observatory Hotel opposite Town Beach in Port Macquarie. The sun is shining and I have a gorgeous view of the surf from my balcony.
The observatory hotel is a 4.5 star hotel; it has won numerous regional and national awards which attest to the standard of the accommodation.
We have been given interconnecting rooms which are fully self contained and would be ideal for a family. In our room we find a picnic backpack and a letter of introduction which informs us that guests are invited to make use of the hotels bicycles and helmets, should we wish to explore and picnic along the Port Macquarie coastline.
Although this is a tempting offer which I would usually be ready to accept, I am feeling rather full at this point and I am ready to make use of a comfortable bed.
As they say “there is no rest for the wicked” and before too long it’s time to wander out for dinner. Given that is such a lovely evening we decide to walk to our restaurant. We are booked to dine at “The Stunned Mullet” which is a popular restaurant opposite Port Macquarie’s Town Beach.
Review to follow...
But I will leave you with a delicious dessert image.
Lorraine from Not Quite Nigella & Julie from Gourmet Getaways traveled to Port Macquarie as guests of Destination NSW & Mid North Coast Tourism.
Little Fish Cafe
Restaurant and Vineyard Cellar Door
Innes Lake Vineyards
Port Macquarie
One of the most common questions I am asked as a food and travel writer is “Don’t you run out of things to write about?” My answer is a most emphatic “NO!” It is quite the opposite, I am fortunate to have so many great food, wine and travel experiences that I struggle at times to get the stories written, and photo’s uploaded onto my site. I also must admit that on some rare occasions I have completely overlooked sharing a beautiful day with my readers because I have been overwhelmed by a subsequent story.
My extended lunch at “Little Fish Café” was one of these beautiful days which until now had remained unshared. I initially met the owner of Little Fish at the “6 Degrees of Degustation Dinner” during Port Macquarie’s “Tastings of the Hasting festival 2010”. Gino and his wife Maria were such a lot of fun and by the end of the evening had extended an invitation for us to sample some of the restaurants delicious food the next time we were in Port Macquarie.
A few months later fellow food enthusiast Cate, from “Cate Can Cook” were arranging a get together. It was the Christmas school holidays and with the December festivities out of the way we had arranged to meet for a weekend in Port Macquarie. We were booked in to “Cooking With Company” for a Tapas class, and we would be meeting for a meal at “Little Fish Café”.
I decided that “Little Fish Café” with its gorgeous tables on the grass, vine cover gazebo and large open spaces of rolling hills would be the perfect location for our lunch. Between Cate and I we had six children to accommodate! The only way the adults would be able to have a lovely leisurely lunch is if the children had room to run around.
Mr GG and I arrived twenty minutes early as I wanted to
sample the Lake Innes Wines. We had tried the Cabernet Sauvignon at the
Degustation dinner. I had thoroughly enjoyed the wine that evening and I was looking forward to
sampling some more of the Lake Innes range. After the tasting I had come to the conclusion that all of the wine was to my palate. This may sounds strange but I like many variety of grapes and these were all excellent wines. I had particularly enjoyed the 2007 Shiraz, it had just crept ahead of my previous favourite, the Cabernet Sauvignon.
Being that is was a beautiful Summers day, at the end of the sampling I chose a Little Fish Summer White 2009 to accompany our meal. I then made myself comfortable at our table on the verandah, overlooking the vines. The children went running through the vineyard and I reflected on what a beautiful relaxing day I was having.
Cate and the family arrived shortly after and we ordered an Antipasto platter while we caught up with each other, and perused the menu in earnest. After all, there is only so much wine a girl should drink prior to lunching.
The platter was incredibly generous, and full of the most delicious produce. We snacked on brie and pecorino cheese with lashings of salami and chorizo, various homemade pesto and tapenades and were given a choice of Turkish bread, crackers or grissini to mop up the remnants.
The children were called briefly to the table to order their dishes and then quickly disappeared again. The order of the day for the little ones was the Whiting fillets with roasted chat potatoes. We did have one child who chose the Nachos, but when they were slow to eat the dish we soon discovered it had a bit of a kick to it. Albeit a delicious kick J Nachos will never go to waste with Mr GG around and he was very happy to polish that dish off also.
Next up the kiddies were given a bowl of ice-cream each which they naturally ate in total silence. With the children fed and content the adult meals arrived.
I had difficulty choosing a meal as there were so many tempting options on the menu. The waitress gave us the special of the day which only made our choice more difficult.
I finally decided on the twice cooked local organic duck with crispy skin and topped with a syrupy cherry sauce. It was served with roasted sweet potato and a fresh summer salad which included radish.
The fish of the day was a gorgeous piece of Tasmanian Salmon, it was crusted in crushed macadamia and herbs and served with lemon parsley butter and a beautiful spicy Diakon salad. Mr GG had ordered this dish so I was able to sample the crisp delicious skin of the salmon and the soft moist flesh.
The Mr CCC had ordered the Cumin Spiced Lamb Cutlet on crushed avocado. On the side was a crispy garlic potato cake which I noticed was very quick to disappear. I had intend to try a mouthful but missed my opportunity.
The lovely Cate decided on a dish intriguing titled Roman and Atlantis Caesar Salad.
It was a Caesar salad which included semolina crusted chicken breast and grilled garlic prawns. It was a fabulous dish with all the usual Caesar ingredients such as crisp Cos lettuce and bacon pieces, but also included some local produce in the shaved Hastings Valley pecorino cheese and the chefs own Caesar dressing
Even though we were all completely full I couldn’t resist trying the Warmed Flourless Chocolate Fudge Cake. Really, how could I have resisted, even now it makes me salivate. This was a deliciously chocolatey cake which is light and moist, served with a magic sweet raspberry sauce, crème Anglaise and ice-cream.
This was easily one of the nicest lunches I have experienced. The Little Fish location is so tranquil and the food is divine. Having a vineyard on the doorstep just finishes the experience beautifully.
While we were relaxing and looking out over vines the owner Gino suggested Cate and I might like to accompany him on a walk around the vineyard. Gino explained some of the grape varieties grown on the property and the processes involved in turning the fruit to wine.
I will definitely look forward to returning to “Little Fish Café” next time I am in Port Macquarie.
For bookings please contact Little Fish Café on (02) 65 811 332
To view the latest menu
Little Fish Café
Restaurant and Vineyard Cellar Door
Innes Lake Vineyards
Port Macquarie
Top Drop - June 2011
I hope you are looking forward to sampling another bottle of wine with me because it is time once again for Top Drop. This is a segment where you can play along at home, by sampling the wines I suggest, and leaving your thoughts as comments at the end of the story. I am happy to receive pictures of you enjoying the wine, these can be emailed. I will also happily link to any reviews you have written on my Top Drop wine.
Sherwood Estate
Verdelho 2005
Take some time out for a lazy lunch to enjoy this delicious local Verdelho. Beautifully aromatic and showing typical Verdelho notes of passionfruit and tropical fruits flavours it’s a vibrant, crisp, clean wine. Showing a lovely medium straw colour, fresh fruit flavours and a dry flinty finish all emphasising the savoury aspects on the palate. The fruit is grown on Sherwood Estate’s own Macleay Valley property.
This is a flavoursome, everyday drinking wine which goes very well with food.
Pair with; Seafood, oysters, goats cheese, through to light meats such as chicken, pork or veal.
Cost $17.00 or $14.45 for Sherwood Estate Wine Club Members
Available; Kempsy IGA
At the cellar door
1187 Gowings Hill Road, Sherwood.
or online www.sherwoodestatewines.com.au simply download the price list to order.
So readers I am interested, what is your favourite white wine at the moment, or do you stick with red wine in the winter months?
Boardwalk Bar & Restaurant
In Port Macquarie finding somewhere for a meal is as easy as taking a stroll around the “Town Green” and the surrounding streets, which is exactly what we did. I had research a little on the restaurants in the area but I decided, for tonight’s meal we would have a look around and see what caught our fancy. This is how we ended up at the Boardwalk Bar & Restaurant, with a lovely table overlooking the Hastings River.
The Boardwalk is fresh and modern with comfy lounges in the wine bar area to laze away a few hours with friends, over a drink or two. The restaurant is in an ideal location on the Hastings River and is afforded 180 degree views of the water.
The restaurant has a Tapas menu which was ideal for us, as we had two little ones in tow and we were not that hungry. After a little help from the waitress we decided on four dishes. The waitress explained that the serving sizes were such that a dish for each person, and one for the table will usually make a good start on the meal. If we wanted more the chefs are able to cook most dishes very quickly so there would be very little delay from ordering an additional dish.
I chose a Merlot Zilzie Regional Collection, from Ratton Bully in Victoria which was delicious. For a time I was mesmerized drinking my wine and staring at the water.
Our tapas arrived and I was bought back to the present by the sight of the gorgeous Arancini Rice with Mozzarella Cheese Balls. Ooh they looked so delicious. They had the most luscious crispy crunch shell, and a delicious creamy cheesy rice centre. The rice balls were served with a thick mayonnaise and a spicy tomato sauce.
The next dish I tried was the Spiced Pork Sausage with Pimento Tomato & Shallot. It is basically fried chorizo, and what is not to like about a spicy, fatty sausage. It was super tasty and full of mouth watering flavour. The serving size was incredibly generous; I had been expecting a couple of slices each but the plate was piled high.
It has been a while since I have had good light and a white background when photographing in a restaurant. On this day I had both, plus some very photogenic food so I am sure you can really see how delicious the food was.
I had ordered some wok fried Button Mushrooms with Chilli and Herbs as Mr GG and I both like buttery mushrooms. These ones did not disappoint, once again the plate was piled high, and the little mushrooms were buttery heaven with a Spanish chilli flavour. We found ourselves alternating between the chorizo and the mushroom to balance the fattiness of the sausage with the earthy mushroom.
The final dish was the Lamb Cutlets with Caramelised Sultana and Sherry Pine nuts. Oh divine deliciousness, it tasted as good as it looks and sounds. Lovely sticky honey spiced cutlets with a medley of gooey fruit and nuts. This was heaven on a stick. I only had one of these beauties because the children ate theirs before I had a chance to seconde another.
In all it was a very delicious meal. There are a lot more children friendly dishes which are available, but our little ones were happy with what we chose. The specials board had so many more tempting dishes that I would wish for more tummy space so I could try them all.
Next time we will come back with a larger group so we can sample more.
Boardwalk Bar & Restaurant is located at 75 Clarence Street, Port Macquarie. For booking call 02 6583 8001.
Spanish Tapas Cooking Class
Regular readers will remember the “Cooking With Company” class I attended a few months ago with Chef Lisa Ryan. I am back in Port Macquarie to attend another of these demonstrations. This class is being held at “About Food” and is a two hour introduction to Tapas.
About Food and Cooking with Company hold regular joint, two hour evening classes on a wide range of different cooking themes. Chef Lisa Ryan was formerly the head chef at Cassegrain Wines and also teaches TAFE so she is the perfect person to be heading these evenings.
I have to be honest about my motivation for doing this course, in part it was to learn how to make some tasty little Tapas, but a huge motivation was sampling the dishes Lisa would be demonstrating, and having some of her delicious recipes as my own.
Susan, Tamara, Vanessa, Cate
Our group of five ladies will be learning four Spanish Tapas dishes tonight. Seared Scallops with Chiroz & Salsa Verde, Garlic Prawns, Pea & Ham Croquettes and Squid stuffed with Chorizo served with a Romesco Sauce. I have brought along Cate from “Cate Can Cook” and we arrive ready to spice up our cooking, and learn a few more techniques.
As a bit of a warm up we are offered some delicious fresh oysters which are served with a aioli mayonnaise. The mayonnaise was made using the “Company Farms” “3 Citrus Marmalade” and is a gorgeous combination of citrus garlic and seafood.
The first dish Lisa began preparing were the garlic prawns. This is a very simple which I have had many times in restaurants. Strangely I have never made it at home before. I also didn’t realize how the dish managed to be brought to the table still sizzling in restaurants.
As with anything, the difference between home cooking and restaurant quality is in the presentation and those little extra touches.
Lisa shared two of her chef secrets with us for this dish and I am looking forward to presenting garlic prawns next time I have drinks with friends.
The next job of the evening was to prepare the squid for stuffing. We had four fresh squid that needed cleaning and the cartilage removed ready for stuffing. The tentacles were also reserved to be cooked.
The smell of the garlic prawns was beginning to make everyone a little hungry, so we were all pleased when it was time to remove the dish from the oven, and sample our first Tapas. Everyone agreed they were delicious! The chili and the smokey flavour from the paprika came through the garlic giving the prawns that extra Spanish flavour.
Garlic Prawn Pots
Once we had finished the prawns we turned our attentions back to the squid. The ingredients for the chorizo filling were combined and cooked off, then placed in the fridge to cool while the Romesco sauce was prepared.
The Romesco sauce is a rich, roasted capsicum and parmesan sauce which goes excellently with seafood. It is made quite easily using a food processor, Lisa has the sauce ready in seconds and it also joins the chorizo filling in the fridge.
Next up Lisa takes a few minutes to explain how the filling for the croquettes is made, and the importance of the roux remaining light. We talk about suitable alternate flavours for the croquettes and she demonstrates how to form the roux into the perfect croquette shape.
The croquette get a treatment of flour, then egg wash then into panko crumbs ready to be deep fried. Once the croquettes have all been crumbed they are returned to the fridge to allow the crumbs to set.
Lyn from “Cooking With Company” serves everyone a lovely glass of Sauvignon Blanc and we move onto the next task which is to prepare the salsa verde.
When ever I eat out I find the sauces are what give that lovely finishing touch to the meal. Tonight I am learning to prepare two sauces which I enjoy, I am amazed at how simple they both are once you know the ingredients and technique.
Pea & Ham Croquettes with Aioli
Lisa begins to fry the croquette whilst Lyn prepares a serving plate with some lovely homemade garlic aioli. We try our second dish for the night and I am in food heaven. They were the most amazing croquettes I have ever tried. Lisa has sprinkled the croquettes with delicious pink salt crystals from the Murray area. The outside of the croquette is crisp, salty and delicious while the inside is so light, creamy and airy with all the flavour from the fillings. Just magic!
The next dish up was the Seared Scallop with Chorizo and Salsa Verde. We are learning that with Tapas, everything is about timing. It is important that the sauces are prepared prior to cooking the main dish and that food is cooked in the right order so as not to over or undercook delicate items such as the scallops. To prepare this dish, the Chorizo is fried off and plated up.
The scallops are patted dry and then added to the pan. Once they have been seared both sides they are added to the chorizo.
The salsa verde is simply spooned over the scallop and we have our third dish up for tasting.
Seared Scallops with Chorizo & Salsa Verde
This dish received the most “oohs and aahs.” There is something very special about being served a deliciously delicate scallop. Naturally the scallop was cooked perfectly, and was just so sweet! The flavour of the smoky chorizo and tangy salsa verde was the scallop was just amazing.
Now, my hubby always has the perfect timing, and managed to “drop by” at this stage. Lyn and Lisa invited him to try this dish. I could tell by the look on his face that his timing was not merely and accident and he was very happy to join our little seafood banquet.
The last dish on the menu was the chorizo filled squid. I was surprised at how little filling was used in the squid tubes, and I began to understand why I have not been successful in the past with stuffing squid. I had obviously been overfilling the tubes. We learnt a lot of valuable tips from Lisa which I am sure will make the difference between success and disaster next time I try this style of Tapas
The sealed squid tubes with their delicious chorizo, lemon zest, garlic and parsley filling were fried off in olive oil until they were opaque.
Lisa skillfully sliced the squid onto a serving plate and spooned over the Romesco sauce. The aroma was mouthwatering. I had been looking forward to sampling these and I wasn’t disappointed.
The squid was so tender, it just melted in the mouth, releasing the delicious smoky chorizo filling. Lisa had used her special Cabernet Sauvignon Red Wine Vinegar in the Romesco sauce and the flavour hit was fantastic. As with all good sauces, it finished the dish perfectly.
Chorizo Stuffed Squid with Romesco Sauce
Mr GG had kept a presence up throughout the finishing stages of this dish, and he was again invited to sample the Tapas. He thought the dish was spectacular, and he checked with me to ensure I would be making it for him at home.
Each of the Tapas servings had been generous, so by the end of the night we had a delicious meal, and lots of fun learning the various technique and chefs secrets. We were given the two sauces (Salsa Verde and Romesco) in take home containers to finish the night.
Cooking With Company course are run regularly in conjunction with About Food. For more information view either of the Cooking with Company website at the link above or check "About Foods" facebook page. Sue from About Food can also be reached on Ph: 02 6583 7883.
Casualties Expresso
I am one of those people who cannot function of a morning without a strong cup of coffee. As with everything else in life, I am very fussy! I have a Boeme Cappuccino machine at home which is plumbed into the water supply, and hard wired to electricity. I also have a gorgeous husband who makes the perfect cup of coffee each morning for me.
So when I head away, a priority is finding a good cup of coffee. After all, how is a girl expected to face the day without a bit of a jolt? I arrived in Port Macquarie and was having a brief stroll around the shops when I noticed this quirky café. Casualty Expresso! I like the sound of it! It was buzzing and busy so I made a note to visit in the morning.
Next day when it came time to get my morning “eye opener” the place was quite busy. I ordered my “large, skim milk cappuccino with a double shot” (it always takes a bit more to get me going if I have to go out before I have had my coffee). The smiley girl behind the counter said “large skim heart starter” internally I smiled, yes… that is exactly what I needed.
I sat at the counter facing the street and watched cars and people go by while my coffee was prepared. I should explain the name of the café came about because I was actually sitting in, what was previously, the casualty room of the original Port Macquarie Ambulance station. As a play on the history of the building the café has references to its past in the form of the blood red walls, stethoscopes hanging on the walls and the menu is referred to as “the chart” and the red cross symbol is proudly displayed on top of the building.
My “heart starter” was delivered with a gorgeous almond biscotti which was lovely, crisp and sweet. I am pleased to say the coffee was “just what the doctor ordered” and I was ready to start another day.
Casualties Expresso is open from 8.00am to 5.00pm and located at the corner of Horton and Clarence Street in Port Macquarie.
Bago Vineyard
Located in the picturesque Broken Bago State Forest 12km west of Wauchope is one of the North Coast Wine Trails larger vineyards. Bago Vineyard has more than 20 acres of land under vines and is a peaceful, tranquil spot to spend a day relaxing and enjoying the atmosphere.
The vines at Bago were planted initially in 1985 to supply another local vineyard. Over time Bago began producing their own styles of wine under the Bago label. The vineyard has continued to grow and is now one of the only local vineyards to assist smaller wineries in blending grapes and bottling.
When I visited Bago I was fortunate enough to be taken on a tour through the bottling area. Jim talked me through the bottling process and I was able to watch a local Kempsy Vineyard “Dangar” bottling their Rose. Now if I had of been thinking I should have asked for a sample of the rose straight from production but alas it did not occur to me at the time. Never mind we will visit Dangar vineyard and sample the current vintage “in situ”.
Jim then showed me around the property. I cannot over state the total feeling of relaxation which comes from sampling a few of the gorgeous wines produced by the vineyard and looking out over the vines. We paused at the newly developed children’s maze. Planting the maze was a family affair, and started Christmas Day 2006. The maze has continued to fill out over time and is now looking very impressive.
Image courtesy of Bago Vineyard
Bago isn’t always quite so peaceful. On the second Sunday of the month the vineyard hosts “Jazz at Bago”. It’s a lively, family affair with picnic blankets, and chairs strewn on the grass and children running around everywhere. The music starts at 11.00 and goes through until 3.00pm. Patrons are welcome to bring a picnic or enjoy the delicious gourmet food which is available. Each month catering for the event is provided by Craig Freudenstein and his team from XS Fooda. The menu offered at the "Jazz Cafe" showcases local produce and is fresh and tasty. Examples include a Bruscetta of BBQ Beef with relish and salad or perhaps you would prefer a Chicken Cesear Brushetta. What ever you choose it is a memorbale experience enjoying great food, music and Bago wines amongst the vines.
If you can’t visit Bago on a Jazz day you needn’t be concerned, wine tasting is available from 9.30 to 5.00pm seven days per week. Once you have decided on your favourite wine you can purchase a cheese platter with pickles, olives and raspberries and enjoy a bottle of wine with you platter. Bago embraces the “Journey of Flavour” so platter items are delicious, seasonal and local.
Make a day of it, relax, unwind and watch the vines grow, whilst sampling a little of what Bago has to offer.
Image courtesy of Bago Vineyard
Bago cellar door is located at Milligans Road, Wauchope Ph: 02 6585 7099. View the Bago website for more infomation or wine orders.
Long Point Vineyard
While everyone is enjoying a bit of time off over the Christmas, New Year period I thought it might be a good opportunity to remind readers of the North Coast wine trail. The vineyards I have yet to feature are Long Point and Bago. These two vineyards are located just outside Port Macquarie so perhaps readers may wish to take a couple of days away and enjoy the glorious beaches, lovely wine and a slightly slower pace of this coastal town.
Port Macquarie is 385km North of Sydney and basically straight up the Pacific Highway. Long Point Vineyard & Gallery is just south of Port at Lake Cathie. As you make your way up the long drive to the gallery you will note rows of vines with plaques announcing the different grape varieties grown on the property, and the year they were planted.
Long Point was established in 1993 and the first vintage was launched with Shiraz and Chardonnay in 1995. As the property has grown Chamboucin, Cabernet Sauvignon, Frontenac and Verdello have been added to the range.
The owners credit the success of the vineyard to the choice of grape planted. The area has a warm humid climate so grapes have been chosen from similar areas in Portugal and Spain to withstand the limitations of the climate and rainfall.
We sampled the various wines on offer and I have to say I have developed a taste for the Chamboucin. Not only does the grape suit our climate but I feel that the style of wine it produces suits our summer red wine drinking habits. It is a lighter style of wine than the traditional reds and very easy to drink.
The main attraction at this vineyard for Mr GG was the alcoholic ginger beer; he had been looking forward to sampling this more unusual beverage. It didn’t disappoint! The ginger beer had the biggest hit of sweet ginger. Hubby was instantly in love. He found it very easy to drink quite a number of the ginger beer over the course of our stay in Port Macquarie. I am fairly confident we will be visiting regularly to top up the bar fridge.
Another of the vineyards more unusual products is the “Agent Orange.” I am not sure about the name… but it comes packaged in the most gorgeous bottle. The orange liquor is made by soaking fresh orange, orange zest and grape in a brandy spirit. The bottle needs to be turned to stir up the orange sediment as it is truly packed with orange. The liquor itself is 18% alcohol, and would be delicious served over ice or used as a mixer.
While you are sampling the gorgeous wines, ginger beer, liquor and port have a wander through the gallery. There is quite a range of local artist on display.
The vineyard is open from 10.00am to 5.00pm Tuesday to Sunday.
6 Cooinda Place Lake Cathie NSW 2445
Phone : 02 6585 4598
Strawberry Picking
Fresh is best!
We have decided to stop in at Ricardos Tomatoes just outside of Port Macquarie to pick some strawberries. (hehe, yes you did read correctly) Although by the name you would be forgiven for thinking Ricardos are only tomatoes specialist, they actually do a roaring trade in “pick your own strawberries” and local gourmet condiments and produce.
I have brought the “little ones” along for the experience. They have picked strawberries from our garden, but ours tend to be a bit on the miniature side. At Ricardos the strawberries vines are grown in large hydroponics shelters on a trellis of piping so there is no bending over, and absolutely no dirt involved.
At Ricardos you can choose to walk around and see how the strawberries and tomatoes are being grown, or you can arm yourself with a bucket and go shopping, straight from the vines. We were equipped with a bucket and a pair of scissors each, and staff pointed us in the direction of a large shaded enclosure containing rows and rows of plump sweet strawberries.
The signs on the outside of the enclosure requests that people resist the temptation to eat as they pick, but it is so tempting, I was guilty of “trying” one first. After all I had to be sure it was as delicious as it looked. They were huge strawberries, flavoursome and juicy, and every bit as good as they looked. There was an absolute abundance of ripe fruit and the kids had our bucket full in no time.
Once you have picked the strawberries they are weighed in the produce centre. This is a chance to browse additional fresh produce from the farm, or sample some of the condiments available on the tasting table.
I am always excited by interesting condiment ranges so the first jam I sampled was the Tomato and Passion fruit. It sounds like and unusual mix but that one went straight into my shopping basket, it was delicious, the passion fruit freshened up the tomato.
Ricardos also has an award winning strawberry jam which I also tried, once again I understand why it has won the accolades, it wasn’t as sweet as most strawberry jams so the flavour of the whole strawberries was so much more prevalent.
If you would like to sample the strawberry jam on scones Cafe Red is also located in the produce centre and offers a Devonshire tea, and various other dishes which showcase the lovely food from the farm.
There is so much more to the Ricardoes' experience than we expected. As with so many of the Port Macquarie businesses, Ricardoes is doing a fantastic job of showcase the region as a gourmet food producer. The shelves are stocked with the best of local products from the surrounding Hastings Valley, and the business promotes the “Journey of Flavour”
But what visitors will notice first is an abundance of beautiful products including preserved olives and olive oils, jams, conserves, and locally-grown macadamia nuts, honey and eggs.
The café is open 7 days per week from 9.00am -3.00pm
Ricardoes Tomatoes and U-Pick Strawberry Farm
221 Blackmans Point Road
Port Macquarie, NSW
Phone: 02 6585 0663
Six Degrees of Degustation
Rydges Port Macquarie
1 Hay Street
Port Macquarie NSW 2444
Husband and I are at the Rydges Hotel Port Macquarie for the 4th Annual “Six Degrees of Degustation Charity Dinner” The evening is part of the schedule of events for the 8th Annual “Tastings of the Hastings” local food and wine festival, which is held over a three weeks period.
The evening was to be a night of 6’s. 6 chefs, 6 courses, and 6 matching wines.
The Rydges Hotel has opened its kitchen for the visiting chefs. Each of the chefs had donated their time for the event, with a portion of the proceeds raised, being donated to the Salvation Army.
We were welcomed with our choice of either a glass of Cassegrain Stone Circle Sparkling Cuvee or a beer from “The Little Brewing Co” Wicked Elf range. Mr GG started with the Wicked Elf Pilsner and was immediately impressed. Over the course of the evening he sampled each of the three beers in the range and enjoyed them all, the Pilsner and Witbier being his favourite. I have always enjoyed the Cassegrain Sparkling Cuvee so that was my drink of choice to kick off the evenings festivities.
We were chatting to a few of the other guests when platters of cheese from Comboyne Culture Cheeses and Smoked Macadamias from Lorne Valley were brought around and placed on each of the table in the bar area. We continued to snack on the delicious ash cheese and creamy brie, all the while being very aware that there was a feast of fine food still to come.
Also enjoying the cheese and macadamia with us were the owners of “Little Fish Café” and Lake Innes Vineyard, Gino and Maria, and their friends Alberto & Michelle. I was very excited to hear their chef would be cooking the fourth course of the evening a “Shredded Gaian Organic Duck” and the meal was to be accompanied by the 2006 Innes Lake Cabernet Sauvignon.
All the guests were then ushered into the dining room and seated. The introductions began with Kate from the Rydges welcoming guests and introducing the chefs for the evening. Each of the chef had been chosen from leading restaurants in the region, and they would each be responsible for one of the six courses. Steve Foye from Cassegrain Wines was the next to speak, he ended his address by suggesting we should all “loosen our belts and book a taxi” very good advice I am sure.
The entrées began to arrive, and we were served a Tartare of Bluefin Tuna, pickled cucumber, wasabi flying fish roe and a sweet ginger and shallot dressing. The entrée was accompanied by a glass of 2009 Cassegrain Edition Noir Gewurztraminer. The chef for this course was the Rydges very own chef Martin King.
The entrée was beautiful, the tuna just melted in my mouth, it was a perfect fresh, light start to the meal. The black sesame seeds and Japanese flavours of wasabi and fish roe combined so well with Vietnamese style, sweet lime and chili dressing, it was a sensational fusion of flavours with a lovely fresh tang.
The beginning of the next course was signaled by the pouring of the next wine, a 2009 Long Point Fronti-Verdelho. It was such a treat to be revisiting the wines of the “North Coast Wine Trail” throughout the meal. I thoroughly enjoyed the vineyards last month and the matching wines being served throughout the courses confirmed my opinion of the excellent quality of wines the area produces.
Up to this point I had been ignoring the bun at my place setting. I make it a habit not to be tempted by these traps, not matter how good they look or smell. I notice hubby eyeing it off, I ask him “Are you going to eat my bun sweetie?” to which he replies, “Good chance of it!” “Beginners mistake my darl” I say as I push it towards him. He laughs, and I know he will have no trouble with the six courses.
The next course is served, a Seafood Assiette of “Zucchini flowers stuffed with Goats curd and Crab” “Prawn with Crisp Salad and Betel Leaf” and a “Seared Scallop with Chilli Jam and Proscuitto served on a slice of Chorizo”. I had barely begun to contemplate the dish when hubby started moaning in delight over the seared scallop.
I decided to leave my scallop until last, carefully guarded of course, and I tried the zucchini flower. It was a lovely delicate creamy flavour with a light tangy filling. Next was the Prawn, it was a bit of a surprise package. It appeared to be just a prawn on a leaf with a few pieces of julienne salad but it was so much more than it appeared. The salad was dressed with a crunchy, spicy satay sauce and the flavours combined in the leaf beautifully as a Thai style crunchy seafood wrap. Delicious.
Finally I tried the scallop, and I totally agreed with Mr GG, it was a great flavour combination, the heat of the chilli, was perfect with the salty proscuitto, the meaty chorizo and the light scallop. The dish had been prepared to perfection by the executive chef of Rydges Hotel, Michael Schubert.
In between courses I took the opportunity to speak with the chefs in the kitchen. Stan White, the Chef from Bliss Restaurant was plating up the next course, so I spoke with Eric Robinson from “The Other Chef Fine Foods.” He is a former Coffs Harbour Chef and was the owner of Passionfish Restaurant. He is now teaching commercial cooking at the North Coast Institute of TAFE and has his own line of Gourmet Condiments which are available at a wide range of gourmet providores throughout the country.
I asked Eric if there was any rivalry in the kitchen tonight, given these are all top chefs from leading restaurants. He just laughed and said, “none at all, we are all in the same game, which is to prepare the best of what the area has to offer.” There was such a refreshing lack of ego in the kitchen. The kitchen was running like clock work as the next dish came together before me, under the expertise of the chef.
I decided to finish my chat and get back to the table before hubby has a chance to eye off my plate. I told Mr GG about the dish we were about to have presented. It was to be “Chicken wrapped in proscuitto with caramalised onion jam and Comboyne blueberry jus dusted with Barbushco macadamia bush dukka”. The only way I could describe what I had seen to him was that “it is all the most delicious flavours you can imagine on one plate.” Right on queue our next course was delivered and it was every bit a gorgeous as it looked. The matching wine was a 2010 Roses’ Vineyard Oaked Chardonnay.
I commented to Mr GG at what a superb job the chefs were doing, they were showcasing the area to absolute perfection.
After having started the evening speaking to Gino and Maria from “Little Fish Café” and “Innes Lake Wines” I was looking forward to the dish that chef Shivaneel Nath would be preparing. A Shredded Gaian Organic Duck on a salad of Mescalin, beetroot wedges and Hasting Valley fetta, garnished with Lorne macadamias and sherry vinegar dressing. This course also brought with it the start of the red wines.
We were served a glass of 2006 Innes Lake Cabernet Sauvignon and I am in love from the first drop. It has a full flavour but is lovely and mellow at the same time. I instantly regretted not sampling the Innes Lake range whilst visiting the vineyards of the “North Coast Wine Trail.”
I had mentioned to Mr GG on the drive to Port Macquarie that I would like to have lunch at “Little Fish Café for my upcoming birthday and sample Innes Lake Wines at the same time. He had agreed, so I was very pleased we would be getting a preview tonight of both the wine, and the delicious food.
The shredded duck was perfectly moist and gamey and complimented beautifully the sweet beetroot and fetta. The dish was exactly the style of dish I would choose for myself. Like the dishes which had preceded this course it is fresh and healthy and flavoursome and such a refreshing dish.
The menu throughout the evening has struck me as being very well conceived. The chefs from each of the restaurants have put together dishes which compliment the preceding and following courses. Not only have the individual dishes been outstanding, but each course has had a role to play in building a compete picture of the Hastings Valleys produce and talent.
The event was held as a fundraiser for the Salvation Army’s Christmas Appeal, so raffle tickets had been sold throughout the evening to raise money for the cause. Prizes had been donated by the vineyards, restaurants, local producers and other sponsors. The time had come to give our four previous courses time to digest, with the drawing of the raffle. To my absolute surprise we held the winning ticket for a bottle of Cassegrain wine and a $100 dining voucher at Flying Fish Café. What a lovely coincidence. My birthday wish will be coming true!
The next course was a local fillet of Hokubee Beef served with a confit of golden and crimson beetroot and a Cassegrain Shiraz jelly. I have never tasted anything as succulent and flavoursome as the beef. The Rydges chefs Martin King and Michael Schubert had cooked the steak to perfection. I am so fussy about my steak that when hubby said it wasn’t rare, quite frankly I was concerned, but I needn’t have given it a second thought, I have not had something so tender and smoky and lush. I promise it was beyond description and the pairing with Shiraz jelly was divine. A match made in heaven.
The matching wine for this course was 2007 Cassegrain Reserve Shiraz. This is one of my favourite red wines and it complimented the beef perfectly.
By the time we arrived at the final “official” course I was starting to have appetite issues. The spacing between courses has been perfect to allow a time for a leisurely chat between indulgences but I was going to struggle. On the menu was a tart of Ricardo’s strawberries, The Company Farm lemon curd and rhubarb confiture finished with The Other Chef toffee apple syrup and saffron fairy floss.
I had recently been to the Company Farm for a cooking class, and taken the children to Ricardos to pick our own strawberries, so I was really looking forward to trying the dessert Eric from “The Other Chef had created. Of course it was stunning, and tasted so citrusy, sweet, tart, tangy, zesty and fresh all at once. The shortcrust pastry was rich and crisp and the dessert was a lovely fruity reminder to me that we are now in spring.
The matching wine was another of my personal favourites, the Cassegrain NV Noble Cuvee. A late harvest Semillon which has benefited from botrytis to create a syrupy sweet nectar perfect for enjoying with dessert or cheese.
Looking around the room it was clear to see that everyone had enjoyed the evening. We have been presented with the loveliest local food by the area’s most talent chefs. So how do you finish such a decadent evening?
Perhaps a Peak Afogatto Coffee with Pedrozimenez and an assortment of chocolate coated Lorne Valley Macadamia. Presented before us were two glasses, the first contained a rich lush port topped with vanilla ice-cream and the second, the most aromatic short black coffee. The macadamia nuts were coated in a creamy white, milk and dark chocolate. I must apologise for my lack of photograph, suffice to say it was the perfect finish to the evening.
It has been an evening of pure indulgence enjoying the best of “The Tastings of the Hastings” I would thoroughly recommend attending the event next year.
In the meantime check out the evening chefs at their usual venue:
Martin King – Rydges Waterfront Restaurant
Michael Schubert - Exec Chef Rydges Waterfront Restaurant
Stan White - Bliss Restaurant & Bar
Shivaneel Nath - Little Fish Cafe
Eric Robinson - The Other Chef Finer Foods
Jeff Walsh - The Other Chef Fine Foods
Rydges Hotel Port Macquarie
1 Hay Street
Port Macquarie NSW 2444
We are regular visitors to the Port Macquarie area as we enjoy the beach location, and relaxed holiday feel the town offers. I recently had the pleasure of staying at the Rydges Hotel when I attended the “Six Degrees of Degustation” charity dinner, which was hosted at this location.
The Rydges Hotel occupies prime position in the centre of Port Macquarie, it overlooks the water and has magnificent views of both the river and beach.
The hotel facilities include a heated pool which also has a view of the river, spa, gymnasium, full conference and business facilities, a beautiful dining room with an amazing menu and friendly attentive staff.
I booked a two bedroom apartment for the stay and found it to be spacious and modern. The apartment features a full kitchen and laundry facilities, ensuite off the main bedroom and a surprisingly generous second bedroom. The living room was light and airy with a substantial deck area for enjoying a glass of wine or a meal. On this occasion I was spoilt with a beautiful fifth floor view over the Hastings River.
The Rydges Hotel had all the comforts of home with the added luxury you would expect from a 4 ½ star hotel. I would definitely recommend Rydges Hotel for your next Port Macquarie getaway.
As a rough guide rates per night are as follows:
Standard Room $155
Two Bedroom Waterview Apartment $325
Three Bedroom Apartment $450
A full buffet breakfast is available for $18 per person.
For reservation please Ph: 02 6589 2888
Tastings of the Hastings
The mid North Coast area of Port Macquarie and surrounding districts is showcasing the best of what the area has to offer in their 8th Annual “Tastings of the Hasting” food and wine event. This is the ideal time to visit Port Macquarie to sample the premier local chefs, producers, vineyards, brewers and gourmet providores at a range of events to be held over a three week period.
The “Tastings of the Hastings” promotes the “Journey of Flavour,” an initiative which aims to highlight local product to local consumers, and the gourmet traveller. The “Journey of Flavour” facilitates this by creating a recognizable brand for the Hastings region. This brand represents quality local products and services in the food and beverage industry. Through the journey of flavour the area is evolving into a gourmet destination for foodies.
Even the renowned pastry chef Adriano Zumbo has joined the festivities this year. Adriano was a special guest of Cassegrain wines at their “Savour the journey of Flavour” evening. Guests were treated to a four course meal with matching wines designed by head chef Lisa Ryan, using hand picked local produce. The finale of the evening was a dessert spectacular from Adriano Zumbo, utilizing more wonderful local produce.
Image courtesy Of Bago Vineyard
Jazz in the vines, at Bago Vineyard is another popular event which participated in the “Tastings of the Hastings” calendar. Families and couples spent a relaxing day in the vines enjoying sumptuous food and wine.
Another regular highlight of the “Tastings of the Hastings” is the 4th Annual “6 Degrees of Degustation Charity Dinner” This event has been held each year at Rydges Hotel in Port Macquarie.
This unique event showcases creations from six of the leading local chefs from some of the best local restaurants. Rydges opens their kitchen to these chefs, and the chefs in turn, donate their time and skills for the evening to help raise money for the Salvation Army. Each chef is responsible for one course in the six course degustation menu. Matching local beer and wines accompany each course. 6 Degrees of Degustation Charity Dinner Review.
There are plenty more events still to come over the next two weeks such as “The Little Brewing Company’s” Beer Diva evening, “High Tea on the High Rise” a roof top champagne high tea at Rydges Resort, a “Taste of the Hastings dinner” at Panthers Club, and the main event, “The 2010 Holiday Coast Credit Union “Tastings of the Hastings” to be held at the Port Macquarie Race Course on the 24th October.
This event has something for everyone, amusements for children, an eclectic range of entertainment for all ages, great prizes and of course the best the region has to offer in food and wine. Entry is by gold coin donation, inside there will be a farmers market, quality gourmet product made from local produce, leading chefs selling a wide variety of freshly produced meals made from local produce, tastings and sales by vineyards and breweries, cooking demonstrations by leading chefs demonstrating their culinary skills using fresh local produce, a variety of Indoor and outdoor dining and entertainment areas where patrons are encouraged to wine dine and relax and enjoy what the day has to offer.
Here is a full schedule of events for the three weeks of the “Tastings of the Hastings”
Roses Vineyard
132 Apanie Road
Port Macquarie
Slowly but steadily we are making our way through the vineyards of the North Coast Wine Trail. The next vineyard on our list is a family owned vineyard formerly know as Innes View Vineyard. It has recently undergone a name change to Roses Vineyard.
Roses is one of the newest vineyards on the North Coast. The initial vines planted were Chardonnay and Chambourcin in 2002. The first vintage was produced from these grapes in 2005, and the vineyard has gone from strength to strength since that time.
The family have since planted Verdelho and Merlot, and are trialing blends using these varieties.
The cellar door has been welcoming guest for the past two years. I had the pleasure of sampling a few of the wines on offer. From the two main variety of grape, the vineyard produces five varieties of wine.
I sampled the 2007 Chardonnay, which was a lovely unwooded crisp dry white available for $18, it was a lovely drop and I would highly recommend trying a bottle.
My other two favourites were from the “Roses are Red” range made on the Chambourcin grape. I was treated to the 2006 and 2007 Chambourcin and they were both absolutely delicious, smooth and very easy to drink. These wines would both cellar well and are available for $20 per bottle or $225 for a case of 13.
The vineyard also produces a sparking chardonnay and a sparkling rose for those special occasions when you want some celebration bubbles.
I thoroughly enjoyed my visit to Roses Vineyard, the family has great enthusiasm for the product they are creating, and it is infectious. There are plans in the pipeline to offer B&B style accommodation at the vineyard and they have a purpose built cottage nearing completion.
Coming into Summer I would suggest trying a bottle of the Rose for your next picnic. All of the wines produced under the Roses label are from the property’s own grapes.
Bookings are welcome for weddings and functions. The cellar door is open from 11.00am to 5.00pm 7 days per week.
Ph: 0434 028 446 or 02 6585 2381
Innes Lake Vineyards
The Ruins Way
Port Macquarie
This was to be vineyard number six on our wine tasting tour but alas we arrived Saturday morning at about midday to find the restaurant was fully booked and the staff run off their feet serving people.
I had obviously made a slight “faux pas” in underestimating the popularity of this vineyard of a weekend with the locals.
The vineyard is set in an idyllic location, with rolling hills covered in vines, and the feeling you are miles from anywhere. The vineyard also boasts a quality restaurant called “Little Fish” where you can enjoy a beautiful meal after your wine tasting.
Charleys Choice is the gourmet condiment range offered by the vineyard. These marmalades, jams, chutneys, pestos and tapenades are made from the freshest local produce. All the fruit is sourced in the Macleay Valley, and the Grape Jam is made from the Pinot Noir grape grown at the vineyard.
The staff at the cellar door will assist guests in trying the ten different styles of wine on offer at Innes Lake Vineyard. They are available to explain the complexities of each wine and make recommendations as needed.
Seating for the “Little Fish Restaurant” is on the lawn, under an arbor or on the covered deck. Being mid morning some people were still enjoying a leisurely breakfast with a coffee in hand, where others had began to settle in with a bottle of white wine to pass away the day relaxing in the vineyard.
We had a wander around and I perused the menu. I was even more disappointed we hadn’t pre booked a table. The menu was exceptional with a variety of interesting dishes, from large anti-pasta platters to share, to Rosemary Lamb Shank, or a divine sounding Pork Belly dish. Each dish is accompanied by a wine recommendation for a complete experience.
In summary, I can’t comment on the food or the wine but I will definitely be coming back with a booking for lunch. I can’t think of anything nicer than a table on the lawn for lunch with a bottle of wine while the kids run around on the grass.
Don’t make the same mistake as me bookings are definitely advisable Ph: 02 6581 1332
Douglas Vale Historic Vineyard
Oxley Highway
Port Macquarie
The next vineyard on our tour of the North Coast Wine Trail is the Douglas Vale Historic Homestead and Vineyard. Surprisingly the vineyard is located in Port Macquarie. I don’t know how we have not stumbled upon it previously.
The property is spread over 8 acres and is managed by the Douglas Vale Conservation Group. I decided to do the tour of the homestead and learn a little about the history of the place prior to participating in the wine tasting.
It seems in the 1800’s Port Macquarie was a large producer of wine. There were over 40 vineyards in the area and Douglas Vale Vineyard consisted of 45 acres of land under vines at its peak. A downturn in the economy, accompanied by a fungal disease in the vines, decimated the local industry. The disease destroyed the majority of grape varieties in the area.
In 1995 the historic society noticed the house was to be demolished. As the property represents one of only 5 remaining 1800’s buildings in the area, a group established to save and restore the property. The restoration was completed using old family photos. Fences and sheds were reconstructed in their original locations in the original manner.
Now, 15 years later the property has been restored, and the vineyard is producing a range of limited release wines and port. The port is being produced from one of the original Isabella vines. In addition to the Isabella grape the property uses Chambourcin and Villard Blanc grape varieties. I have really developed a taste for the wines that are produced on the North Coast and I thoroughly enjoyed the “White Cockatoo” and the Chambourcin Red. Mr GG could resist a bottle of the Isabella Port so we left the vineyard well stocked.
Tours of the property and wine tasting are conducted Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday from 10am 3.00pm.
For more information or group booking email douglasvale1@bigpond.com or phone 02 6584 3792
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3 TOURS DEPARTING 2012
Have Your Say
I wish I had you for my mum when I was 5!
That cake would have been the talk of the town for the rest of the year - fantastic job.
A lot of your blogs will be interactively design and style that visitor share data to read your blog.
Thank you so much, it is going to be a wonderful surprise for my Mum, I wish everyone a great day with your own special people, those who helped you become who you are today.
Mum definitely deserves the hamper, because she is an amazing woman that has brought up 3 kids through tough times. She is the best mum a son could ask for.
She's had it tough, working hard
deserving much more than just a card
So let's raise a glass and toast her true
The best person in the world - Mum, that's you!
Thanks for the info on Rasa Malaysia's book. I used to visit her website for recipes but some time ago, igot a new PC and forgot to bookmark it!
You're too modest Julie! You did a great job with the cake! :D
Yellow strawberries and cream is just perfect for mum as a reward for putting up with two kids who were a pain in the bum.
I would have loved to have seen those martini glasses! Hope Miss A had a lovely time celebrating turning 5 :D
It shouldn't. It should go to me as whilst trying to make sure my mum, step-mum, MIL, Step-MIL, 3 x Grandmas are spoilt on Mother's Day, I always seem to get forgotten!
My poor old mum is battling to care for my step dad who has advanced Parkinsons. My real dad who has had a stroke still expects her to be there for him, my bro is going bankrupt and she lives two states away from her only gransdon. Her life has little joy- JUst wish for one thing nice to happen to her. We all love our mums, good luck to you all!
Perfect place to relax and forget about all the troubles we have in the city and just unwind ~ can't wait to go to somewhere like this hehe
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