The No.1 magazine for visitors to Hunter Valley Wine Country

B L A C K B O A R D

NOVEMBER 2015 | ISSUE #105

THE

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31ST OCTOBER - 29TH NOVEMBER | SCULPTURE IN THE VINEYARDS | Wollombi Valley | The 13th annual Sculpture in the Vineyards exhibition will kick off on 31st October 2015. Sculpture in the Vineyards is a celebration of art, food and wine where picturesque boutique vineyards and cellar doors are transformed into five temporary sculpture parks. Wollombi Valley, with its unrivalled hospitality and natural beauty, is the perfect venue for Sculpture in the Vineyards as it provides artists with the opportunity to share their work with the general public, and giving art and wine lovers the chance to experience something truly unique. For more information visit www.sculptureinthevineyards.com.au

TUESDAY 3RD NOVEMBER | MELBOURNE CUP DAY | Around the Hunter | Whether you fancy at bet or just want to get frocked up for a day out with the girls, there are loads of places to enjoy the excitement of the Melbourne Cup in the Hunter Valley. Harrigans, Peterson House, Circa 1876, Goldfish Bar & Kitchen, Esca Bimbadgen and Harvest Restaurant are all holding Melbourne Cup events that include food, beverage packages, sweeps, fashion parades, prizes for best dressed plus more! Bookings are essential. For more information visit the each venues website.

SATURDAY 7TH NOVEMBER | MUDD SWEAT AND TEARS | Hope Estate | International obstacle course race Mudd, Sweat & Tears is coming to Australia for the first time and first stop is Hope Estate. Mudd, Sweat & Tears will have you crawling, climbing, swimming, carrying and dragging yourself, possibly fellow competitors and a series of objects: up, over, under and around hills and obstacles! Do you have what it takes? For more information visit www.hopeestate.com.au

6TH NOVEMBER - 26TH JANUARY| CHRISTMAS LIGHTS SPECTACULAR | Hunter Valley Gardens | Every year Hunter Valley Gardens bring thousands of families together to celebrate the magic of Christmas at the Christmas Lights Spectacular. Open every night with over 1.5 million Christmas lights on show throughout designated areas of the Hunter Valley Gardens. With sound and light displays, live entertainment, food and beverages available for purchase on site and a special appearance from Santa, this is an event for all ages. Also up until Christmas, have your photo taken with Santa by a professional photographer. Closed December 25th. For more information and tickets visit www.hvg.com.au

7TH AND 8TH NOVEMBER | BITTER AND TWISTED BOUTIQUE BEER FESTIVAL | Maitland Gaol | This is the one weekend in the year where visitors are queuing up to get into gaol! That’s because Bitter & Twisted Boutique Beer Festival will be held inside the walls of the ex-maximum security prison. Weekend detention will include over 50 craft beers, a nationally recognised entertainment line-up and the best prison food you’ll find! The day will be a time to tantalise your taste buds and relax, all within the safety of the razor wire! Mellow out in front of some live music while you sip some new beers or wine. For more information and tickets visit www.bitterandtwisted.com.au

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CONCERT SEASON IN THE HUNTER | Roche Estate, Hope Estate and Bimbadgen | Concert season is ripe in the Hunter Valley with big acts hitting the stage this month. Neil Diamond graces Roche Estate on November 7th, Fleetwood Mac holds two shows at Hope Estate on November 14th and 15th, and finally the popular Day on the Green featuring Paul Kelly comes to Bimbadgen on November 28th! As always, tickets will likely sell out to all three of these events, so get in quick! Tickets at www.ticketmaster.com.au

FOR YOUR DIARYNovember

WANT MORE? Keep up to date with events in the Hunter by visiting www.huntervalleyonline.com.authb 2 | NOVEMBER 2015

thb 3 | NOVEMBER 2015

Dine at the divine historic cottage, Circa 1876 until the 22nd of

December 2015 for just $65 pp (food only) and enjoy a two course lunch

(main and dessert only).

With a strong mix of comfort food and experimental twists on old favourites, the menu at Circa 1876 is one that both aims to please

your palette, and urge you to enjoy new textures and accents in your dining.

It is a moorish menu that is best paired with a boutique beer or wine.

Bookings are essential: Ph 02 4998 4998

info@circa1876.com.au

64 Halls Road, Pokolbin NSW 2320www.theconventhuntervalley.com

H U N T E R V A L L E Y

As we go to print the team at Hunter Valley Gardens are working overtime to present this year’s Christmas Lights Spectacular. Now in its ninth year, the switch will be flicked on Friday, November 6th for a treat that will run right through to Australia Day in January and includes five new illuminating displays along with all of our favourites.

An outdoor visual treat of a different kind is now in full swing – it’s the Hunter Valley’s largest sculpture festival – Sculpture in the Vineyards. This remarkable exhibition transforms the beautiful Wollombi Valley into a series of sculpture parks with over 100 large scale and site specific works of art on view.

Our concert season has launched with a month full of spectacular concerts at three different venues. Neil Diamond, Fleetwood Mac and Paul Kelly will all grace our stages this month – take in a concert (or three) and find out for yourself why the Hunter Valley has earned the reputation of providing the ultimate outdoor entertainment experience.

This month we hop on the food trail and find out the 5 best spots to savour delectable duck! Each location provides a unique twist on a foodie favourite and of course, we also have the wines to match!

Our “Wines & Vines” issue celebrates the grape in all of its glory. Learn a

little about the life cycle of the grape as it buds at the beginning of Spring, transforming into a juicy little berry which eventually finds its way into our glasses to be appreciated all around the world. We also find out exactly why it’s important to let your wine breathe, and how a rotting grape can be transformed into a tasty treat!

We also take a tour around the whole of the Hunter Valley. As Australia’s premium wine region (and also the oldest) the area covers some real hot spots that have become known for their historical significance, glorious vistas or food and wine tasting.

With “Food and Wine” in mind we talk to Chef Mert Tansu of Harvest Restaurant (Hope Estate) about how his passion for cooking was ignited as a youngster cooking up a storm with his grandmother in her humble kitchen in Turkey. Mert also shares with us his delectable recipe for Soft Shell Crab with Chilli Jam.

Finally, we explore the delicate, aromatic delights of Gewurztraminer. While this is not a common variety in the Hunter Valley, it’s well worth the effort to explore wine country in search of a bottle.

Enjoy!

FROM THE EDITORS

ContentsMAKING MUSIC IN WINE COUNTRYEach year 1000's of music lovers are attracted to the Hunter Valley and this month is no different with Fleetwood Mac, Neil Diamond and Paul Kelly coming to town!

ONE FOOD FIVE PLACESWe put five Hunter Valley restaurants to the test to see what mouth-watering dish they can create with one of our favourite ingredients. Prepare to salivate!

VOICES FROM THE VINEYARDWe take a closer look at each step in a grape’s growth cycle and the role each step plays in the development of the grape and most importantly the finished product – the wine!

HUNTER BLACKBOARD MAP The Hunter Blackboards handy guide to finding your way around Wine Country…

CHEF MERT TANSUChef Mert Tansu shares his journey from his grandmother’s humble kitchen in Turkey to Harvest Restaurant in the Hunter Valley and also shared with us a soft shell crab recipe to die for...

TOURING THE HUNTERLet us take you on a tour to put an end to the myth that Hunter Valley wine country starts and ends in Pokolbin. We look at the different areas to see what makes them all distinctly unique…

WINES, VINES AND ALL THAT ROTMany of us enjoy the sweet taste of Botrytis wines at the end of a long day, but do you know what “botrytis” actually means?

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