Tertini Wines
Tertini Wines, who scooped the pool of prizes at the 2008 
Southern Highlands Wine Show, sold off a cancelled export order of their 2003 and 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon/ Merlot at bargain basement prices.
Those who dropped in to the Tertini Cellar Door at Kells Creek, near Mittagong, quickly enough cleared out these easy-drinking reds in record time.
the B-52s
Australia’s favorite party animals, Mental As Anything, will open the show, followed by brilliant twins The Proclaimers from Auchtermuchty, Scotland, then the USA’s B-52s will have everyone dancing with their upbeat fusion of musical styles.
The very successful NSW Southern Highlands Cool Flavours Wine and Food Festival was on last weekend, and, complete with designated driver, we tried a new loop of the Southern Highlands Wine Trail to catch a few festival events on Sunday.
This personal tour started at Sutton Forest Estate Wines,
Sutton Forest wine & food
famous for their Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and antipasto plates. They are right next to the Sutton Forest McDonalds (see my article – Would you like a Chardonnay with that?) but their cosy cellar door with an open fire, fine wine and homemade Tiramasu is a world away from burgers and fries.
Anyone for chess?
Then it was onto the expressway heading north, off at the Berrima exit, cruising through bustling Berrima past Mrs Oldbuck’s famous Jam Shop, cafes and craft shops, turn left at Greenfields Road and left again to Blue Metal Wines. They are named after the local rock, but their barn-styled cellar door is, you guessed it, made of metal (Bluescope Steel perhaps?). Inside, with a trendy cafe and plenty of room to sip wines and chat, they were doing great business.
Next it was back to Greenfields Road and up to Joadja Winery for their Cool Jazz event. Joadja is the oldest and
Jazz in the winery!
most rustic boutique winery in the Southern Highlands, so it was amazing to see about 100 parked cars flanking the entrance. Inside it was easy to see why: there was a jazz quartet playing in the winery itself, surrounded by relaxed people and tall stainless steel fermentation tanks. You can’t help thinking those Joadja wines are going to have a cool laid-back feel with lingering sax and a hint of trumpet! The cellar door itself was three deep with keen wine tasters, outdoors there was expresso coffee, and everywhere there were people sipping on Joadja’s finest cool-climate wine.
McVitty Winery views
After a couple of enjoyable hours at Joadja listening to the music, and a lunch of Indian food cooked on site, it was time to head just down the road to McVitty Grove and take in the misty valley views from their stylish cellar door and cafe.
A few kilometres closer to Mittagong at Kells Creek we dropped in to Bousaada Wines before going across the road to Tertini, who scooped the pool of prizes at the 2008 Southern Highlands Wine Show.
Tertini Winery tasting
Their cellar door was pretty busy, and we were invited into the winery itself to sample the Tertini range amid racks of patiently aging wine barrels. One of the special treats was to try the new Arneis white, made from a grape variety grown in only a few dozen vineyards worldwide. Notoriously dificult to cultivate, Arneis seems to have taken a liking to the Southern Highlands and is producing prize-winning wines. Meanwhile, the Tertini Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon are also winning medals, and their Pinot Noir took Silver in the Shanghai International Wine Challenge!
St Maur cantina style cellar door
After tasting the full range of wines at Tertini, we continued our Wine Trail adventure via the sophisticated Centennial Vineyards and Southern Highland Wineries at Bowral and Sutton Forest, finishing up close to home at the atmospheric St Maur Estate cantina in Exeter.
Not a bad way to relax on a Sunday!
Highlands Wine and Food!
The vineyards, restaurants and food producers of the NSW Southern Highlands are presenting the best of the region’s food and wine. The Cool Flavours Festival runs Friday 5th June until Sunday 7th of June.
Come and sample local cheeses, jams, chocolates, mushrooms and a vast array of top quality Cool Climate wines.
Cool Flavours Festival Events include:
Centennial Vineyards Restaurant – Produce Dinner Saturday 6th June.
Four course menu by renowned chef, Robin Murray, featuring Southern Highlands produce. Bookings required.
Joadja Winery “Cool Jazz” Music in the Vines:
• Cool Jazz from “The Occasional Five”
• Real Wood Fired Tandoori
• Coffee, Tea & Chocolate
• All the Joadja Wines including the ’Triple’ Blend (Cab/Merlot/Malbec)
• Plus Tawny Port & Boysenberry Liqueur
Southern Highland Wines – Family Fun day. – Rides and Games, stalls, Wine tasting for Parents, Barbeques, Entertainments – Bring the whole family for a fun-filled day.
Mt Ashby – FLAVOURS OF FRANCE. Famous for Beef Bourgeonon Pie and a Charcuterie Plate which includes home grown and made Remoulade, Pork Rillettes a selection of French Cheeses and other French delicacies. Plus a showing of French Farmhouse tables and Antiques by Sally Beresford, and an “Art in the Mist” Exhibition.
Small Cow Farm – Cheese Appreciation and demonstrations, – Bookings essential – 9.30 am,11.15am. and 2pm Saturday and Sunday. $22. Please book by phone on 02 4885 1241.
Cuttaway Creek Raspberry Farm – Berry Jams, sauces, vineyards from fruit grown on the property. Raspberry tarts and Chocolate Mousse from the Belgium Chocolate Mousse factory.
Blue Metal Wines – Café and tastings: visit the Bluemetal winery to try their Award Winning Wines and a special festive Winter Tasting Plate. Cellar Door open Thurs-Mon 10am to 5pm and Cafe open Long Weekend 11am to 4pm. Tel (02) 4877 1877.
Bousaada Wines – Jazz in the vines and local Produce Platters.
Milk Factory Gallery – Wine tastings from six local vineyards, plus a range of local produce at the gallery store.
Tennesee Orchards – open for sales.
Highland Hamper Company – Hampers of local produce on sale at venues and the Milk Factory Gallery.
Canyonleigh Store – Tastings of local wineries – sales and music.
Sutton Forest Estate Wines – homemade Tiramasu with Pinot Noir wines and Italian antipasto platters.
Tertini Wines – taste the unique Arneis grape with Italian cheeses.
Mrs Oldbuck’s Pantry at Berrima – tea leaf readings, tastings etc.
Li Sun Mushrooms tunnel tours. $20 pp. Meet at Bowral Swimming Pool at 10.30am, 1.30pm, and 3.30pm. Book on 02 4872 1447.
For more detailed information click here for the Southern Highlands Food & Wine Association website or phone 02 4872 1447.
The NSW Southern Highlands just keep on hosting fantastic outdoor music events.
Barely two months into the year and already we have had the legendary Leonard Cohen, Australia’s poetic Paul Kelly, The Triffids, the amazing Alicia Keys, Lowrider, and teenage sensation Jordin Sparks appearing in “a day on the green” concerts at Centennial Vineyards . Plus other wineries got in on the act with events such as Music in the Vines at Joadja Vineyards in Berrima.
Jimmy Barnes at full volume
And now we go back to Bowral for Jimmy Barnes, Kasey Chambers, Ross Wilson and Mahalia Barnes in a high-powered night at Centennial Vineyards on Saturday 21st March. Jimmy has just returned from a six week tour of Europe to support his new album “Out In The Blue” and is running hot.
With brilliant Australian rock musos Jimmy Barnes, Kasey Chambers, Ross Wilson and Mahalia Barnes all on the same bill, this will be a night to remember!
The concert may be sold out by now, but you can check to see if tickets are still available on this link: TicketMaster
Hoping to see Leonard Cohen, Paul Kelly and The Triffids in their Bowral concert but Sunday Feb 1st is too hard?
Bob McInnes live
Joadja Vineyards & Winery has come to the rescue with their Music in the Vines event - on Sunday January 25th of the Australia Day long weekend.
And Music in the Vines is free as well as convenient, so even if you are going to other Southern Highlands winery music events it may be worth checking out Joadja. You could always drop in to Centennial Vineyards at Bowral on your way and work out your parking strategy..
In keeping with Australia Day, the Joadja Music in the Vines event features Australian Folk Music, with a bit of Bluegrass, from local group The Songcatchers. The Songcatchers include John Hall and Aussie folk veteran Bob McInnes.
Fresh food, and of course wonderful cool-climate wines, will be available. What sort of food goes well with cool-climate wines? Any food! But check out the Joadja menu:-)
More details and an RSVP form can be found at www.joadjawinery.com.au - just click on “Music in the Vines”.
Fine wine and Big Macs don’t have much in common. But just imagine if you could sit in quiet, civilised surroundings, sipping on a top-notch wine, accompanied by cheese and antipasto – while the kids enjoy their burgers, fries and shakes.
have a happy meal at the vineyard
Imagine if you could pick up at the drive-thru then set down at a winery cellar door almost under the golden arches.
This parental dream sounds way too good to be true.
What if it was at the busiest McDonalds outlet in Australia?
wine & cheese
Unbelievably, this dream does exist, right now, in the Southern Highlands of NSW.
Everyone who travels the Hume Highway south from Sydney knows that halfway to Canberra they pass the Sutton Forest service center, Roadhouse and McDonalds. And for those with children it is a traditional food stop on the way to or from Canberra, the snow, or any other southern destination. So popular in fact, that Sutton Forest is the busiest McDonalds in Australia.
What very few travelers realise is that as you pull out of the Sutton Forest McDonalds you can pull into the Sutton Forest Estate Winery. The secret is to ignore the ”local residents only” sign on the access road and just drive into the vineyard. There you can park without getting monstered by coaches and trucks, sit under the trees or inside the cellar door, and try some truly excellent wines.
exit McDonalds and turn in here!
The Lo Russo family who run Sutton Forest Estate Wines have been there for nearly 30 years, and in 2002 they turned to their Italian heritage and planted a range of grape vines including Pinot Noir and SanGiovese varieties. These vines are now producing premium cool-climate wines, which you can taste on your Sutton Forest travel stop, and then take a bottle or two of your favorites home with you.
And, if you are touring the southern portion of the Southern Highlands Wine Trail, Sutton Forest Estate Wines is easy to find - just look for the golden arches!
St Maur's cantina style cellar door
Towards the southern end of the Southern Highlands Wine Trail is St Maur Estate, a unique vineyard and cellar door with the feel of a Northern Italian cantina.
St Maur is at the corner of Old Argyle Road and Sallys Corner Road at Exeter, about five kilometers from the well known Sutton Forest service center, Roadhouse and McDonalds on the Hume Highway halfway between Sydney and Canberra. The estate itself goes back nearly 200 years to the days of the famous Australian explorer John Oxley. Since 1976 the land has been owned by the Panizzutti family, who planted the St Maur vineyard.
St Maur Chardonnay
The St Maur cantina cellar door is a delightfully atmospheric place to stop for a glass of wine and a chat, and the wines are among the best in the Highlands. Best known for their Pinot Noir, which is stocked by some of Sydney’s finest restaurants, St Maur also produces a Cabernet Merlot and an outstanding Chardonnay.
The multi-talented Alicia Keys is appearing live in “a day on the green” concert at Centennial Vineyards on Sunday 14th December 2008. Tickets are still available at TicketMaster!
Alicia Keys at Centennial Vineyards in the Southern Highlands
Alicia will be supported by the smooth Hip Hop and Soul fusion of Lowrider, followed by the sensational teenage American Idol winner Jordin Sparks.
The theme song for the current James Bond movie “A Quantum of Solace” is a duet recorded by Alicia Keys and Jack White (of The White Stripes fame).
And now Alicia is appearing live at a beautiful Southern Highlands Winery just an hour or so from Sydney! To book your Alicia Keys tickets before they are sold out click here: TicketMaster
In his first tour of Australia in 24 years, Leonard Cohen will play “a day on the green” concert at Centennial Vineyards in Bowral on Sunday 1st February 2009.
Leonard Cohen
Leonard will be supported by The Triffids and Friends, and eight-time ARIA Award winner: the great Paul Kelly.
To book your Leonard Cohen tickets before they are sold out click here: TicketMaster
A hypnotic performer, Leonard Cohen has received rave reviews right across Europe, the UK and Canada. And now he is appearing live at a beautiful Southern Highlands Winery!
music in the vineyard
This is a once in a lifetime concert -Leonard Cohen, Paul Kelly, The Triffids all on one bill - book your tickets with TicketMaster before they are gone!
Here is a testimonial from the future King of England:
“I tell you who I also think is wonderful is a chap called Leonard Cohen. Do you know him? He’s remarkable. I mean, the orchestration is fantastic and the words, the lyrics and everything, he’s a remarkable man.”
– Prince Charles
