 An exciting feature of the local epicurean calendar, the Geelong Wine Pour will see many restaurants in Geelong and surrounds showcasing the region’s premium wines.
As part of Geelong’s renowned Toast to the Coast wine and food festival, the expanded Geelong Wine Pour will run for six weeks in 2010, from Friday 17 September until the end of the Toast to the Coast festival weekend Sunday 31 October.
More than 25 local restaurants will feature Geelong wines on their menus in a celebration of the region’s outstanding wineries. Restaurant patrons will enjoy the opportunity to savour and learn more about the rich viticultural bounty that sets this region apart from the rest of Australia.
Many restaurants will be offering special deals of wine by the glass to encourage diversity of tasting and some restaurants will also be featuring regional produce matched with local wine.
Geelong wineries recently achieved Best White Wine (Moorabool Ridge 2004 Semillon) and Best Red Wine (Bellarine Estate 2008 ‘Phil’s Fetish’ Pinot Noir), along with other accolades, at the 7th Annual Federation Square Wine Awards held on 4 August 2010.
Australia’s definitive wine guide, the James Halliday Wine Companion 2011, has rated many Geelong wines as amongst the best in Australia.
Geelong region wineries participating in the Geelong Wine Pour and the Toast to the Coast food and wine festival weekend include:
Moorabool Valley wineries: Austins Wines, Clyde Park Vineyard & Bistro, del Rios of Mt Anakie Winery, Lethbridge Wines, Moorabool Ridge, Provenance Wines, Spence Wines.
Surf Coast wineries: Barwon Ridge Wines, Bellbrae Estate (Longboard), Brown Magpie Wines, Dinny Goonan Wines, Gosling Creek Wines (Kinsella's Bridge Winery), Otway Estate Winery & Brewery, Pettavel Winery & Restaurant, Waybourne Wines, Wolseley Wines.
Wineries of The Bellarine: Banks Road Vineyard, Bellarine Estate Winery & Brewery, Finesse Wines, Grassy Point Wines (Coatsworth Wines), Jack Rabbit Vineyard, Leura Park Estate, Marcus Hill Vineyard, McGlashan's Wallington Estate, Mermerus Vineyard, Oakdene Vineyards, Restaurant & Cellar Door, Wyuna Park Vineyard & Garden.
DIARY DATES
Geelong Wine Pour: Friday 17 September until Sunday 31 October 2010 (participating restaurants and special events will be published on the Geelong Wine website in early September).
Toast to the Coast festival weekend: Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 October 2010 (program will be published on the Geelong Wine website in September).
Join the Toast to the Coast mailing list to receive updates about the Geelong Wine Pour and the Toast to the Coast festival weekend: email info@winegeelong.com.au with the subject 'Toast mailing list'.
 Celebrate Geelong's premium cool climate wines and regional produce. From The Bellarine and the Surf Coast, across to the Moorabool Valley and surrounds, our wineries invite you to charge your glasses and Toast to the Coast.
The renowned Toast to the Coast wine and food festival will be held on Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 October 2010 at various wineries across the Geelong region. Enjoy two days of fun, food, wine and entertainment amongst the vines.
Entry to all venues is free. For $25 guests receive a souvenir Toast to the Coast wine glass that can be used for tastings across the weekend at all participating wineries.
Host winery venues for the 2010 Toast to the Coast (with guest wineries listed)
Moorabool Valley wineries:
Austins Wines (with guest Darriwill Farm - local produce)
Clyde Park Vineyard & Bistro
del Rios of Mt Anakie Winery
Lethbridge Wines
Moorabool Ridge
Provenance Wines (with guest Darriwill Farm - local produce)
Spence Wines
Surf Coast wineries:
Bellbrae Estate (Longboard) (with guest wineries Gosling Creek Wines and Otway Estate Winery & Brewery)
Brown Magpie Wines
Pettavel Winery & Restaurant (with guest wineries Barwon Ridge Wines, Waybourne Wines, Barrgowan Vineyard, Finesse Wines and Wayawu Estate)
Wolseley Wines (with guest winery Dinny Goonan Wines)
Wineries in The Bellarine:
Banks Road Vineyard
Bellarine Estate Winery & Brewery
Leura Park Estate (with guest winery Jack Rabbit Vineyard)
McGlashan's Wallington Estate
Mermerus Vineyard (with guest wineries Grassy Point Wines, Marcus Hill Vineyard and Wyuna Park Vineyard & Garden)
Oakdene Vineyards, Restaurant & Cellar Door
As part of Toast to the Coast, the Geelong Wine Pour will see many restaurants in Geelong and surrounds showcasing premium wines from the above wineries during the six week lead-up to the festival weekend.
DIARY DATES
Geelong Wine Pour: The expanded Geelong Wine Pour will run from Friday 17 September until Sunday 31 October 2010 (participating restaurants and special events will be published on the Geelong Wine website in early September).
Toast to the Coast festival weekend: Saturday 30 and Sunday 31 October 2010 (program will be published on the Geelong Wine website in September).
Join the Toast to the Coast mailing list to receive updates about the Toast to the Coast festival weekend and the Geelong Wine Pour: email 105,110,102,111,64,119,105,110,101,103,101,101,108,111,110,103,46,99,111,109,46,97,117 with the subject 'Toast mailing list'.
 The Geelong wine region will launch the new 2010/2011 Fed Square Wine Showcase series on 1 and 2 September 2010.
Whether you're a wine buff or enjoy discovering new wines, you can taste some of Victoria's finest drops at Federation Square. Rub shoulders with the winemakers, enjoy the latest offerings from their cellar door and help judge the 'People's Choice' for best wines.
Geelong region wineries attending:
Austins Wines
Bellarine Estate Winery
Bellbrae Estate and Longboard
Clyde Park Vineyard
Leura Park Estate
Marcus Hill Vineyard
Oakdene Wines
Pettavel Winery
Provenance Wines
2010/2011 Fed Square Wine Showcase featuring the Geelong Wine region
Where: The Atrium, Federation Square, Melbourne
When: Wednesday 1 and Thursday 2 September 2010, 4.30pm - 8.30pm, featuring the Geelong wine region and Henty wine region
Tickets: $25 including a signature tasting from participating restaurants (+$2 glass deposit), tickets available at the door
Time: 4.30pm - 8.30pm
The 2010/2011 Federation Square Wine Showcase series will feature a public wine tasting from a different Victorian wine region each month to promote an industry that employs 12,000 Victorians and contributes $1.58 billion to the Victorian economy. The Fed Square Wine Showcase is supported by Regional Development Victoria.
Read more.
 Treat Dad to a relaxing afternoon of five courses of fresh and seasonal produce at Geelong's highly acclaimed Pettavel Winery & Restaurant.
When: Sunday 5 September 2010
Where: Pettavel Winery & Restaurant, 65 Pettavel Road, Waurn Ponds, Geelong
Price: $80 per person ($110 with matching wines). Under 12 yrs menu $39 per child
View the flyer (linked at top of page) and visit www.pettavel.com.
Bookings and enquiries, telephone 5266 1120 or email events@pettavel.com.
Upcoming Events at Pettavel 2010  Geelong vignerons Peter and Lizette Kenny of Bellarine Estate Winery are about to embark on their latest fundraising adventure with the team from Duckoutback. On 13 September 2010 they are setting out in their 1980 Valiant Wagon on the Cystic Fibrosis Great Escape. The rally takes in some great outback locations as it traverses across Southern Australia from Echuca to Bateman’s Bay via Kangaroo Island.
The 10 day adventure is all about raising funds for vital research into Cystic Fibrosis. Liz Kenny says,“This is fundraising and having fun at the same time. You meet great people and see places you would never see, while raising funds for CF and supporting small local communities along the way.”
They have three cars, one support vehicle and nine crew going on the journey with them. One of the crew is making the trip all the way from the US to enjoy the experience and help raise funds. The Duckoutback team is trying to be the highest fund raising team and have set a target of $12K. Any help they can
get would be greatly appreciated.
Peter and Liz are selling advertising space on the cars to raise funds and have reserved the bonnet on the Valiant for a Geelong Wine Display. The display will remain on the bonnet of the car for 12 months and hopefully will get the Geelong Wine Region some valuable promotion along the way.
Other advertising spots are available and if anyone would like to discuss them or knows of someone who might be interested in taking out advertising space for a donation to Cystic Fibrosis, please call or email Peter Kenny.
Peter Kenny, Managing Director, Bellarine Estate, tel.0407 733 610/ (03) 5259 3310 or email pkenny@bellarineestate.com.au.
For further details on the Duckoutback please visit: http://www.everydayhero.com.au/duckoutback or http://www.thegreatescape.org.au.
 Meet the people behind the wine. Enjoy fine food at its best.
Celebrating the finest the Bellarine has to offer, the Vue Grand is proud to present a series of Winter Wine Dinners showcasing innovative food matched effortlessly to hand-picked regional wines. The series features wines of the Bellarine, incorporating new and back vintage comparisons, new release wines and interactive discussion.
Friday 18 June - Banks Road
Friday 23 July - Curlewis Winery
Friday 27 August - Oakdene
Friday 17 September - Leura Park Estate
Venue: Vue Grand Hotel, 46 Hesse Street, Queenscliff. Visit www.vuegrand.com.au.
Cost: $95 per person
Bookings: Tel. 5258 1544 or email info@vuegrand.com.au
Wines available for purchase on the evening. Accommodaion packages also available.
Bellarine Winter Wine Series at the Vue Grand  Due to popular demand!
New series of master classes with award winning Executive Chef of Oakdene Restaurant, Welshman Marty Chichester
5 July until 15 November 2010
Monday nights, 6.30 pm until 9.30 pm.
Includes sit down dinner with matching wines, Master Chef apron and the secrets to cooking fine food.
$120 per session.
You can book single or multiple classes today. Limited places only, phone 03 5255 1255
For session dates and information, visit www.oakdene.com.au.
Oakdene Vineyards, 255 Grubb Road Wallington, Ocean Grove.
 The Geelong Region was well represented in the winners’ circle at the 2010 Federation Square Wine Awards.
Bellarine Estate Winery was awarded Best Red Wine and Best Pinot Noir with its 2008 'Phil’s Fetish' Pinot Noir. They achieved the Best Red Wine award for the second year running. Bellarine Estate also recently received back-to-back 5 Star ratings in James Halliday’s Wine Companion, further cementing its position as one of the outstanding wineries in Australia.
Best White Wine and Best Semillon were awarded to Moorabool Ridge Winery for its 2004 Semillon.
Owner of Bellarine Estate Winery Peter Kenny said “The decision in 2007 to invest in a state of the art winery and hire our own winemaker Anthony Brain has paid handsome dividends. In the three short years we have been making our own wine our reds have topped their class each year.”
Winemaker Anthony Brain commented “The vineyard site is one of the best Terrior’s in the country it produces depth of colour and flavour in red wines that I haven’t experienced anywhere else in Australia. We handpick all our fruit and process it in small batches to provide that added complexity in our wines and the rewards are showing.”
Read more about these award-winning wineries at www.bellarineestate.com.au and www.mooraboolvalley.com.au/ridge.
Other Geelong finalists included Austins Wines (www.austinswines.com.au), Oakdene Vineyards (www.oakdene.com.au) and Provenance Wines (www.provenancewines.com.au).
The 2010 Federation Square Wine Awards are the culmination of the 2009/2010 Federation Square Wine Showcase series, which featured a public wine tasting from a different Victorian wine region each month to promote an industry that employs 12,000 Victorians and contributes $1.58 billion to the Victorian economy. The Fed Square Wine Showcase is supported by Regional Development Victoria.
The Geelong wine region and the Henty wine region will launch the new 2010/2011 Wine Showcase series on 1 and 2 September 2010.
Whether you're a wine buff or enjoy discovering new wines, you can taste some of Victoria's finest drops at Federation Square. Rub shoulders with the winemakers, enjoy the latest offerings from their cellar door and help judge the 'People's Choice' for best wines.
2010/2011 Fed Square Wine Showcase Series
Where: The Atrium, Federation Square, Melbourne
When: 1st Wednesday and Thursday of every month, 4.30pm - 8.30pm, commencing with the Geelong wine region and Henty wine region on 1 and 2 September 2010
Tickets: $25 including a signature tasting from participating restaurants (+$2 glass deposit), tickets available at the door
Time: 4.30pm - 8.30pm
Read more.
Fed Square Wine Awards 2010 Winners  Saturday Acoustic Sessions
Visit Shadowfax Winery, try the latest releases at cellar door, and relax with a glass of wine and something delicious off their menu while listening to the talented musicians.
Date: Every Saturday, 1 pm until 4 pm
Location: Shadowfax Winery, K Road, Werribee
Phone: 03 9731 4420. Bookings recommended.
Sunday Jazz Sessions
Enjoy the sweet sounds of Stoneflower Trio and the Paul Rettke Trio each Sunday at the cellar door. Kick back and enjoy a bottle of wine, delicious wood fired pizza and antipasto plates in the superb surrounds.
Date: Every Sunday, from 12.30 pm
Location: Shadowfax Winery, K Road, Werribee
Contact: 03 9731 4420. Bookings recommended.
More at www.shadowfax.com.au.
 This wine appreciation course is offered through The Gordon and delivered on site at Lethbridge Wines by the owner and winemaker, Ray Nadeson. Ray not only owns his own winery, but consults and makes wine for a number of the wineries in the region and is a recognised wine judge.
This course is suitable for those who have a desire to improve their knowledge of wine or for people working in hospitality with a need to further their wine knowledge. The content includes basic wine tasting techniques, wine styles, grape varieties, production methods, wine regions and matching wine to food. Visiting the vineyard may also give you the opportunity to experience some aspects of the winemaking processes first hand.
Content
Session 1 Introduction to basic wine tasting techniques
Session 2 Tasting and discussing white wines
Session 3 Tasting and discussing red wines
Course 1
Date: Sundays 8 - 22 August 2010
Course 2
Date: Sundays 3 - 17 October 2010
Time: 1 pm - 4 pm
Duration: 3 classes
Venue: Lethbridge Wines, 74 Burrows Rd, Lethbridge. (approx. 33 km from Geelong CBD). Visit http://www.lethbridgewines.com.au
Cost: $195
For further details and to enrol, see linked course guide above (page 15 for course details and page 20 to enrol) or visit http://www.gordontafe.edu.au.
The Gordon Short Course Guide July-December 2010  Experience a ‘hands on’ cooking class with Pettavel’s Executive Chef Lyndon Betts, then enjoy your culinary masterpieces for dinner with a glass of Pettavel estate grown wine.
Geelong's highly acclaimed Pettavel Winery & Restaurant has launched their 2010 Cooking Class Series and classes are already booking fast.
Executive Chef Lyndon Betts will be conducting the renowned classes, with tempting topics such as ‘Divine Desserts, ‘Slow Food’, ‘Creative Canapés Made Easy’, ‘Fabulous Fast Food’ and ‘Classic Spanish Cuisine’ to name a few.
Pettavel has conducted cooking classes throughout the winter months since 2004, and each year had an overwhelming response. Last year, over 300 food enthusiasts participated. Classes are suited to both beginners and practised cooks, and offer eager food lovers a ‘hands-on’ experience behind the scenes in the Pettavel kitchen. They then delight in their culinary masterpieces as they dine in the restaurant with fellow class acquaintances.
Lyndon says “I am looking forward to meeting this years contenders and teaching them some of my tricks of the trade. Many of the participants have dined at Pettavel before, so feel quite special when they come behind the scenes into the kitchen to see what it is that we do”.
Classes will be conducted on Tuesday evenings throughout July and to August. Classes are $100 per person, which includes a workbook of Pettavel recipes, dinner and a glass of Pettavel's own estate grown wine.
View the attached Pettavel 2010 Cooking Class Series program and visit www.pettavel.com. Interested cooking devotees can telephone 5266 1120 or email enquires to events@pettavel.com.
Pettavel 2010 Cooking Class Series  International Wine Challenge 2010
Great news for Geelong wine - Leura Park Estate went head-to-head with the world’s finest at the recent International Wine Challenge (IWC) 2010 in London and is now officially classified as producing two of the best wines in the world. The local vineyard’s hand picked Block 1 Reserve Chardonnay 2008 took out Silver and its Pinot Noir 2008 took out Bronze in the 27th annual IWC, which is heralded as the world’s most prestigious and influential independent wine competition. IWC 2010 saw a record number of 46 countries - and more than 4,000 wines from around the world – enter the challenge.
Director of Leura Park Estate, David Sharp said to be benchmarked and achieve medal status against the best wines in the world was extremely exciting.
“We entered two wines – our reserve BLOCK 1 Chardonnay (nicknamed ‘Blockbuster’) and our Pinot Noir out of curiosity more than anything to be honest – to see how they ranked against the rest of the world. It’s all very well to believe in your own wine but to have that belief verified on the international stage is particularly gratifying,” Mr Sharp said.
“We are delighted with the results - essentially it’s undisputable confirmation that Leura Park Estate wines are up there with the best in the world.”
Mr Sharp said the medals would also contribute to the Geelong region’s reputation as an outstanding force in Australian wine.
“Increasingly, Geelong wines are regarded as flagship representations of premium Australian wine. To contribute to this reputation is an honour as my wife and I are so passionate about this region and all it has to offer.”
Mr Sharp said both the Block 1 chardonnay and the Pinot Noir plantations were derived from top clones, planted in 1995 which had evolved to consistently demonstrate excellence in all respects – from vine to bottle.
“A key contributing factor to the quality of the wines is the viticultural approach adopted here at Leura Park Estate - for us, it’s not about achieving maximum possible yield from any of our vines. Each year, we cull our grapes with great gusto, a practice which ultimately ensures maximum intensity of flavour,” he said.
“Both the Block 1 and the Pinot Noir are truly magnificent cool climate wines which display all the wonderful characteristics the avid wine connoisseur could ask for in the two different varietals.”
The IWC 2010 judges comments reinforce this:
Block 1 Chardonnay 2008
‘Open with white stone fruits, peach and apricot on the nose. Juicy and fruity with a nicely formed acid backbone. Fresh fruit on a soft, creamy finish’
Pinot Noir 2008
‘Serious and complex on the nose – perfumed and smoky with dark chocolate and raspberry character. Velvety softness and a silky finish.’
Mr Sharp said the wines were a credit to winemaker, Ray Nadeson, Australian Winemaker of the Year Finalist 2009.
“Ray is renowned for his innovative approach to winemaking, key features of which include whole bunch pressing, wild yeast fermentation, hand sourced premium oak and minimal interference.”
Block 1 Chardonnay retails for $32 and the Pinot Noir for $28.95 at the Leura Park Estate Cellar Door – 1400 Portarlington Road, Curlewis.
For further information, please contact:
Lyndsay Sharp
Leura Park Estate
0438 54 1169
17 June 2010.
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