essentials magazine summer 2011

issue 22 summer 2011 www.essentialsmagazine.com.au

Price:FREE

John Peter

RUSSELLAustralia’s own Impressionist

The Green ShedEast meets west in Beechworth

Victoria’s Great Alpine Valleys

Ultimate Summer Touring Guide

Spoil yourself and your significant others, in a world of unique opulence and 5 STAR luxury at Freeman on Ford in historic Beechworth. Experience this award winning, iconic establishment where history is interwoven with sensational decor. Stay in the centre of town, and enjoy exquisite shopping choices and well-known eateries – surround yourself with style. Whether you choose one of our traditional Victorian rooms, or a new deluxe suite, your accommodation will stand alone in quality and integrity. Indulge in the fantasy of being spoilt like a King or Queen. Freeman on Ford is Beechworth’s first and currently, only 5 STAR boutique hotel. There are seven en suite rooms all offering use of the pool and grand living areas. Secure undercover parking is available onsite.

Gift vouchers now available.

97 Ford Street, Beechworth, Victoria • tel +61 3 5728 2371 • www.freemanonford.com.au

EXPECT THE EXCEPTIONAL

Stolz FurnishersStolz Furnishers, 70 Nunn Street, Benalla, Victoria. Tel. 03 5762 2011Stolz Furnishers, 15 Highett Street, Mansfield, Victoria. Tel. 03 5775 2688Stolz Sleep Zone, 56 Carrier Street, Benalla, Victoria. Tel. 03 5762 6311www.stolz.com.au

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PREMIUM PROPERTY

SETTLER’S BOUTIQUE ACCOMMODATIONOXLEY, NORTH EAST VICTORIA

In the heart of the Milawa Gourmet Region & King Valley – Wines, Gourmet Food & Produce, Bicycle Rail Trail & Tourist Mecca.

A unique opportunity for a wonderful lifestyle property with income, set in beautiful North

East Victoria with its Mediterranean climate, Settler’s Boutique Accommodation is located in the historic village of Oxley on the King River, overlooking adjacent vineyards Settler’s was designed on solar passive principals with low-maintenance upkeep in mind. Three fully self-contained spacious cottages (6 bedrooms) easily run by one or a couple, offers the best mix of lifestyle with income Completed in 2009 – now established three years, Settler’s is proving to be very popular with guests and enjoys repeat clientele. It has that certain ‘WOW’ factor resulting in strong growth with heaps of potential offering a secure investment Owners John & Helen Fawcett love it… but the time has come to retire. So the property is on the market with all fittings, quality furnishings and business infrastructure – including professionally built website (self-managed), forward marketing and bookings in place

Freehold & Business WIWO $790,000 Deposit: 10% Terms: 90 Days

Visit www.settlerscottages.com.au to see more. Call us on 0429 771 574 for further enquiries.

milawa gourmet region

14

magazine summer 2011 page 7

COVER: John RussellIn the morning, Alpes Maritimes from

Antibes 1890-91oil on canvas, 60.3 x 73.2 cm

National Gallery of Australia, CanberraPurchased 1965

features14 East Meets West Meets East – The Green Shed22 Colour & Grace – Summer recipes matched to Yileena Park Wines30 For Love of Marianna – John Peter Russell38 The Great Alpine Valleys – Summer touring guide

food & drink20 Skyhigh at 490metres – Dining with new release wines21 The Food Seductress – The Garden Chef Cafe32 Riding a Rutherglen Red – Warrabilla Wines

art30 For Love of Marianna – John Peter Russell

discovery12.5 Heads of Tails! From Puglia to Oxley – Ciavarella Wines28 Niche Skincare Studio – High-tech skin rejuvenation36 Myrtleford Visitor Centre, Alpine Gate Cafe – Myrtleford, Love the Life

regulars8 Food News 9 Travel News10 Regional Bites

East Meets West Meets East – The Green Shed 14

The essentials team chooses to drink:

managing editorJamie Durrant

sub editorTony Kleu

arts editorIvan Durrant

advertising | salesJamie DurrantTel 0419 006 391

graphic design | art directionJamie Durrant

advertising creativeThe Durrant Agency

writersJamie Durrant, Gilbert Labour, Varia Karipoff, Jacqui Durrant, Holly Jones, Ivan Durrant

recipesRichard Verrocchio, Nathan Ackland, Megan Chalmers

photographersJamie Durrant, Charlie Brown, Georgina James

additional photographs & contentEssentials would like to thank the followingcontributors for additional content and images:Llawela Forrest @ Run Forrest, National Gallery of Australia, Warrabilla Wines, Ciavarella Wines, Myrtleford Chamber of Commerce Inc.

[email protected]

[email protected]

our websiteswww.essentialsmagazine.com.auwww.issuu.com/essentialsmagazine

publisherEssentials Magazine Pty LtdACN: 132 426 576PO Box 967, Benalla, Victoria 3672Tel 03 5762 3485

All photographs and text are the property of Essentials Magazine and or the rightful copyright holders. Under no circumstances are they to be reprinted or published by any means whatsoever without written permission of the editor. While we always try to clear and confirm all editorial content (both text and photographs) before publishing, we welcome the opportunity to correct any errors or omissions. The opinions of the contributors and/or columnists are not necessarily those of the publisher. Essentials aims to please and support the North East region via pleasurable and positive content. Every effort is made to confirm event and calendar dates and factual information, although at times please understand that errors can occur – we’re only human!Essentials strongly recommends travellers phone event managers and tourist operators to confirm dates and events before enjoying the fruits of this region. Essentials Advance Plus cardholders are required to register their cards online. We welcome your reviews, letters, feedback and support.

Price in Australia: FREE at selected touristlocations, $64.95 24-month subscription via www.essentialsmagazine.com.au

This issue: No. 22 – summer 2011

(The next edition of Essentials will be written entirely in hobo code.)

Essentials Magazine is printed in Australia by GEON Impact Printing.

foodnews

magazine summer 2011 page 8 magazine summer 2011 page 9

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Melbourne’s love affair with Japanese cuisine has been sent to the next level. Kumo Izakaya (at the funky end of Lygon Street in East Brunswick) has fast become the hottest new izakaya dining spot, offering a contemporary Japanese dining experience with food, drinks and a space that excites. Heading up the project is Japanophile and sake professional Andre Bishop. A name on the Melbourne bar scene for over a decade, Andre has been behind some of Melbourne’s best Japanese dens, including Robot Bar and multi-award winning Asian-themed bar Golden Monkey, as well as Nihonshu Shochu & Sake Bar (all CBD), and the much-loved Izakaya Chuji (CBD and South Melbourne). Kumo Izakaya’s kitchen is led by female duo Akimi Iguchi (previously at Yu-U and Bar Lourinhã), and Eriko Hamabe (previously at Kobe Jones and Royal George Hotel) whose skills have been receiving rave reviews. The venture mixes urban Melbourne with modern izakaya chic in a venue that offers a private tatami room, a 26-seat communal table and a mezzanine bar area for 25. And that’s just for starters. Kumo is here!

Dinner: Monday-Sunday, 5.30-11.30pmLunchtime bentos: Saturday & Sunday noon-3pm

152 Lygon Street, East Brunswick Tel 03 9388 1505 www.kumoizakaya.com.autwitter: @kumoizakaya

Award-winning artisan ice-cream maker Kohu Road has introduced 500ml tubs for summer. More than just ice-cream, this gourmet treat from New Zealand is made using the purest ingredients and is available in five flavours, including our favourites, raspberry and golden syrup. Available from Thomas Dux and selected IGA stores. www.kohuroad.co.nz

Open daily

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KUMOIZAKAYA&SAKEBAR

travelnews

GEELONG-BELLARINETASTETRAILNow that summer is here there couldn’t be a better time to head to the picturesque Geelong-Otway Region and experience the bounty on Victoria’s doorstep. A good place to start is the Bellarine Taste Trail, whose highlights include Drysdale, Portarlington, St Leonards, Queenscliff and Barwon Heads. Australia’s mussel farming capital, Portarlington, is famed for its Aussie blues – a must-try – and held in high regard for its sustainable farming methods. You can’t visit the region without sampling the locally made Drysdale goat’s cheese which you will find on the menu at the acclaimed Loam restaurant and at the Bellarine Estate winery cellar door, which recently opened up its brewery for public tours. If you plan to linger a while, spend a night at one of Queenscliff’s most recognisable landmarks, the Vue Grand. Steeped in history, and a multiple-award winner, this boutique hotel boasts stunning views and is the perfect place to re-energise. Key events coming up in the region include the Portarlington Mussel Festival, 8 January 2012, Wallington’s Strawberry Fair, 6 March 2012, and the Ocean Grove Apple Fair, 13 March 2012.

For more information and suggested itineraries visit www.thebellarinetastetrail.com.au

The Searoad Ferry MV Queenscliff, which has taken passengers from Queenscliff to Sorrento since 1993, has just undergone a $2 million refurbishment. The ferry service offers travellers the most relaxing route across Port Phillip Bay; the stunning scenery and occasional sighting of whales and dolphins make this transport of delight more than just convenience. www.searoad.com.au

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WARRABILLA WINES 6152 MURRAY VALLEY HWY RUTHERGLEN,VIC.

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IN THIS LIFE, VISIT THE HOME OF BIG WINE.

From the Dookie Hills in North East Victoria, this award-winning Tallis Viognier 2010 shows classic varietal aromas of fresh apricot, green pear and pineapple. With a beautifully clean and confident stone fruit and honeysuckle palate, this quality new release boasts additional layered barrel-fermented complexity. Served chilled for a great summer pick-me-up. Mail order gift packs now available. www.talliswine.com.au

tallis subbed copy needed

D A Y L E S F O R D P R O V E N D E R S The just-launched Daylesford Provenders brings

together some of the region’s most outstanding food

producers and artisan beauty products, creating a

range of stunning box-hampers. The main focus is on

foodie treats, with a few relaxation delights too – after

all, Daylesford is Australia’s spa capital, where food

and relaxation go hand in hand. Daylesford Provenders

caters for a range of budgets and delivers throughout

Australia. Prices range from $59 to $185 and you can

order online at www.daylesfordprovenders.com.au

MONTALTO SCULPTURE PRIZEAcclaimed as the state’s Top Tourism Winery 2011 by Tourism Victoria, Montalto Vineyard and Olive Grove offers a superb restaurant, a rustic piazza with garden café, and award-winning wines. But this Mornington Peninsula gem is about more than just food and wine. From 19 February to 29 April 2012, Montalto will showcase 26 pieces of artwork in its annual sculpture competition. There’s a $20,000 first prize to be won and a people’s choice award of $1000 to vote for, so go along and pick a favourite – you could make the difference!

33 Shoreham Road, Red Hill South,Victoria www.montalto.com.au

regionalbites ..

OPEN 7 DAYS – 137 BELMORE ST, YARRAWONGA, VICTORIA • TEL. 03 5743 1922 • www.cooperspies.com.au

• Premium Handmade Pies & Pastries • Fair Trade Red Star Coffee• Fully licensed • Childrens Play Area


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MONTALTO SCULPTURE PRIZE

Open daily, Mon-Sat 9am-6pm, Sun 10am-6pm • 17 Evans Lane, Oxley, Victoria • Tel. 03 5727 3384 www.oxleyestate.com.au • [email protected]

New releases:2009 Fortified Durif NV Premium Muscat

regionalbites..

Cooper’s pies are made from hand-cut meat and vegetables, using as much locally-sourced produce as possible. Mother and daughter team Kirsty and Judy Heather insist ‘they wouldn’t be the same otherwise’. As a café with a home-style Australian country menu, Cooper’s Handmade Pies sometimes struggles to keep up with demand for customer favourites. The Cornish pasties, made to Nanna Cooper’s family recipe, are always snapped up. It’s a similar story with the minted lamb and pea pie topped with rosemary and served with tomato relish, which tastes like a mini Sunday roast. The lamb is raised at nearby Warragoon by Kirsty’s

uncle David Cooper; Judy grows many of the herbs and vegetables herself. It’s all part of an environmentally friendly philosophy that includes recycling, composting and using biodegradable packaging. Yarrawonga is carving a niche for itself as a specialty shopping destination within the Goulburn-Murray region. And with 40 stores trading on Sundays alone, Cooper’s Handmade Pies ensures that no one has to shop on an

empty stomach.

137 Belmore Street, Yarrawonga, VictoriaTel 03 5743 1922www.cooperspies.com.au

C O O P E R ’ S H A N D M A D E P I E S

Whoever said beer is not an essential food group has not, as yet, experienced the new collection of limited release brews from Beechworth’s Bridge Road Brewers. The ballsy single-hop IPAs, named for the varieties used to brew them, sound like a pair of troublesome twins – and Stella and Galaxy are as big as their names suggest. With a bright, fresh and pleasantly grassy aroma, the Stella IPA is perhaps the prettier of the pair, with a floral aroma aiding an otherwise super-tough but thirst-quenching palate. The influence of the galaxy hops has produced a well-balanced, approachable, yet still very powerful brew that shines with its soft, creamy, almost lagerish mouth feel. If an in-yer-face India pale ale isn’t enough to keep the colonies happy, there’s the new 750ml Chevalier Saison Noir. Brandishing a big, dark roasted grain, its chocolatey depth balanced with the sweeter saison yeast aromas, this is a one class-leading new beer – just in time for the Christmas table. www.bridgeroadbrewers.com.au


In the corner of the tasting room at Ciavarella’s Oxley Estate winery stands an old 10-gallon glass demijohn. In

Australia, four generations of the Ciavarella family – Cyril, his sons, his father and grandfather – have all made wine in this vessel. It is a reminder of the family’s old-world winemaking tradition, accrued from preceding generations who made wine in the family’s ancestral home of Puglia, a southern agricultural province on the heel of the Italian boot. Cyril’s father, Michele, left Italy in 1926 with his brother and father. Life in Italy was difficult, and they looked to a new future for their family. While many of their countrymen were migrating to America and Argentina, a few ventured to Australia. The family debated whether to go to Australia or America. In the end, the outcome was determined by the toss of a coin. In their hometown of San Marco in Lamis, the Ciavarella family had led a village life, travelling into the surrounding countryside to work the land. Among Puglia’s vineyards and olive groves they had tended goats and grown vegetables. Wine – typically made from red grapes such as primitivo, malvasia nera, and the ‘king’ of Pugliese grapes, negroamaro – was always made for the table. In 1926, the three Ciavarella men landed in Melbourne, spending their first night camped under trees in the Fitzroy Gardens – promoted as a good, safe place to camp when you first arrived. They spoke no English, and in this era before post-war migration, other Italians were few and far between.

The grape varieties may differ from those grown by the Ciavarella family’s Italian forebears, but at Oxley Estate, the spirit of their Pugliese heritage lives on.

At first they made their way to Central Victoria, cutting timber, clearing land, and camping rough. The rustic stone houses of Italy gave way to tents cobbled together from bits of tarp, saplings and the like. With no vehicle, the men often left behind what they could not carry to the next job. Harking back to the cucina povera of traditional Pugliese peasant culture, much of what they ate came from the bush, with rabbit and fish being staples. Michele recounted how one day they discovered a bottle of vino in a general store (or so their translation from English suggested). They had not tasted wine since leaving Italy, and it was a luxury they could ill afford. Nevertheless, the bottle was bought and opened with Sunday lunch, only to discover that it was not wine at all, but vinegar. The translation was obviously too rough, but the ‘wine’ even rougher! For years they worked and saved, sending money home to feed their families in Italy, and in 1935 they brought their wives out to be with them. The Ciavarellas soon returned to a more traditional way of life, at first growing vegetables in the Riverina, before Michele bought an orchard in the Goulburn Valley, also planting six hectares of shiraz to supply local wineries. Despite having no formal training in horticulture, Michele possessed a sixth sense about viticulture. In the early days, when he spread cow manure in his orchard, those around him thought he had lost his marbles. When they saw the fruit he grew, they began to follow suit. Michele’s green thumb was inherited by his son Cyril, who grew up

helping out in the paddock with his siblings. He also watched his mother making bread, cheese, soap, and the meals for which all assembled at the dining table. His father made wine for the table, and a small glass of red was part of every meal, as were pasta and bread. Cyril’s need to grow things was satisfied when he planted vines in 1978 in Oxley. The initial plan was to sell the grapes, but inevitably he began dabbling in winemaking in the home shed. His passion grew, and the first wines under the Ciavarella Oxley Estate label were made in 1992. Today the varieties of grapes and the styles of wine made by Ciavarella Oxley Estate are a world away from those Cyril’s family made for their dinner tables in Puglia, and their early efforts in Australia. The crisp riesling is beyond anything his father could create in the old brandy barrels he once searched so hard to obtain. Their award-winning chardonnay draws on winemaking techniques too sophisticated for the fashioner of simple reds. The Ciavarella Oxley Estate Durif, which has garnered a loyal following, is made from an old French variety unknown to Cyril’s forebears. However, the sentiment in the Ciavarella family’s winemaking remains unchanged: that wine is a constant part of life, an important part of the meal that brings people together around a table to share the business of the day.

Ciavarella Oxley Estate 17 Evans Lane, Oxley, VictoriaTel 03 5727 3384www.oxleyestate.com.au

HEADS OR TAILS! FROM PUGLIA TO OXLEY

LEFT: A young Cyril Ciavarella drives the tractor while his older brother, Don, works a single furrow plough to prepare their father’s 6-hectare shiraz vineyard in the Goulburn Valley, c1950. Cyril’s sons Tony and Michael were the tractor drivers when Cyril prepared his soils for their Oxley Estate vineyard in the late 1970s.

TOP: Family friend Luigi Monte with Michele Ciavarella, his brother Luigi and father Donato, taking a Sunday break (in the form of a card game) from clearing timber in 1927. The tent was their mobile home in their early days in Australia. The night’s dinner, a hare, hangs from the tent pole.

magazine summer 2011 page 12.5

WORDS JACQUI DURRANT PHOTOGRAPHY JAMIE DURRANT RECIPES MEGAN CHALMERS AND NATHAN ACKLAND

It’s easy to mistake global trade as a modern phenomenon – until one considers spices. Traded since antiquity,

spices became more widespread in medieval times as Muslim seafarers dominated trading routes throughout the Indian Ocean, sourcing spices in the Far East and shipping these to emporiums in India, from which they travelled westward to the Levant where overland routes led to Morocco and Europe. Europeans broke into the trade early in the 16th century when the Portuguese empire reached the Moluccas – the ‘Spice Islands’ of Indonesia. Extensive travel through Indonesia as a child first familiarised chef Megan Chalmers with such flavours. Now, as co-owner of The Green Shed bistro with husband Nathan Ackland, spices have become a shared fascination. ‘We love all the earthy spices,’ says Nathan. ‘Cinnamon, cardamom, vanilla, star anise, allspice, five-spice, fenugreek, turmeric.’ The Green Shed’s menu nods naturally towards Asia and Middle East, although this fact is not easily garnered from its historic setting. Located in the former printery of Beechworth’s long-

running Ovens and Murray Advertiser, the bistro’s atmosphere epitomises everything charming about this 1850s gold-rush town. Inside, the exposed timber shingles of the original roof, combined with ink-stained red brick walls that retain an original frieze of flaking green paint and chipped tiles, gives the restaurant’s two rooms a well-worn, comforting air. The entrée game here is about balance through juxtaposition. Silky prawn and trout dumplings arrive at the table in a broth of lemon-grass tea, topped with a crispy salad of wombok and Asian herbs. A timbale of river red gum smoked salmon (the smoky flavour unmistakably reminiscent of a riverside campfire), comes with a lime and ginger crème fraîche, avocado wasabi mousse wrapped in wafer-thin cucumber, and tiny cubes of tomato water jelly. Deeper, earthier flavours make a show in the mains. There’s a generous tagine of spatchcock rubbed with toasted ground coriander, cumin and ginger, served with braised fennel and potatoes. Along with the welcome addition of a quinoa salad, the real surprise of this dish

is to be found in a second accompaniment of smoked lemon yoghurt. Seared teriyaki Atlantic salmon encircled by opaque coconut bisque comes with an earthy medley of sautéed Asian mushrooms. The richess of this dish is satisfyingly moderated by pickled ginger, and snow pea salad with coriander foam. It’s best not to miss dessert at The Green Shed. A buttermilk and cinnamon panna cotta with Turkish delight and a chocolate pistachio pastry cigar forms a sweet postcard from the Middle East. Dumplings in sugar syrup infused with cardamom – a dish Anglicised from the Indian classic gulab jamun – is a memento of British India. Even the chocolate mousse served alongside a classic English orange pudding with a brandy snap is unexpectedly laced with ginger. The Green Shed’s lively wine list of Spanish, German and French labels, combined with Beechworth wines from Pennyweight, Fighting Gully Road, Golden Ball and the like, is rounded off with a cherrypick of other Australian wines

eastmeetswestmeetseast

An East-meets-West menu driven by earthy spices draws on a millennium of culinary history at The Green Shed, writes Jacqui Durrant.

[continued over]


River gum smoked salmon terrine with avocado, wasabi mousse and

tomato water jelly

‘travel through Indonesia as a

child first familiarised chef Megan

Chalmers with Asian flavours’{ }


including Italian varietals from the King Valley. A few off-the-radar bottles, such as the Syrocco Zenata syrah from Morocco, or a Gaba do Xil Godello, a white from Valdeorras, Spain, will please the more curious palates. In a town full of excellent restaurants, The Green Shed is dancing to its own culinary tune. Traditions are not slavishly followed, but culinary history is cause for inspiration and celebration. Reflecting on their approach, Nathan describes it as exploring ‘where food cultures have met and crossed over.’ The plating style may be European, but anyone tracing The Green Shed’s menu – which reaches from Indochina to India, through the Middle East to Morocco – will surely uncover the age-old spice route.

Open for lunch and dinner Wed-Sun37 Camp Street, Beechworth, VictoriaTel 03 5728 2360www.thegreenshed.com.au

Spiced Spatchcock Tagine

with roast fennel, potatoes, quinoa salad and smoked lemon yoghurt

SERVES 4

2 size 10 spatchcocks (½ spatchcock per serve)Tagine spice mix (recipe below)1 lt chicken stock4 desiree potatoes, peeled and cubed, roasted2 large fennel bulbs, cut in half and sliced into ½ cm wedgesZest of 1 lemonOlive oilSea salt

Tagine spice mix

2 tbs ground coriander2 tbs ground ginger2 tbs ground cumin2 tbs ground fennel2 tbs corn flour

Mix spices and flour together well

Quinoa Salad

4 cups cooked quinoa grain2 tomatoes deseeded and finely diced1 small red onion, diced½ bunch parsley, chopped2 tbs diced preserved lemon skin

Mix ingredients together. Salad should not require salt due to the preserved lemon, however do check and season lightly if required.

Smoked yoghurt

1kg natural Greek yoghurtZest of 2 lemons2 handfuls of smoking chips

Mix lemon and yoghurt together in a bowl that will rest on the rim of a pot. Heat wood chips in pot until smoky, place bowl on top of pot and cover tightly with foil so that no smoke can escape. Leaving the pot on a low heat, smoke for approx 10 minutes or until the yoghurt has a subtle smoked flavour.

Method

Remove wing tips and then breast meat from spatchcock. Remove marylands and cut through the knee joint. From each spatchcock you will have two breasts, two thigh pieces and two drumsticks, (leave bones in thigh and drumsticks).

Next, toss the portions in tagine spice mix, making sure that all are well covered.

Prepare fennel and toss in olive oil, lemon zest and season with sea salt; roast in oven at 180°C until golden.

Roast peeled and cubed potatoes in olive oil and sea salt.

Evenly disperse the roasted potato and fennel into four tagine bases and then place 1 piece each of thigh, drumstick and breast meat in each.

Pour in a little chicken stock to cover the bottom tagine. Ensure that the spatchcock portions are half-covered with stock and that the breast is placed skin upwards to ensure a nice roasted crust. Cook in high oven (200C) until meat is cooked through (25-35 minutes).

Serve with quinoa salad and smoked yoghurt.

[from page 14]

‘we’re looking at where

food cultures have met and

crossed over’{ }

Prawn and trout dumplings with an Asian wombok salad, crispy

shallots and lemongrass tea

Spiced orange pudding with orange syrup, ginger chocolate mouse and brandy snap tuielles

1 7 7 K i e w a V a l l e y H w y T a w o n g a , V i c t o r i aT e l . 0 3 5 7 5 4 4 4 9 5 B o o k i n g s r e c o m m e n d e d

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It’s always a pleasure to revisit Plunkett Fowles’ bright and airy cellar door

and restaurant situated just off the Hume Freeway in Avenel, Victoria. Once again it proves to be a rewarding and relaxing

experience. I arrive to find the venue pleasantly abuzz with a jovial lunch crowd, in early for a mid-week summer lunch, seemingly upbeat as to suggest that a soiree may follow; yes the long days and warm nights of summer have finally arrived. On the menu, beautifully re-packaged in clean modern lines and now sporting the topographic map in a cool graphite printed tone, the new release 490metres (entry level) range of wines. Paired to quality dishes created by chef Adele Aitken, featuring only the freshest of country ingredients, the wines soon open up and dance to a tune of gloriously crisp, well-blanched fruit flavours. Off to an impressive, cool-climate start is the 490metres 2011 Chardonnay matched to the crispy Atlantic salmon with housemade rocket pesto, creamy mash, roasted peppers and green beans. Bright and pleasantly acidic, the wine’s nose bursts from the glass with the best of summer fruit aromas: green apples, stone fruit and melon. An easy to drink, and explorative wine in which warm hints of apricot and punchy oak form a solid backbone to a round and soft, medium-weight palate. Combined with the salmon, the wine’s bolder oak depth is immediately softened further to a welcome balance. The fish is expertly cooked and tender. The roasted peppers and pesto combination colour the plate with a bright and salubrious Mediterranean appeal. Its presentation, is without doubt, a picture of beauty. Having wisely retained enough tummy space to sample Adele’s pan-fried duck with orange, fennel and hazelnut salad, I move on to the classic match: the 490metres 2010 Pinot Noir. As expected, the duck is tender, clean and flavoursome.

Skyhigh at 490metresWORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY JAMIE DURRANT

Dressed with an extraordinarily and immaculately designed orange and pomegranate reduction, the salad and duck become an enhanced delight of no less than biblical proportions. Yes, I’m willing to hold my ground on this one – however over the top my description may seem. Adele has simply nailed this dish; it’s a cracker! Also up to the bargain, the pinot presents as a neat balancing act with its classic varietal appeal of bright cherries and warmer violet tones. With a soft, round medium-weight palate it finishes with lingering chocolate and deeper cherry flavours. To finish, there’s the 490metres Frizzante (moscato style), a lightly sparkling Italian-influenced, sweeter wine expertly balanced with a clean, fresh-fruit cool climate acidity. Paired with an egg-yolk-coloured vanilla bean crème brûlée with strawberries (slowcooked) and homemade biscotti, the wine’s acidity nicely cuts through the silky richness of the crème brûlée and adds a defined summer freshness to the extended and lengthy, naturally sweetened flavour of the impeccable strawberries. For my money, 490metres Frizzante is perhaps the hero wine – the pick of the bunch. It could also be labelled as 490metres’ brand icon, as it highlights this new product range’s youthful and lively value-for-money edge. A must-have wine for summer, the Frizzante is approachable, truly versatile and a whole lot of fun. With warmer days on the up, it’s always great to discover a cool summer hideaway to share with close family and friends. With Plunkett Fowles’ cellar door and restaurant at hand there is no need to run too far into the hills. It’s an easily found summer delight just waiting to be enjoyed.

Open seven days a week from 9am to 5pm,serving breakfast until 11am and lunch between 11am and 3pm.

Tel 03 5796 2150 Lambing Gully Road (Cnr Hume Freeway), Avenel, Victoriawww.plunkettfowles.com.au


With the release of Plunkett Fowles’ new 490metres range of easy-drinking wines, Essentials’ Jamie Durrant explores their freshness and classic simplicity, matched to new cellar door restaurant menu options.

The Garden Chef Café is an island of good food surrounded by the sea of foliage that forms

Benalla’s lauded Green ’n Grow – one of the best independent nurseries in North East Victoria. To anyone but an ardent arborist it might seem a little off the beaten café track, but its pocket-sized restaurant floor and shady deck, where every table has a garden view, is also attracting diners who, though revelling in the leafy surrounds, otherwise couldn’t give a fig about gardening. Chef Tina Felton’s culinary roots lie in her French-Sicilian background which, given Sicily’s proximity to Tunisia, includes a fascination with some north-African flavours. Having learned her craft in several of the region’s best restaurants, she ran a catering company specialising in cross-cultural food. Her next move was to Seymour’s social justice oriented non-profit conference venue and retreat, Commonground, where for five years she cooked for people of all nationalities, tailoring menus to suit cultural preferences. At Commonground, Tina became accustomed to having an organic vegetable patch, and now she prefers to grow her own produce. Of course, as on any farm, the seasons and weather conditions limit crops. What she can’t harvest herself, she sources from like-minded producers, locally where possible. ‘I also keep a loose set menu which changes slightly every day, reflecting what’s available,’ says Tina. A warm chicken pesto salad with crispy proscutto, poached egg, white anchovies and croutons is a satisfying nod to the Caesar salad. I savoured a traditional Sicilian eggplant parmigiana in a rich ricotta and tomato sauce, served with slow-roasted cherry tomatoes and crispy battered baby zucchinis with their flowers.

WORDS JACQUI DURRANT PHOTOGRAPHY JAMIE DURRANT

There is always a frittata or rustic-styled tart of the day, the type depending on what’s in season. Since Tina welcomes a lot of travellers making a pit-stop off the Hume Highway for a light meal, she also serves café standards such as focaccias, dips with toasted Turkish bread, and savoury chicken sausage rolls. The rhubarb baklava layers a classic combination of rhubarb and orange zest with filo pastry, pistachios and honey; and like many of the desserts here, the dish relies on fruit rather than sugar for sweetness. But for those in search of greater decadence, cheesecake of one variety or another, made lighter for the addition of mascarpone, is usually on offer. Preserves and dressings such as blood orange jelly, Moroccan chili and lime dressing, and pistachio and lime aioli, are available for tasting and for purchase in gift-boxed sets. If you love the coffee, ground Allpress Espresso beans are also available. The dishes at the Garden Chef Café are generous and completely unpretentious. That’s Tina Felton’s approach to life and food. ‘Someone called me a food seductress,’ she laughs. ‘But that’s how I communicate with people: through my food. For me, cooking is more about love than profit. I work from the heart.’

Open: Tuesday-Sunday, 9.30am-4pm on weekdays, 9.30am-5pm weekends. Closed Mondays except public holidays, or for bookings by appointment.

At Green ’n Grown Nursery139 Grant Drive, Benalla, VictoriaTel 0427 666 [email protected]

The Food Seductress

subbed copy is placed


colour & grace

RECIPES RICHARD VERROCCHIO MODEL CHANEL EIASSENPHOTOGRAPHY JAMIE DURRANT AND RICHARD VERROCCHIO

Veteran North East chef Richard Verrocchio teams up with Yileena Park Wines of the Yarra Valley to present a delectable selection of gourmet bites, matched to their range of new release premium wines.


colour & grace

Yileena Park Pinot Noir 2006With venison carpaccio, porcini custard,

dandelion salad


Yileena Park Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

Inky deep cherry red in the glass and immediately smooth, silky and approachable on the palate, this wine boasts enormous depth of character, and is utterly lush and classy. Aromas of bright ripe cherries are warmed by darker blackberry and cooked prune fruit nuances – this wine simply smells divine. Deep, dark, yet extremely clean bramble fruit flavours offer a well balanced lengthy palate, sporting added layers of rich dark chocolate, mulberries and spice. A seamless, elegant wine.

With BBQ rosemary skewered lamb, lemon, honey and roast garlic dressingserves 8

500g lamb leg steaks8 x 4cm lengths rosemary tips1 lemon, juiced2 tbsp of honey4 tbsp olive oil1 head garlicExtra virgin olive oilSaltPepper

Method

For the dressing, roast the whole head of garlic in a 180C oven until soft (should take about 25 minutes). Once the garlic is done, slice it in half, squeeze out the caramelised contents and place in a bowl with the honey, 3 tablespoons olive oil and a good squeeze of lemon. Stir vigorously to combine.

Trim and dice the leg steaks into bite-sized chunks, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and season.

Heat a heavy-based frying pan and sear the lamb briefly on all sides, then place the lamb in the bowl with the dressing and toss.

Stab the lamb with the rosemary tips, arrange on a plate and drizzle with leftover dressing and lamb juices.

Yileena Park Merlot 2006

A deep brick-red colour with a luminous ruby brightness at the glass rim. With a predominatly savoury spice-driven nose, deep tertiary fruit characters of blackberry and dark plums are gently melded with the spice of cloves, nutmeg and black pepper, An impressive medium-weight palate of bright cherry and bramble fruit is clean and elegantly integrated with fine oak tannins. A classic food wine from the Yarra Valley.

With venison carpaccio, porcini custard, dandelion saladserves 8

300g venison tenderloin25g dried porcini mushrooms50ml milk95ml cream1 egg1 egg yolk1 lemon1 tbsp shaved parmesan1 handful of watercress leavesExtra virgin olive oilSaltPepper1 Turkish bread

Method

For the custard, soak the dried porcini mushrooms in 50ml warm milk. Give them about 30 minutes to release their flavour then combine with the eggs and cream using a stick blender, and season. Cook the mixture in a double boiler until thick. Pass through a fine sieve.

Wash the watercress leaves and place on some paper towel in the fridge. The leaves are very tender and bruise easily.

Slice the venison as thinly as possible; try to shave slices using the tip of a sharp knife. Slice the bread into 5mm slices and lightly pan fry in olive oil on both sides.

Spread a thin layer of custard on the toasted bread then lay venison and watercress leaves alternately along it. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil and small dots of the leftover custard.

(Note: there will be custard left, but it is difficult to make in smaller quantities.)



Yileena Park Pinot Noir 2006

A fuller-bodied pinot featuring rich flavours of dark cherry and plum with subtle violet tones, also showing dusky fine-grained tannins in keeping with its bottle age. The terroir of Yileena Park’s Christmas Hills vineyard has a tendency to produce riper flavour profiles than many other Yarra Valley vineyards. A pinot with a grander structure and mouth feel than the norm, boasting classic varietal appeal.

With jamón and parsley salad, white bean puree, toasted baguetteserves 8

8 slices jamón½ cup dried cannellini beans, soaked for 24 hours in 3 cups of water1 lemon, juiced¼ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley1 clove of garlic peeledExtra virgin olive oilSaltPepper1 fresh baguette

Method

Preheat oven to 200C.

Place rehydrated cannellini beans into a saucepan with plenty of water, bring to the boil and cook until they are quite tender. Once cooked, strain and reserve the liquid.

Place the hot beans in a food processor and blend on high until smooth. Add about 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, salt and a small amount of pepper. At this point you may have to add some of the bean liquid to loosen up the puree. Once satisfied with the balance of flavours, pass the puree through a sieve.

Slice the baguette into 8 x 1.5 cm thick rounds, place on a baking tray and drizzle extra virgin olive oil on both sides. Bake until just golden. Remove from the oven and lightly rub with the clove of garlic; this is best done when the bread is hot.

Roughly shred the jamón then combine with the parsley and a small amount of extra virgin olive oil. Spread a generous spoonful of bean puree on the bread and arrange the jamón and parsley salad on top to serve.

Yileena Park Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2008,Lamb rump, crispy polenta, with artichoke, broad bean, asparagus and blood orange salad, and red wine bagna cauda


Yileena Park Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

Is bigger better? In this case, certainly. The 2008 Yileena Park Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is a more impressive release than the previous vintage, impossible as that may seem. Hailed as one of the greats, this classic Yarra Valley varietal excels with its exceedingly well-aged, well-integrated large palate. As one would expect, the reserve shares many of its charms with the non reserve wine – fat rich fruit flavours, layers of spice and chocolate, licorice, round silky tannins, the list goes on. Being the Yarra’s oldest bottle-aged new release vintage wine, 2008 Yileena Park Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is a leader in its field.

Yileena Park Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

With lamb rump, crispy polenta, with artichoke, broad bean, asparagus and blood orange salad, and red wine bagna caudaserves 8

4 trimmed lamb rumps (a half per serving should be sufficient)2 cups polenta2 bunches asparagus3 blood oranges1 cup broad beans5 cloves garlic1 lemonExtra virgin olive oilSaltPepper

For the artichokes braised in olive oil

16 baby artichokes 1 lemon1 cup white wineExtra virgin olive oilSalt

For the red wine bagna cauda

1 whole head of garlic, peeled and chopped1 cup of red wine6 anchovies⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil4 tbsp butter

Method

Red wine bagna cauda

Bring wine to the boil, add the garlic and simmer for a few minutes. Add the anchovies and the oil, simmer again for 5 minutes. Add the butter and simmer very gently for 30 minutes.

Olive oil braised baby artichokes

Remove the tough outer leaves and peel the stem of the artichokes. As you work squeeze some lemon juice on them to stop them oxidising. Place artichokes in a saucepan, add the wine, cover with olive oil and season generously with salt. Place over a gentle heat and cook for 30-40 minutes, allowing the artichokes to cool in the oil.

Polenta

Cook the polenta as the packet suggests, leave to set in a flat tray or plastic take away containers. Once the polenta is firm, remove it from the container and portion it into 2cm cubes.

Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Pod the broad beans and trim the asparagus. Blanch briefly and refresh in ice water, drain and set aside. Remove the skin from the orange, exposing the brilliant, blood red flesh. Slice into rounds, removing any pips. Peel and slice the garlic into thin rounds. Place the garlic in a cold fry pan and cover with oil. Over a medium to hot heat, agitate the garlic with a fork until it is golden. Once golden, strain the oil off the garlic and place on paper towelling.

Shallow-fry the polenta until golden on two sides, place onto paper towel to drain excess oil. While the polenta is frying, season the lamb and pan-fry to your liking. Rest the lamb and slice.

Toss the asparagus, broad beans and artichokes together with some olive oil and lemon juice, season.

Arrange on the plate with a few slices of blood orange, polenta cubes and the lamb rump slices. Drizzle the red wine bagna cauda over the lamb and finish with a generous scattering of fried garlic.

Yileena Park Chardonnay 2008A nose of honeysuckle and white peach with added citrus zest. Lightly-oaked, this clean, modern, fruit-driven chardonnay is a more delicate and notably floral wine than previous releases, a classic ‘new-world’ Yarra Valley chardonnay – and a shining example at that.

With Yarra Valley Salmon Caviar, cucumber, preserved lemon, and crème fraîcheserves 8

1 small jar Yarra Valley Salmon Caviar1 Lebanese cucumber1 tsp preserved lemon rind, diced1 small tub of crème fraîche1 small golden shallot, finely diced1 tbsp lemon juice3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil2 drops of sesame oilSalt flakesPepper

Method

Slice the cucumber in half lengthways, scrape out the seeds with a teaspoon and cut each half into 8 equal lengths.

For the dressing, combine the oils, preserved lemon, shallot and 1 tablespoon lemon juice.

To assemble, use a hot teaspoon to form a quenelle of crème fraîche and place this on the cucumber. Reheating the spoon, press the cream into the cucumber lightly to form a small concave surface.

Place a teaspoon of caviar on the cream then a teaspoon of dressing and season lightly with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Y i le e n a Pa r k W i n e s24 5 S te e l s Cre e k Ro a d ,

Ya r ra G le n , V i c to r i a Te l 0 3 97 3 0 1 97 7

w w w.y i le e n a p a r k . co m . a u


I consider myself to be very respectful of the skin, and conservative in the way I treat it,’ says Angela Day of Niche Skin

Care Studio. With a discerning clientele ranging from tourists in search of some holiday indulgence to locals looking for skin rejuvenation treatments delivered to the highest professional standards, Niche has struck an ideal balance. On one hand, there are luxurious and pampering treatments, and on the other, more extensive, results-driven procedures such as Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) therapy. Angela has also selected three of the ultimate professional-only skincare ranges: Babor, a comprehensive German range; innovative French products by Sothys; and Aspect, Australian-made ‘cosmeceuticals’ with bioactive ingredients that have revolutionised the ‘facial’.

The travel sizes are popular with tourists. The most technical of all Niche’s skincare treatments is the Intense Pulsed Light therapy. This non-invasive treatment uses high-intensity light for a range of skin conditions including pigmentation, vascular problems such as broken capillaries, redness from sun damage, acne and scarring. It is also used for permanent hair reduction. IPL also has skin rejuvenation properties. Angela points out that 90 percent of visible aging in Australia is caused by sun exposure: ‘Most people’s skin is not suited to our high levels of UV light, and suffers premature aging.’ This is where IPL can assist, not only because it treats sun-related pigmentation, but also by stimulating both collagen re-synthesis

and vascular regrowth. Skin will plump-out and firm-up from within the dermal layers, creating a fresher, smoother appearance. ‘The beauty of IPL, as well as the latest cosmeceuticals facial treatments, is that the results are all natural,’ says Angela. IPL is increasingly widespread in Australia, although the quality of equipment and the knowledge of operators varies greatly. With 23 years of experience in the beauty industry, Angela has had professional training in skin histology (the micro-anatomy of the skin), and in IPL and laser technology at Melbourne’s Fleming Institute. This level of training is not widespread in Victoria, where providers of IPL treatments are largely unregulated. Prior to treatment, Angela makes a full skin assessment to determine the

Niche Skin Care StudioPHOTOGRAPHY JAMIE DURRANT

Experienced beauty therapist Angela Day of Wangaratta’s Niche Skin Care Studio provides high-tech skin rejuvenation techniques equal to the city’s best, but it’s her range of luxury skincare treatments that have the tourists flocking.

‘


number of sessions required to achieve the best results for each individual. She has also acquired one of the world’s leading IPL machines, made by Cutera. The Limelight IPL device has been tested and approved by the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Unlike cheaper machines, Limelight has a broad range of settings in terms of the wavelength, fluence (energy level), and the pulse width of the light, which can be precisely adjusted to different skin types. Whereas some IPL devices gradually decline in power over the life of the machine, Cutera’s power output is accurate and consistent over the entire life of the machine. It all adds up to better and safer results.

The atmosphere at Niche Skin Care Studio is one of calm, ideal for those looking for a soothing beauty experience. Angela also understands the importance of creating a friendly, supportive environment for clientele undertaking IPL. Treating skin conditions using trusted techniques, and being able to see corresponding levels of relaxation and improvements in the self-esteem of her clientele is her biggest reward.

49B Reid StreetWangarattaTel 03 5721 8706www.nicheskincarestudio.com.au

Opposite, clockwise from left: Aspect, advanced skin care technology; Niche’s Angela Day; warm and professional, Niche’s studio interior. This page, clockwise from top: Niche’s studio interior; exclusive range of skin protection technology; Cutera’s IPL ‘Limelight’; Niche facial treatment.


In my early twenties, it was par for the course to make love in the middle of the day on the back lawn, down the beach at

night, or while struggling with twisted arms and ankles, fighting off agonising cramp in the front seat of my 1962 Volkswagen Beetle. But never did I expect, at the ripe old age of 64, to ‘do it’ in front of one of the best paintings in the world, on the cold concrete floor in the middle of the Australian National Gallery, Canberra, oblivious to all passers-by. Yes, uncontrollably, that’s exactly what happened. I’d gone to view Monet’s haystack. Next to it hung his greatest masterpiece. Warm, wrap-around, sinking into your body: summer-haze radiated from the miracle Impressionist colours that seemed to be caressed, rather than brushed onto the canvas. There was a passion not seen from him before. This artist knew and loved the landscape and sea. Previously only Van Gogh had displayed such extraordinary emotional commitment, the opening of his heart and mind to the viewer. The atmosphere in the painting was overwhelming. In a hypnotic sensual trance, I saw myself as the handsome,

devil-may-care artist religiously engrossed in the joy of nature, locked in a loving embrace with the woman of my dreams. The concrete floor by pure magic had softened to bright warm summer straw; while the flickering sunlight filtering through the overhanging branches heated and energised us both. To my surprise, on closer examination, it wasn’t a Monet, but In the Morning, Alpes Maritimes, from Antibes by Australia’s own Impressionist, John Peter Russell. I couldn’t believe it. How could it be, one of our own out-Moneting Monet, with the humanity of Van Gogh thrown in. Here’s a painter that lived and loved in the landscape. After a little research, I discovered the reason for my confusion over its origins. John Peter Russell, attending painting classes with Van Gogh in Montmartre in 1886, found himself somewhat an outsider from the French clique. He didn’t enjoy the café and night life of absinthe, dancers, and prostitutes, and yearned for the pureness of country and peasant life. After all, he was an adventurer, had already sailed to Tahiti and China, and undertaken endless painting treks through the Australian bush,

the French and Spanish countryside. The haunted and haunting Dutchman Van Gogh, slightly crazed and menacing, quickly attached himself to Russell, as he too didn’t fit into the group, appearing frightening to his fellow students. Vincent was a withdrawn, lonely, somewhat sad creature who yearned for companionship and a confidant with whom he could share conversations about painting. Russell was a handsome, impressively strong six-footer who held the British heavyweight boxing title, and a man of generosity and independent wealth, but in need of reassurance about the quality of his painting. Vincent provided such, none more so than with the overwhelming excitement and pleasure he showed when Russell presented him with the most kindly and sympathetic portrait of the Dutchman dressed as a well-to-do respected artist. Vincent kept it till his death, and it now hangs in the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam. Paris life just didn’t suit the Australian and Dutch outsiders, and it wasn’t long before they both headed to the countryside, but in opposite directions, in pursuit of the best they could do.

WORDS IVAN DURRANT

Claude MonetHaystacks, midday (Meules, milieu du jour) 1890oil on canvas, 65.6 x 100.6 cmNational Gallery of Australia, CanberraPurchased 1979

for love of

mariannaJohn Peter

RUSSELL


They were both now equipped with Russell’s belief that true personal meaning could be expressed in plein air painting with colour as the central conduit. Even though personal contact was rare, the two never wavered in their letter writing, discussing art, life, sending descriptions and sketches of their discoveries to each other. There were times when you couldn’t tell their paintings apart. It’s no accident that Russell’s Almond Tree and Blossoms 1887, is strikingly similar to Van Gogh’s Almond Blossoms 1890. They were cemented as brothers of the brush. Nevertheless, Russell just couldn’t understand how Vincent could associate with Gauguin… ‘that disrespecting, careless, syphilis-spreading womaniser with no concept of true love’. Monet was a leader of the Impressionists with commercial success, and considered a master of colour, when he met Russell. It was at Belle Ile, a tiny island off the west coast of France, where Russell finally settled with the great love of his life, the Italian-born Parisian blonde beauty and model for Rodin, Marianna. Monet decided to venture out from Parisian paintings of parasols for something closer

to nature, and happened upon this same rugged coastline that Russell compulsively painted. They had an instant rapport, and Monet spent weeks dining every night at the Russells’, discussing art around the table, and painting with him during the day. He too, got hooked on the same joy Russell had from working in a series – quite often the same outcrop of sharp rocks and grottos around the edge of the island. They even made boat trips together – Russell being an excellent sailor must have been thrilled to give old Monet some new, if not nervous, experiences. Always important to the mix was Marianna, famous for her cuisine. They entertained almost every great artist of the time, including visiting Australians and French masters such as Rodin and Matisse. Any wonder that first sight of In the Morning, Alpes Maritimes, from Antibes, looked like a Monet? Russell had picked up Monet’s ease of paint application, and Monet absorbed the exhilaration of nature itself, together with an experimental bolder treatment of colour, from Russell. But in this painting it’s the passion, the love, that I responded to the most. Van Gogh and Russell were equally

driven in expressing their life through their work. Van Gogh’s landscapes bombard us with the ferocious anxiety and turmoil that dominated so much of his later life; Russell, on the other hand, a true romantic, had reached the zenith of his life, and expressed the calming pleasure of living with nature and his blissful never-ending love for Marianna. There’s such a poetic serene sensitivity and glow of emotional fulfilment in Russell’s palette. Great art reveals so much about the artist. I think it’s all about honesty: ‘You are what you paint.’

***

To be continued in the next edition of Essentials – more on the extraordinary life and art of John Peter Russell.

John RussellIn the morning, Alpes Maritimes from Antibes 1890-91

oil on canvas, 60.3 x 73.2 cmNational Gallery of Australia, Canberra

Purchased 1965

national gallery of australiaparkes place, parkes

canberra, australian capital territorywww.nga.gov.au


Andrew, the million dollar question: you’re known for your high alcohol, big bodied wines. Are big wines quality wines; is bigger better? Toapoint...hahaha...it’snotaboutbigorlittle,it’saboutbalanceandstructureandflavours.Whenyou’vegotabigwineyoucanhavelotsofflavourinthere,youcanhavelotsofoakinthere,youcanhavelotsofrichnessandmouthfeel,soit’sreallyastylething.Somenightsyoudon’twanttodrinkagreathugered;you’relookingforsomethingmoredelicate,especiallyifyou’retryingtomatchitwithfood.Butwithagreatbigsteak,orfoodswithalotofflavour,acasseroleonacoldwinter’snightforexample,bigredsare the go. So we’re not just talking about absolute quality, it’saboutstyleandbalance.

In terms of style, lots of wine buffs mention the higher alcohol content in your wines, what contributes to this and why? Yes our wines are high in alcohol, but that’s not reallywhatwe’rechasing.Whatwearechasingarethefruitflavoursthatyougetlateintheseason,whenyou’vegotlotsofsugarpresent.Sowiththiswestarttoseehighlymaturedblackfruitflavours;thethirdphaseofgraperipening. With the first phase being a white phase, hard tanninsare present, as associated with the immature grape seeds. Withthe second phase (the phase that most people regard as beingripefruit–withredgrapes),theflavourprofilebecomesmoreofredberryflavours,includingredcherriesandredplums. And then you get into the black fruit phase whichis blackberries, black plums, black cherries and the tertiarycharacters such as the chocolate and licorice and really softtannins. With the black fruit phase the seeds actually go brownand stalks become a mature wood which pleasantly influencesthe structure of the wine, rather than presenting a hard tannin

fromimmaturegreenstalks. Youseethis‘stalkiness’withsomepinots,andthat’spartofthestylethey’relookingfor.However,withbigstructuredreds,innormalreds,I’dactuallyconsideritafault. One of the things I hate in some modern durifs is thatmintygreencharacterandhardtanninstructurethatcomesfromtoo much crop and a lot of second crop that produces tiny littlebunches.Weactuallygothroughanddropthatfruitontheground. I regularly see, in the show ring, wines that displayexcessivemintiness,andthejudgeswillsayit’sagoodthing.Isayit’s technically a fault; so we drop that fruit on the ground whichgives us very even fruit ripening, within a very small window,thereforewedon’tseeanyhardtanninsfromimmatureseeds.It’sallaboutconstancy–that’swhatWarabillaisallabout.

A lot of people describe big reds as being jammy. Can you explain where this term has come from, and where do the negative connotations come from ? Jamminessisawinemakingviewpoint,traditionallyusedin terms of hot ferments with lots of sugar present at the sametime, and you really did get a blackberry jam sort of characterthatwasquitepronounced.Wedon’tseethatthesedays,somostpeopleusethetermjammytodescribereallyquiteripefruit,andlotsofit.Technically,thisisthewronguseofthetermbutIknowwhat they mean. Jamminess was a real winemaking fault onceuponatime,butalittlebitofjamminessasit’susedinthemoderncontext,Ithinkisprobablyagoodthing.Thereyougo!

So, clarify this modern context; are we talking ripe fruit? Yes,today it’smoreaboutheapsandheapsofrich,ripefruit,ratherthantheblackberryjamcharacters.Theblackberryjamcharacterswereprettyblowsyandprettyhorrible!

Fifth-generation Rutherglen winemaker, iron man and self-confessed durif tragic – Essentials’ Jamie Durrant talks to Andrew Sutherland Smith of Warrabilla Wines.

R I D I N G A R U T H E R G L E N R E D

PHOTOGRAPHY GEORGINA JAMES PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHY JAMIE DURRANT


And what about the high alcohol content? Peopleputtoomuchfocusonthealcohol,it’snotaboutalcohol,it’saboutbalance.Sodon’tthinkofitas18percentalcohol,thinkitas82percentalcohol-free.

So we know you’re known for big reds, but tell me about your new moscato style release and your riesling. Is the riesling a newer wine release for you? No, I’ve had rieslings going back to 2002, but I’ve onlyhad my own fruit for a couple of years, but that riesling block isreallydoingquitewellforus,it’slovely. The other thing is, we’re probably the silliest people intheworld,aswe’restillplantinggrapes–we’realsoplantingthreeacres of grenache at the moment, which will be soft, and we’reintendingonmakingavarietalgrenacheoutofit. I think grenache is a great variety when it’s made in averybigrichstyle,anditcanbemadewithstructureandoak,andareasonableweightandalotofbalance,andthat’swhatwe’retryingto grow. Overcropped grenache is a slow ripener, and to get fruitwithafairbitofcolourandweightyouwanttogetyourcroppinglevelsrightdown,sowecanmaintainthisbybunchthinningandwidetrellis,andwe’reusedtodoingthataspartofwhatwedowithshirazanddurif.Thegoodthingaboutlowercroppingis itallowsfruit to ripen earlier in the season, taking us into the black fruitcharactersandavoidingtherain. Intermsofthemoscato,wehavethreeacresofmuscatvines and last year had a very wet year, so we decided to pick itearlytoavoidrunningintoproblemswithit–lotsofpeoplemademoscatolastyear.That’showthatonecameabout.It’salovelywinehowever;we’rereallypleasedwe’vemadeit.

In terms of cellaring wines versus producing ‘drink-now’ wines, have you changed your winemaking philosophy at all in recent times? And is there a need to work on wines differently, allowing them to be softer, more acceptable as drink-now wines upon release? No I haven’t changed my winemaking. However if weconsiderthenaturalpreservativesinwinesuchasthealcoholandtannin(thecolourandtheoak),andtoacertainextenttheacidity;allofmywineshavegotoodlesofthesepropertiesforthesimplereasonsthatthat’swhatmakeswinelive.Becausethetanninsaresoft (from the mature seeds), we can enjoy them now and theydon’tchangeagreatdealovertime.I’mstilldrinking’04s,’05s–Iopenedan’04ontheothernightwhichwasjustlovely,andthat’saseven-year-oldAussiered.MostAussieredsarestartingtolookfairlybrownandtiredbythistimeandmystuffjustlooks‘PeterPan’wines–itjustsitsthere. Youcancellarandagemywines,andtheyaremadeforthispurpose,however,theydostartwithsoftermoreapproachabletanninsanyway.

What about maturity in barrel before release – does this mean you’re under pressure to mature the wines for a longer period before release? Well, it’sallaboutbalance.WestillmaturethewinesinoakandusemoreoakthananyoneIknow[helaughs],butthat’sallrightbecausebigwinescantakealotofoakandstillbeinbalance,canstillbestructured.Whereaswinesthatarelackingalittlebitofoak,theydon’thavethatpunchonthenoseandthatlift,butit’sallabout having the oak in balance. With my Parola’s wines, they’rebasically 100 percent new oak, the reserves get 30-40 percentdependingonthevarietal,andthat’sstillamassivepercentageofnewstuff,butyouneedallthattokeeptheblance.


Mistymorningwiththerichcoloursofautumnonshowinthe‘home’vineyardneartheWarrabillawinery

Intermsofbarrelandbottlematuration,howmanymonthsarewe talking with the Parola’s and Reserve reds? How long forexample are you keeping the Parola’s shiraz in oak and whenisitbottled?

It’s not all French, there’s a lot of American oak, andbasically they’re in the barrels for 12 months; so we’re roughlybottlingbeforethenextvintage–that’showwework.Regardingbottleaging,theyreallydon’tneedalot.Iactuallyloveyoungfreshfruitywines,soaslongasthey’resoftandarebalanced(Ijusthatehardnessandgreennessintannins).Thisistraditionallyoneofthereasons that people cellar and age wines, particularly with someEuropean wines from cooler regions: they needed the aging tosoftenthosehardtanninsfromimmaturefruit.

Intermsofkeepingupwithconsumerdemand,doesWarabillareally need to plant new varietals? Does the market dictatechangeordoyoucreatewhateveryoulike? IdowhateverIlikebasically,Idon’tthinktoomuchaboutthemarket.ThereareenoughpeoplewholikebiggutsyredstokeeplittleoldWarrabillatickingalong,butthepasthasalsoconfirmedabitofDarwiniannaturalselectionintermsofwhatreallyworks.InRutherglenwe’vegotshiraz,cabernetanddurifwhichareabsoluteclassics,butalotoftheItalianvarietals(currentlymorearebeingplantedintheregion)ForexampleI’mhavingalittlebitofaplaywithzinfandel,butIreallyIdon’tknowhowthey’regoingtogo.

SoifRutherglenreallyisaboutthetraditionalbigreds,wouldyouconfirmyourWarrabilladurifasyourbrand’sherowine? Mmm... It’s what we see a lot of, but I don’t think it isactually, I thinktheshiraz isrightupthereaswell,especiallyourParola’sShiraz.Ihaven’tmadeaParola’sCabernetsince’06,butI’d like to think that can be every bit as good as well, but yes wesellalotofdurifandwehaveadistinctivestyleofdurif,butIdon’treallyhaveheroes. It’sreally likechoosingwhichofyourkidsareyourfavourite[laughs]...

Butdorestaurantspickahero? Wellyestheydo, theypickthedurif.But I’mnowbeingdiplomatic – this is very much like asking a parent which is theirfavouritekid!

Speaking of brand... Where does the name Warrabilla comefromandhowdidyourproductandbranddevelop? We bought into a property up at Barnawartha at onestage,andthathomesteadorthepropertywasnamedWarrabillaCattle Company, but basically the word means good water, andconsideringwe’reneartheOvensandtheMurrayrivers(we’resortof5kilometresfromeach),Ireckonthat’snotabadname.Also,as‘warra’ is the Aboriginal word meaning water, it’s pretty commonacross of lot of Aboriginal dialects which is nice, and so we haveothernamessuchasCoonawarraandGoonawarra.Sothereyougo–there’smyinterpretationofthename.

Ihearyou’reanironmanormarathon runner,canyouconfirmthisforus? Ironman!Whichisa3.9kilometreswim,180kilometresonthebikeandthenyarunamarathon.

Wow–that’sahellofalot...! Yeah,butyouhave17hourstodoitinthough...

Thisisabignewpassionofyours.Wherediditcomefrom? Yeah;it’sgoodfun!Butwhy?Idon’treallyknow!Iturned50 and I’m a new grandpa, and that was my mid-life crisis... andit’scheaperthanHarleysandfloozies!It’s20weeksonSundaytoIronManMelbourne,whichisdowninFrankston,andsoIstartmytrainingprogrammeMonday,so,yeah...it’sgoodfun.

WhenwasWarrabillawineslaunched? AustraliaDay1996wasourfirstofficialbrandedopening,howeverwehadalittlewineryupatCorowathatweleasedbeforeWarrabillaopened,soIguessitallstartedbackin1991.


Left:AndrewSutherlandSmithpumpsoverthedurifduringvintage;Above:IconicWarrabillabranding;Right:AnillustrationfromvinesintheParola’sVineyard

Andrew Sutherland Smith in 30 secondsCurrent favorite local wine or winery other than your own?Stanton & Killeen

Favourite wine of theirs?Ahhh... yeah... Vintage port!

You’re stuck on a desert island for one night with Elle McPherson (or any supermodel of your choice) and you have the choice of only one bottle of wine to impress both her and yourself, what wine do you choose?A recently disgorged Dom Pérignon Oenothèque, any vintage really, they’re all good. I don’t know what the current release is, I think it’s about an ’83!

Within the wine industry and its people, media, ins and outs, ups and downs, what makes you happy and upbeat?I think the people in the wine industry are pretty good, and that makes you upbeat. Other than that the next vintage – that’s a two-word answer! It’s always full of promise!

And what frustrates you, what gets your goat?Ahhh... small-minded people!

Favorite food to match your durif?Kangaroo

Favorite food to match your riesling?Cheese

If having to choose a smaller-bodied veranda wine (lighter style), what do you drink?Alfresco style... hmm... probably a rosé. Ahhh no, bubbles, ha! French bubbles!

Favorite Beatles song?Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

Most impressive Aussie athlete?Craig Alexander, three-time world iron man winner!

Vegemite or peanut butter?Vegemite

Kids or goats?Kids

Braise or stew?Stew

Robert de Castella or Grant Kenny?Robert de Castella

Melbourne 1956 or Sydney 2000 Olympics?Yay ’56 – we won everything!

Speaking of early days, what was the first wine you can recall drinking? Growing up as a kid in a winemaking family [Andrew’s family owned the famous All Saints Winery from 1864 to 1988], we used to have half wine and half water, and I was brought up with lots of ‘taste this’ and ‘taste that’ but it’s hard to remember an individual wine! Maybe a stand out was a pre-phylloxera Rutherglen muscat from Morris.

The Winery Walkabout Festival: some say it has a reputation for being a lacklustre festival of drunks, rather than serious wine drinkers. Is this sour grapes? Umm... probably, but we don’t get them! Because we’re 18 kilometres out of Rutherglen, it acts as this wonderful filter, so people only come if they’re really keen. As it turns out we have the nicest customers during the festival, and sober! (Or partly so, at times – Editor). We really only get serious wine people visiting, and they’re a great bunch. So the best place to do the Winery Walkabout is here!

But does the festival get messy? Well it may have been that way a few years ago. However, with the responsible service of alcohol and the better planning that’s now in place, things have improved a lot; the festival has largely lifted its game.

Does this reputation comes from the days of the Rutherglen Red (Red Rattler Train), and is there room for a rebirth of the Rutherglen Red? Well there was a fair bit of drunken debauchery on the Rutherglen Red many years ago, which I think a few people from my generation and a bit older might remember fondly.

Murray Valley Highway, Rutherglen, VictoriaTel 02 6035 7242www.warrabillawines.com.au


Myrtleford Visitor Information Centre,Alpine Gate CafeWORDS JAMIE DURRANT

If you’re travelling into Victoria’s High Country, it comes highly recommended that you pay a visit to Myrtleford’s official tourism and foodies’ hub: the Myrtleford Visitor Information Centre and Alpine Gate Café. Situated on the Great Alpine Road within the heart of Myrtleford, the café and visitor centre is as popular with locals as it is with information-hungry tourists looking to be pointed in the right belly-filling and/or adventure-seeking directions. Visitor Centre coordinator Lauren Heidke says the centre is unique in that up to as many as 36 local volunteers are involved in operations, and with additions such as the ‘build your own travel itinerary’ Alpine Explorer touch screen system, and the new cycle helmet cams (free to hire), it is fast becoming the town’s must-visit tourism discovery and planning destination. The community is clearly passionate about being involved in the centre, which is wonderful, says Lauren. ‘The benefits to visitors are the always changing nuggets of local knowledge that are passed on. The volunteers are there for the right reasons, and are extremely positive about presenting Myrtleford as a great destination.’ ‘Our new helmet cams have been extremely popular. They’re easy to use, come with a 9 hour battery life and simply strap onto your helmet ready for you to ride. Cyclists head out and film whatever they like and bring the cameras back to us. The footage is then edited to music and uploaded to Youtube – it’s a great way to share fun experiences with the public,’ says Lauren. Supporting a range of local premium producers, including some that may not have they’re own retail outlet or cellar door, the centre also doubles as a retail outlet. Gems such as the Barwidgee Lavender skin care range and wines from Eagle Range Estate and Souters, from the nearby Happy Valley, are but a few highlights of an expansive choice of offerings including the iconic Alpine Valleys brand Michelini and the very local boutique wine label Ferraro. If the thought of sampling fine wines gets the tummy rumbling, taking a seat within the airy and bright, open plan Alpine Gate Café is your one way ticket to a fabulous foodie fix. ‘My main aim is to look after the locals’, says smiley and vivacious café owner Cindy Bell, a focus that has successfully made the Alpine Gate a bustling ‘locals’ meeting place, as well as a friendly and relaxed spot for visitors. ‘I was born in Myrtleford, went to school here,’ says Cindy. ‘Sure I have travelled; however I love this café and it simply being a part of the town. We have lots of fun with the locals – it’s not all about making money; it’s also about having fun and enjoying the great lifestyle.’ Having purchased the business two years ago, the former Eurobin Red Stag café chef of 5 years, Cindy, seems surprised at the natural and continued growth of her business, with loyal, local clientele returning time and again. ‘People come back because they know they’re going to get consistent quality,’ says Cindy, and if sampling the ‘selling like hot-cakes’ luxurious Devonshire tea is a little light weight, then you can rest assured that the deluxe Scotch fillet steak sandwich with homemade relish, or the tasty Hawaiian grilled chicken burger will certainly please the palate.

AlpineGateCaféGreatAlpineRoad,Myrtleford,VictoriaTel.0357521375Open.Monday-Friday,7am-5pm,Saturday&Sunday,9am-5pm

MyrtlefordVisitorInformationCentreTel0357521044Open.9am-5pm7days,excludesChristmasDayandGoodFriday

w w w . v i s i t m y r t l e f o r d . c o m


mount beauty, victoria • tel 03 5754 1222 • web www.dreamers1.com • email [email protected]

{ luxury eco apartments • romantic alpine chalets • weddings & events }

DREAMERS Dreamers is nestled in the foothills of Mt Bogong, Falls Creek and the Alpine National Park, a stunning one hour from Albury-Wodonga via the heritage listed Kiewa Valley.

{ }

About MyrtlefordWith a proud Italian heritage and warm community spirit, Myrtleford, a town of some 3,500 people, is located 223 metres above sea level on the Great Alpine Road between Wangaratta and Bright in North East Victoria. It sits 273km North East of Melbourne, via the Hume Freeway. Beautifully positioned in the northern foothills of the Mt Buffalo Range, adjacent the Ovens River, Happy Valley Creek and Barwidgee Creek, Myrtleford’s location marks it as the premier gateway to Mt Buffalo National Park and its associated skiing resorts. Stunning scenery, tranquillity, rivers and mountain views enchant visitors, and nestled in the Ovens Valley, Mt Buffalo provides a dramatic backdrop. The town is a flourishing commercial centre and the hub for timber, hops and the expanding premium wine market.

myrtlefordCHAMBER OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY INC

www.visitmyrtleford.com


The Happy Valley Hotel is a quintessential Australian

pub. Built in 1887, the site holds one of the oldest continuous liquor licences in the state, and has been welcoming people since 1854. The front bar sports a pool table, jukebox and dartboard, as well as all the knick-knacks familiar to a well-loved drinking hole. Sitting beneath a massive canopy of wisteria, the Hotel’s beer garden gets a work-out all summer, while in winter, the snug Victorian dining room fills quickly. A second dining room – more like grandma’s parlour, is always popular. The food is contemporary Australian mixed with classic pub fare, and the wine list comprises all local drops. Accommodation is basic Aussie pub style with shared facilities. In place of mod cons, you can expect cast iron

Happy pub grubbeds and antique furniture. The Happy Valley Hotel is ‘hospitable, easy-going, a little bit larrikin, and community oriented,’ explain owners Johanna and Michael Bowers. ‘It’s the kind of place that Australians identify with and feel comfortable in.’ The bar is open from 4pm-7pm Monday-Tuesday. Open for lunch and dinner Wednesday-Sunday from 11am (11.30 Sundays) - ‘until we close’.

Happy Valley Hotel4994 Great Alpine Road, Ovens, VictoriaTel 03 5751 1628www.ovenshappyvalleyhotel.com.au

Great Alpine Valleys

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The late Emo Michelini (founder of Michelini Wines in Myrtleford) said that Victoria is a garden. Nowhere

does that ring truer than in the Alpine Valleys. It’s not just a garden in terms of it being the pretty backyard of Melbourne – it is a rich food basket, a playground, and almost biblically fertile – a modern-day Garden of Eden. The drive out, while being a little longer than many traditional weekend destinations like Daylesford or the Yarra Valley, is infinitely more rewarding for the soaring mountains and the townships that dot the road to Bright, lined with poplars, beeches and oaks. While unmistakably Australian, the region has a history of immigration that has coloured it in a unique way. The Valleys’ luscious orchards, farms and vineyards often resemble northern Italy or southern Germany, depending on who you ask. There is something transportive about these vistas: see where they take you!

victoria’s great alpine valleysluxe touring

Butter tastes betterSince reopening the Butter Factory in 2007, mother and daughter Bronwyn and Naomi Ingleton have turned the iconic Federation building into a slow food institution.

Everything’s become

so globalised we’ve

needed to go full

circle back to basics.

It makes sense to eat

seasonably and buy

locally.

– Naomi Ingleton

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Firstly, the butter. It is made the old-fashioned way from cultured milk which gives it a subtle, less oily feel on the back of the palate and the award-winning packaging makes it gift-worthy (yes, I’m coveting butter). Top restaurants near and far, including Provenance in Beechworth and Jackson’s in Perth, snap up the product. Then there are the Mediterranean-inspired breakfasts, morning teas and lunches, which are all local, seasonal and delicious. Being a step ahead of the growing trend of DIY and traditional skills while modestly downplaying it, they pickle and preserve everything from tomato sauce to watermelon rind. ‘We are country people: if

you don’t do it yourself, it doesn’t happen’ says Naomi. Even the by-product of butter production, buttermilk, is sold as a drink or turned into a gentle soap.

Royal Melbourne Food Awards2011 Champion Trophy & Gold Medal – Best Packaging Retail2011 Silver Medal – Cultured and lightly salted butter

Open Daily 8.30am-5pm (closed Wednesday)Watch the butter being churned on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Myrtleford Butter Factory5 Myrtle Street,Myrtleford, VictoriaTel 03 5752 2300www.thebutterfactory.com.au

Happy Valley Road offers a picturesque route linking the major alpine valleys of the Ovens and Kiewa rivers. A 23 kilometre drive starts at Ovens (almost opposite the Happy Valley Hotel), and traverses the length of this secluded valley, winding though unspoiled pastoral landscapes until it climbs into the Kancoona forest. As the road swings around the valley’s head, the forest opens up, allowing an uninterrupted view down the length of the valley. Pleated hills fall away to either side in cascades, cradling farmlands and framing a panoramic silhouette of Mount Buffalo. It is, simply, one of the most perfect views in North East Victoria. From here it’s a short drive to connect with the Kiewa Valley Highway, with Kergunyah to the north, and Tawonga and Mount Beauty to the south.

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Facing page: cosy dining at the Happy Valley Hotel. This page, clockwise: The hotel which makes the Valley happy; Myrtleford’s historic butter factory restaurant; goddess of butter Naomi Ingleton, and some of her exquisite butter products: bush tomato and native pepper, spiced chocolate and rose petal, lemon myrtle, smoked salt. Far right: Sunset on the ‘Happy Valley drive,’ connecting two great alpine valleys.

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An architectural gem of the Alpine Valleys, the Buffalo Motel is a fine

example of 1950s modernist design. Built at a time when Australian architects were inspired by radical new European and American styles, it recalls the post-war boom in car ownership which, for the first time, saw families heading out on short holidays. Set in established gardens featuring old Japanese maples, its six buildings are arranged to create a hexagon. Their angular form and linear stonework, containing 20 cosy and recently up-dated rooms, are typical of mid-century design by Robin Boyd and Harry Seidler. The guest facilities wing, sporting a classic 1950s butterfly roof, has a dining

room and large lounge suitable for small conferences, weddings and special-interest groups. Guests can also relax on the expansive rear deck, looking out over a stony reach of the Ovens River across to the granite escarpments of Mount Buffalo. With its time capsule qualities and spectacular surrounds, visiting the Buffalo Motel feels like walking into a film set.

Buffalo Motel and Country Retreat 6774 Great Alpine Road, Porepunkah, Victoria Tel 03 5756 2242stay@buffalomotelretreat.com.auwww.buffalomotelretreat.com.au

50s nostalga

ovens valleyFrom Myrtleford to Bright and beyond, the expansive Ovens Valley hosts cool-climate vineyards, exceptional restaurants and cafes, artisan food producers and craftspeople, and accommodation venues ranging from quirky to luxury and in-between.


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Blackbird café is a busy port of call in the heart of sunny Bright. The

spacious venue with quirky interior décor includes a chic dining room with blonde wood furniture and a lounge space with leather couches. An oversized coffee table encourages long, lazy breakfasts and a catch-up on the morning paper. The all-day breakfast showcases local produce while buttery croissants and pain au chocolat are supplied by Melbourne’s Laurent Bakery. Move on to lunch and there is a great selection of daily specials to complement the regular menu. Blackbird is fully licensed; the regional wine list is made up of the best cool-climate wines the Alpine Valleys have to offer. Blackbird’s popularity is in part due to its urban style, balanced with a

New cafe on the block

Mount Buffalo is an alpine plateau surrounded by sheer granite cliffs that guard a unique landscape of imposing tors and boulders, cascading waterfalls, snowgum woodlands and wildflower meadows. One of the oldest national parks in Australia, Mount Buffalo offers numerous day walks of all grades. At 1723 metres, the view from the mountain’s highest point, atop the towering granite outcrop of The Horn, offers an inspiring 360-degree view of the Victorian Alps. The Gorge walk leads to the top of the Crystal Brook waterfall, where it can be viewed tumbling 300 metres into the chasm below. Wildlife such as lyrebirds, eastern rosellas, flame robins, swamp wallabies and wombats are easily spotted at sunrise and dusk. The mountain is also home to species that can be found nowhere else on earth, including a variant Alpine Silver Xenica butterfly (Oreixenica latialis theddora), and the distinctive (Eucalyptus mitchelliana) Buffalo Sallee.

Mt Buffalo

Tree-changer Julia Wilson says that while skiing brought her to the area, the region also has fabulous music festivals in summer.

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relaxed family-friendly atmosphere and helpful service. Watch this space, for Blackbird, only one year old, is constantly evolving!

Open every day 8am-4pm and evenings over holiday periods. Venue availablefor functions. Blackbird Café 95 Great Alpine Road,Bright, VictoriaTel 03 5750 1838www.blackbirdfood.com.au

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Facing page: mid century modern architecture at The Buffalo Motel; lounge in 1950s style. This page, clockwise: The deck view at Buffalo Motel looks towards its namesake; quirky interiors and all-day breakfast at Bright’s Blackbird Café; the rooms have been reinvigorated at The Buffalo Motel. Far right: ‘The Gorge’-ous view at Mount Buffalo.

Luxe kilns

Far from the madding summer crowds, The Kilns offer a distinctive and sophisticated country stay. Overlooking a winery with docile Angus cattle as neighbours, the former tobacco sheds have been expertly repurposed to accommodate the discerning holidaymaker. While the clean-lined corrugated iron exteriors remain sensitive to the area’s history and landscape, the interiors are uber modern, with washed grey pine features adding warmth inside. The high ceilings and light-filled rooms give both of the two Kiln houses an air of serene contemplation – a world away from the bustle and chaos of Christmas period crowds.

What you will get here is generously appointed luxury. The icing on the cake is the unparallelled views of majestic Mount Buffalo, from the spa’s floor-to-ceiling windows, the sprawling outdoor living area, or your own private window seat on the world.

The Kilns Cavedons Lane,Porepunkah, VictoriaTel 0408 553 332www. kilnhouse.com.au

Poplars is Bright’s much-feted French bistro where chef Patrick Heanue has for five years been whisking up

staples like steak frites, confit of duck, and the admirable soufflé. This summer however, expect a more modern take on European bistro fare. When we visited, the charismatic chef offered us a glimpse of this slight change in direction. Firstly a cool, refreshing carrot, avocado and ginger soup, served in a chilled glass. Next a plate of smoked salt-and-poppy-seed-encrusted prawns with that tantalising savoury earthiness known as umami. A bed of fennel and radish adds texture and sweetness. A small and intimate venue, perhaps a local’s secret, just off the main street, a little out of the way… Poplars is one of those places that you stumble upon on a rainy evening and find yourself transported halfway around the world ! Rest assured, with some new flavours and a change of pace, style and substance will continue to be the signature at Poplars.

Bookings requiredTuesday-Saturday from 6.30pmExtended hours over holidays and long weekends

Shop 8, Star Road,Bright, Victoria 3741Tel 03 5755 1655www.poplars.com.au

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Nuvo cuisine


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Porepunkah & Bright

This page: French-styled Poplars Bistro has switched to a cosmopolitan tempo. Facing page: historic tobacco kilns converted into stylish accommodation; cool-climate wines capture the alpine valley terroir at Ringer Reef.

We both feel on top of the world, living and working here – Annette and Bruce Holmes

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Nuvo cuisine

Premium wine

It is one thing to read a tourism brochure boasting that a vineyard’s

glorious mountain views are the best in the state; it’s a real surprise to actually find the genuine article. Porepunkah’s Ringer Reef winery and vineyard is the high country’s ultimate boutique diamond in the (not-so) rough, with unique plantings of sangiovese, nebbiolo and petit manseng rolling over folding hills falling down to the Ovens River flats and close-up views to Mt Buffalo’s commanding granite face. Owners Annette and Bruce Holmes feel on top of the world cultivating their impressive plot and producing some of the region’s most complex, desirable and

smartly presented ‘tight’ wines. The Ringer Reef 2010 Sangiovese is without doubt one of the region’s most impressive reds, with its bright, lifted cherry colour and complex savoury palate. The 2010 Sparkling Pinot Chardonnay is an Alpine Valley icon, displaying brilliantly slow-ripened cool-climate fruit flavours balanced with a tidy acid structure, generous time on lees, and lovely soft-bead mouthfeel. Ringer Reef6835 Great Alpine Road, Porepunkah, VictoriaTel 03 5756 2805www.ringerreef.com.au


This restaurant is as pretty as an Impressionist painting: the alpine sun filters through birch trees creating that soft southern French light, while poplars, vineyards and mountains finish the picture. In Boynton’s kitchen, former Iron Chef regular Ikuei Arakane (aka ‘Kin San’, the teacher), and executive chef Eddie Huynh (ex-Taxi, Bistro Guillaume) conjure further magic for your senses with light, simple French- and Japanese-influenced lunches. The beef tataki entrée is wonderfully rare, drizzled with lime miso complemented by blood orange and Spanish onion. Matched with the Feathertop 2010 Sauvignon Blanc’s citrus, guava and lychee notes, it all zings with summer freshness. Chef Eddie Huynh is revelling in the change of pace after recently joining Boynton’s. ‘Here you are a step closer to the

Alfresco diningfinest ingredients,’ he says. ‘The produce is sourced from local farms; there’s a whole story from source to plate.’

Open for lunch noon-3pm, Friday to Sunday. In December, open Thursday through Monday. January open seven days. Bookings are recommended.

DIY Deli (build your own picnic platter with local produce) 10am-5pm daily (excluding Christmas day)

Boynton’s Alfresco Dining at Feathertop Winery 6619 Great Alpine Road,Porepunkah, VictoriaTel 03 5756 2356www.boynton.com.au


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Porepunkah & Bright

This page: unsurpassed alfresco atmosphere and cutting edge dining at Boynton’s Feathertop Winery. Facing page: Boynton’s chef Eddie Huynh loves the alpine valleys’ produce; Ovens River dreaming at the Riverside Cottages.

The hot seatIt doesn’t stretch the imagination to see why Alpine Park Riverside Cottages receives so many repeat visitors. The cottages simply offer the best of affordable accommodation with million-dollar views, making it ideal for couples and families. The setting seems to have started as a botanical garden – Japanese maples, English dogwoods, crepe myrtles and silver birches are just some of the flora you will find on the 1.3 hectare property. Each cottage boasts views onto the Ovens River or across the dreamy lily pond. The drawcard is 150 metres of river frontage – ample space to take in the gently flowing water or swim safely. Breathing new life into the longest-running accommodation

in the region, couple Sharyn and Robert Blom have fitted out the homely cottages with crisp new linen and modern appliances since taking on the business this year. Hailing from WA, they have both fallen for the gorgeous weather in the Alpine Valleys – particularly the four distinct seasons that see the tupelo tree in the centre of the grounds turn flame-red in autumn.

Alpine Park Riverside Cottages 6706 Great Alpine Road, Porepunkah, VictoriaTel 03 5756 2334www.alpineparkcottages.com.au

There is a real connection to the land here, best place I’ve ever worked in – Eddie Huynh

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Buckland Valley escape

For a romantic getaway, far from it all, The Buckland Studio Retreat should be on your radar. Tucked away in the Buckland Valley, these very private chalets are not unlike Zen dens; they instantly invite you to slow down and contemplate the raw beauty of nature. The sleek design of the self-contained studios features locally quarried stone while organic lines in the sweep of the iron roofs echo the mountainous setting. From the impressive double shower you can see the forest, while two porches are strategically placed to provide backdrops of Mount Buffalo, vineyards and orchards.

Inside, the colour palette of warm neutrals and woody browns softens the distinction between indoor and outdoor space. Quality speaks volumes here, from the furniture and mod cons to the L’Occitane toiletries. And the views? With so many angles from which to enjoy them, you’ll be hard-pressed for reasons to leave The Buckland.

The Buckland – Studio Retreat McCormack’s Lane, Porepunkah, VictoriaTel 03 5756 2383www.thebuckland.com.au

The cellar door at Michelini Wines is always full of good cheer but this is special. Australia’s senior

wine magazine Winestate is awarding the winery’s premium sparkling Chardonnay Pinot Cuvée 4½ stars and ‘Best of State’ in the 2011 Annual Edition. Dino Michelini is proud of the recognition it gives the wine, as well as the Alpine Valleys region as a whole. It’s difficult to miss Michelini’s congenial cellar door in Myrtleford, a building that encapsulates the family’s 160 years of northern Italian and now Australian winemaking heritage. Among the wines showcased are the Italian red varieties sangiovese, the rare marzemino, and teroldego – of which they are one of only two producers in Australia. Another beauty of this family business is that everyone who walks in is made to feel welcome. A scenic drive to the Michelini’s Buckland Valley vineyards, set in a landscape that recalls their family origins in the mountainous Italian province of Trentino, is an experience in itself. Michelini WinesGreat Alpine Road, Myrtleford, VictoriaTel 5751 1990www.micheliniwines.com.au

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This page: Ilario, Kane and Dino Michelini enjoy the fruits of their Buckland Valley Vineyard in the form of their much-lauded sparkling wine. Right: The ultimate in alpine views and eco-chic accommodation at The Buckland Studio Retreat; organic forms inspire bright spark Richard Walker at the High Country Forge.

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Even in this day and age, blacksmiths undertake an apprenticeship, learning their trade by working with master blacksmiths for room and board. In this way, Richard Walker, owner of High Country Forge, spent years travelling the world learning the traditional skills. Opening his own forge in 2005, Richard quickly began attracting business on the basis of his unique sign and letterbox. ‘I always had a gut feeling I could do well here,’ he says. Aside from a red-hot coke forge, hammer and anvil, Richard also shapes metal using ‘modern’ power hammers, some dating from the 1930s! His pieces often combine traditional and contemporary techniques: ‘It

not only comes down to a client’s budget but also the style of the piece.’ The forge’s current project – an entrance sculpture of three giant espaliered apple trees with basketball-sized apples – demonstrates Richard’s love of free-flowing organic forms. Gates, hand-forged architectural fittings and bespoke hardware for cabinet-makers are handled with equal passion and emphasis on quality.

High Country Forge 1464 Great Alpine Road, Smoko, Victoria (10 minutes from Bright)Tel 03 5759 2603, mob 0409 592 696www.highcountryforge.com.au

The work is physically demanding, but we’re fortunate to work in this environment. Our organic-based designs reflect the nature around us.– Richard Walker

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Bright Brewery is at the forefront of innovative craft beers. Owners Scott Brandon and Fiona Reddaway reflect that whereas a few years ago their Blowhard Ale was considered radical, people are now trying even more adventurous beers. Bright Brewery’s seasonal beers demonstrate their emphasis on creativity. The ‘MIA’ India Pale Ale (so named for its creator, new brewer Jon Seltin, who temporarily went missing courtesy of an emergency paraglider landing) is a prime example. A hit at the recent Fed Square Microbreweries Showcase, this full-flavoured IPA, made with locally grown galaxy and topaz hops, has tropical flavours of fresh paw-paw and mango. ‘The hops are

Bright Breweyactually catapulted into your mouth,’ says Fiona. More conventional drinkers enjoy their Bright Lager – a clean, simple beer designed for easy drinking. The brewery’s terrace, on the banks of the Ovens River, over-looking a shady playground just a stone’s throw from the local swimming hole, provides the perfect setting to sample it.

Bright Brewery121 Great Alpine Road, BrightTel 03 5755 1301www.brightbrewery.com.au

High CountryBrewery Trail

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high countrybrewery trailFor a unique craft beer experience, follow the high country brewery trail from Beechworth to Bright and Tawonga.


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Above, left to right: Beer as fresh as the alpine air at Sweetwater Brewing Company in the Kiewa Valley; step this way: a sunny deck beckons at the Bright Brewery. Facing page: New to Bright Brewery are a range of five-litre mini-kegs, so you can have beer on tap in your fridge. A built-in CO2 canister keeps the beer fresh for up to a month. Bridge Road Brewers’ Ben Kraus has something to smile about in Beechworth; no longer M.I.A: Bright Brewery’s master brewer Jon Seltin with co-owner Scott Brandon; beer and wood-fired pizza at Bridge Road Brewers.

Sweetwater Brewing Company

As an enthusiastic skier and fly-fisherman, Peter Hull of the Sweetwater Brewing Company spent years visiting the Kiewa Valley. His long-term plan to leave a corporate lifestyle in food technology behind finally became reality four years ago when the brewery drew its first water from the local mountain stream. The original inhabitants of the area called this river ‘kiewa,’ meaning ‘sweet water’. The Sweetwater Summer Ale has all the freshness that this implies. Peter describes this light-bodied and thirst-quenching craft ale as an easy jump for mainstream Aussie lager-drinkers to make. Made using local galaxy and summer saaz hops, the Summer Ale is virtually the gin and tonic of the beer world: refreshing, with hints of fruit and a light bitterness at the end.

With his range of six distinctive beers, Peter is a brewer who likes to keep beer approachable. ‘My philosophy is that I brew beers to be drunk and enjoyed,’ he says, ‘not to make a statement.’

Sweetwater Brewing Company Currently at: Annapurna Estate 217 Simmons Creek Road,Tawonga South, Victoria

In the New Year: Sweetwater Brewing Company Kiewa Valley Highway, Tawonga South, VictoriaTel 0429 440 222www.sweetwaterbrewing.com.au

If ever there was an adventurous, ultimate hop-head’s hangout, it would have to be Ben Kraus and partner Maria Frischmann’s Bridge Road Brewers of Beechworth, in the old coach house behind the Commercial Hotel. Once a place for horsemen and their four-legged friends to bed down for the night, today its crafty interiors are witness to a roaring trade – the production of the class-leading Chevalier range of premium ales including the classic Belgium farmhouse ale, Chevalier Saison, and the spice-driven and stunningly complex Chevalier Biere De Garde. It’s also locally renowned for its epic gourmet pizzas, the year-round outdoor dining space boasting a contagiously convivial atomosphere, the wide range of unique session, boutique and rare-ingredient ales, and the mother of all pretzels: Maria’s authentic Austrian babies, baked fresh daily. Stumbling across this house of beer in the heart of historic Beechworth is just like striking gold.

Old Coach House, Brewers Lane, Beechworth, VictoriaTel 03 5728 2703www.bridgeroadbrewers.com.au

Bridge Road Brewers

It’s not just about the activities, whether it’s the food and beverages, skiing, bushwalking, cycling or fly fishing; it’s about being surrounded by mountain peaks. Mount Bogong sits above us, and it has a real presence. – Peter Hull

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One could attribute the success of Waddington’s at Kergunyah to its exceptional food and picture-perfect surrounds but, really, it boils down to the boundless energy of Jan and Rod Waddington. Their spacious restaurant was hand-hewn by Rod using fallen timber from the surrounding farm; and together they created its gardens, packed with rare and beautiful plants. Jan’s food is artful, and consistently fresh because much of what is on the plate has been picked from the gardens, often only minutes before. A carpaccio of beetroot with white bean salad, chargrilled haloumi and blood orange vinaigrette is a colourful example. An asado of beef with chimchurri sauce, Argentinean potato salad and crispy

Waddingtons at Kergunyahonions, hints at another of the Waddington’s passions: international travel. The restaurant’s long bank of louvred windows looks across the heritage-listed cultural landscape of the Kiewa Valley, where the rich grazing lands, forested hills and wide azure skies only get better with each visit. ‘We’ve just done our tenth year,’ smiles Rod. ‘Not bad for a restaurant in the middle of a paddock.’

Open Thursday to Sunday for lunch; night-time sittings and functions by arrangement.

2688 Kiewa Valley Highway,Kergunyah, VictoriaTel 02 6027 5393

Kiawa Valley

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kiewa valleyFeaturing a heritage-listed landscape of rich pastoral lands settled by Victoria’s high country cattlemen, the Kiewa Valley has hidden culinary treasures and sublime natural beauty dominated by Victoria’s highest peak, Mount Bogong.

I like being surrounded by nature, because you don’t have to be involved with yourself. Nature involves you, and you forget yourself.– Rod Waddington

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The art of food: Jan Waddington cooks from garden-to-plate against a Kiewa Valley backdrop. Facing page, clockwise: strawberry roulade and garden charm at Waddington’s of Kergunyah; sublime icecream and mod-Italian cuisine by hepcat Roi Rigoni of Roi’s Diner; Sunday luncheon at Waddington’s. Below: retro style at Roi’s Diner.


Roi’s RestaurantIt’s rare to find a restaurant that is such a delightfully unselfconscious expression of its owners. But for those in the know, there’s little surprise that after 15 years, Roi Rigoni and Sue White of Roi’s Restaurant have reached cult-culinary-legend status. With seamless marrying of flavours, Roi’s menu reflects his Italian background. Handmade pasta (served with creamy garlic prawns, peas, parsley, and cherry tomato), and risotto (with handmade pork sausage, scallops, mushrooms, asparagus, and saffron), are reminders of how great these fundamental Italian staples can be when treated with love. However, Roi is most renowned for iconic dishes such as roast duck

a l’orange; baked rabbit stuffed with pork, chestnut and sage; and his now legendary roast pork chop with caramelized pink lady apples, hot sauerkraut and mash. The enchanting restaurant floor is filled with an eclectic collection of art and retro objects softened by warm lamplight, but it’s Sue’s service that gives the room its soul. No wonder Roi’s Restaurant breeds loyalty in its diners, who travel from miles around. Open Thursday-Sunday from 6.30pm 117 Kiewa Valley Highway, Tawonga, VictoriaTel 03 5754 449

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This picture-postcard mountain hideaway by the lake, first making an appearance in our 2006 launch edition, has long been one of Essentials’ most cherished and talked about holiday destinations, firmly holding a place in our hearts. Bogong Alpine Village retains its ‘best-kept secret’ status, despite a steady increase in popularity over the past decade. It’s a mystery how such a beautiful location manages to remain ‘under the radar’ by comparison with some ‘big ticket’ tourism offerings. The village, set on the banks of Lake Guy among impressively manicured seasonal European gardens, comprises 26 houses and cabins, several of which

have been smartly renovated, ready for this summer’s holiday season. Also new this season is the long-awaited opening of the restaurant, cafe and general store, Bogong Jack’s (formerly Alpine Village Belle). New managers Glen and Ellen Smuts have cleverly introduced a two-tier gourmet pub-dining menu as well as a newly developed daytime cafe that together offer adventure seekers and in-village guests lunches and Devonshire teas to rival the best found at any traditional Victorian tourist-road mountain inn. At 800 metres above sea level, the village is just below the snow line, but the occasional snowfall can be expected in

Bogong Alpine Village

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Bogong Village

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bogong villageSurrounded by the high peaks of the Alpine National Park, Bogong Village is a short drive from Falls Creek and the Bogong High Plains. Its refurbished holiday cabins overlook established European-styled gardens famous for their autumn colour, as well as picturesque Lake Guy.

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winter. The summer climate is a more than ideal ‘cool’ escape with impressive views to Victoria’s highest peak, Mount Bogong. This tiny village, originally built for workers of the Kiewa River hydro-electric scheme, is now a perfectly presented getaway for family and friends, business conferences or weddings.

Bogong Alpine Village Bogong High Plains Road, Bogong, VictoriaTel 03 5754 1131 www.bogongvillage.com

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With business booming, functions booked, and travellers arriving daily, the newly opened Bogong Jack’s has proven an instant success. ‘Day-to-day business and the amount of tourists around is surprising,’ says manager Glen Smuts. Now open Friday and Saturday nights as a restaurant/bar, and open 7 days as a cafe (and general convenience store), Bogong Jack’s has smoothly elevated Bogong’s food offerings to a plateau of ‘quality dining’. Sydney chef Kristy McGrail presents a well-crafted two-tier dining menu comprising desirable gourmet offerings and a healthy range of pub classics tweaked to push them upmarket.

Panfried haloumi dressed with lime, caper and coriander vinaigrette is a simple, yet masterful creation. The squid, chorizo and preserved lemon salad is summer fresh, as is the slightly sweeter pear, blue cheese and honeyed walnut salad – a flavoursome, lighter option that pairs well with a clean Yalumba Y Series Sauvignon Blanc. The pub classics are dressed for success, with smartly chosen premium ingredients adding flavour and value. The chicken breast parmigiana is authentically Italian with its homemade Napoli sauce and lightly smoked kassler ham. The 400g aged black angus rump (accompanied by a choice of freshly made sauces) is a cracker of a

Bogong Jack’s


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This page: In the heart of Bogong Village, Bogong Jack’s restaurant offers a combination of gourmet cuisine and pub classics. The newly-renovated café and general store can be found on the upper-level. Facing page: A refurbished alpine cabin overlooking Lake Guy; Bogong Village is renowned for its gardens; pub-grub at Bogong Jack’s. Far right: Glen and Ellen Smuts of Bogong Jack’s, with baby Violet.

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meal when paired with the rosemary and garlic roasted chat potatoes. Vegetarian and gluten free options are available. Bogong Jack’s newly renovated upper-level cafe and general store is designed to please holiday makers and day trippers alike, serving Devonshire teas, fresh muffins and focaccias. Alternatively, visitors can order a platter of aged blue and cheddar cheeses with locally produced fig salami, dried fruit and nuts, bread and crackers. As a take-away it would be just perfect for that relaxed picnic by the lake. With vital holiday commodities amply stocked, including everything from toothpaste and coffee to fishing tackle and ice, Bogong Jack’s is now delivering what has been previously been a seriously

missed food necessity within Bogong Alpine Village. Open: Cafe/general store open 7 days for lunch 11am-3.30pmRestaurant/bar open Friday and Saturday nights for dinner from 5.30pm

Bogong Jack’sBogong High Plains Road, Bogong, VictoriaTel 03 5754 1131 www.bogongvillage.com

Living and working here offers the best of both worlds: all the energy and functionality of Falls Creek and Mt Beauty while living in the bush. It’s also a great place to bring up our baby daughter Violet. – Glen Smuts

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Red Ramia Trading

Red Ramia Trading is now a destination in its own right. Its showrooms are more like a souk or bazaar – an exotic marketplace that sells imported goods ranging from the tiniest bead to rich fabrics, colourful ceramics, furniture and large architectural fittings. Northern Africa, India, China... once someone walks through the door, they could be almost anywhere in the world. People from across Australia dedicate trips to Red Ramia Trading to look at stock they won’t find elsewhere. Locals delight in bringing visitors, whom they enjoy keeping in the dark: ‘We won’t tell you what it is, only that you won’t believe it when you

get there!’ The goods on offer are so varied that no one leaves without finding something, provided they allow themselves ample time to hunt. The vibrant colours, patterns and textures, combined with inviting aromas wafting over from Café Fez, makes shopping at Red Ramia Trading an exciting, even overwhelming, sensory experience. There’s always something new happening. 145 Great Alpine Road, Myrtleford, VictoriaTel 03 5752 1944www.redramia.com.au

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Globe TrottingBeyond Myrtleford’s ‘Great Wall’: an exotic bazaar awaits you inside Red Ramia Trading; cocktail perfection and Lebanese cuisine at Café Fez.

•Cafe Fez

As much about theatre as it is about food, Café Fez would have to be one of the few cafes this side of the Euphrates where customers can comfortably pretend to be somewhere between Casablanca and Baghdad. With twinkling lanterns, Berber cushions and mosaic tiles, its surrounds easily befit a scene from The Arabian Nights. The Lebanese food is as good as can be found in any Middle Eastern souk, and the banquets would delight a Persian shah. Given the popularity of Café Fez’s mint tea, their great coffee and lengthy wine list, the cocktails are another surprise. Always available, they’re virtually an institution on Friday nights. Amanda Ramia developed a flair for making cocktails while working in some of

Brisbane’s hippest bars, and she cuts no corners in creating perfection. Mojitos are popular, along with the house specialties Ras el hanout, which comes with a Moroccan-spiced sugar rim; and the Kiwi Kiss, made with fresh kiwi fruit and 42 Below’s kiwi-flavoured vodka.

Open for breakfast and lunch: Monday-Thursday 8.30am-5pm, Friday 8.30am-11pm, Saturday 8.30am-3pm, Sunday 10am-3pm. Open for dinner Friday nights.

145 Great Alpine Road, Myrtleford, Victoria (inside Red Ramia Trading)Tel 5751 1155www.redramia.com.au

I love the lifestyle. There’s a relaxed pace, and there’s always so much to do in every season. — Minette Ramia

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TREMONTI a s t a t e m e n t i n j e w e l l e r yKarin Tremonti fine Swiss designer jewellery with an original creative message

Studio: 638 Kiewa Street, Albury, NSW. Tel: 02 6041 6310 e-mail: [email protected]

ONLINE SHOPPING IS INTOXICATING @ www.tremonti.com.au

Please call for your appointment

w a l k – s w i m – r e a d – d r e a m – r i d e – c a n o e – e a t – r e s t

. natural coolB o o k Now: 03 5754 1131 w w w . b o g o n g v i l l a g e . c o m

bogong alpine villagebogong jack’scafe-restaurant now openfunctions • events • custom menus

essentials magazine summer 2011

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