Mudgee Wine Festival

Last weekend I went to the Mudgee Wine Festival... in Manly. For those of you who don't know Sydney, they're two places separated by 280km, a mountain range and a cultural divide. Mudgee is an attractive town in the country, north-west of Lithgow. Manly is a beach suburb on a peninsula at the mouth of Sydney Harbour and a mecca for backpackers. Mudgee is a well-known wine region, and because of it's historic buildings, great pubs and even better local produce, it's a popular place to go for weekends away. But Mudgee also comes to the city for a day or two each year. With the help of two friends on a gorgeous sunny day, I sampled over twenty wines - the benefit of going with friends. $25 buys you a wine glass and ten tasting tickets which allow you to sample the wares from numerous marquees spread out on the lawns of Manly's 'castle'. Worth a look on any day, the St Patricks College grounds are open to the public. The building now houses a hospitality school, but once served as a seminary for the Catholic church. There were whites and reds, dessert wines and some great Rose's. I couldn't resist a Temperanillo from Optimiste, a Merlot Rose from Burrundulla, and a Cabernet Rose from Robert Stein, and also fell victim to a caramelized balsamic vinegar from Noble House Fine Foods. Keep an eye out for the event next year, or go to the real thing held during the month of September in Mudgee.