Adventure in the South Burnett

There is nothing that I like more than a good adventure. So with that in mind, I set off last weekend out South Burnett way for the Vintage in the Vines dinner at the Bridgeman Downs Cellars at Moffatdale. Alex Bridges had organised this fabulous dinner to showcase not only the wonderful wines that the vineyard is producing, but also the local produce which became the foundation of a delicious menu to compliment.

The menu featured organic duck breast by Bendele Farm (Kilkivan), aged beef from Kinbombi Beef (South Burnett), Goomeri pumpkins, of course (Goomeri Pumpkin Festival is on the 31^st May) and a selection of cheeses from Kingaroy Cheese (Kingaroy). Among the wines were a 2008 Verdelho, 2005 Cellar Release Shiraz and Liqueur Muscat, all by Bridgeman Downs Cellars.

So good wines, good food, good company, what more could you want out of an adventure. We visited s few other wineries as well, Barambah Winery, Cloverly Winery and Dusty Hills Winery where we also enjoyed lunch sitting outdoors with views of a rustic shed and dam, making me feel like I was sitting on the back veranda of somebody’s home in the country. Oh, and then there were the olives, delicious plump, juicy olives from The Olive Farm at Moffatdale that were served in between wines at Barambah Winery and warm at the Bridgeman Downs dinner. The olive oil is also a winner.

While the dinner was a success, for me it was a success on so many other levels. Bridgeman Downs may have been the centre of attention, but it was more than happy to share the attention with the rest of the region, showing off not only the other wineries, but the quaint venues in the way of B&B’s. Murgon, Moffatdale, Goomeri and its surrounding region had some 130 guests roaming the region at some stage or the other, all given the same opportunity of an excuse to discover the region and all it has to offer as I had. Visitors given all the more reason they needed to stay a night in the region by Alex inviting diners back the next morning to take part in a coffee appreciation session put on by the crew from Merlo Coffee. It was not only interesting but great fun and in much need of by some of the die-hards that felt compelled to sample as much regional wine as they possibly could in one night.

All in all the weekend was a lot of fun and unless I find a local supplier of the olives, a trip I will have to do again to stock up. If you would like to plan a trip, check out some of these websites:

www.bridgemandowns.com
www.barambah.com.au
www.dustyhill.com.au
www.southburnettwine.com.au