Orange loosens belt for winefest

CORKS are popping in the central NSW town of Orange as Australia's coolest climate winemakers celebrate with a food and wine festival.

Festivities ... over 70 events, including concerts, food and wine tastings, race days and markets, are squeezed into 10 days

IS wine better than sex?

It depends on who you ask but be assured the question will be on the lips of locals and visitors to the NSW central tablelands town of Orange this week.

The topic is the subject of a specially convened – and catered for – debate at a local winery as part of Orange Wine Week.

Formerly Winefest, Orange Wine Week celebrates the region's increasingly well-regarded food and wine producers and kicks off on October 20 – just as the winners of the Orange Wine Show are announced. Organisers have squeezed around 70 concerts, food and wine tastings, exhibitions, markets and a race meet into the ten days of the festival.

Orange, centred on the slopes of Mount Canobolas, is the most elevated of Australia's wine regions and it has been doing great things with cool climate style Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Noir, as well as Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon.

Yet although nine wines from the region were named in the Top 40 Wines of NSW for 2006 by NSW Wine Awards, Orange is still considered by many to be an "emerging wine region" – which is why the Orange Region Vignerons Association brought in Kim Currie as their executive officer earlier this year.

Currie cut her teeth in the NSW central ranges as a food and wine development officer. She established the farmers markets in Orange and neighbouring towns Bathurst, Cowra and Mudgee before decamping with her family to Rylstone, south of Mudgee. Here she opened a café and restaurant and launched, among other events, the Rylstone annual Long Lunch.

Now she's moved to Orange to develop the food and wine tourism potential of this beautiful part of NSW's Central Tablelands.

"Orange has such a strong food culture – it predates the grapes – and there are such wonderful people in Orange," Currie said. "It's an exciting time to be here."

In addition to over 25 cellar doors and 55 vineyards, there is no shortage of fine dining establishments in Orange. Simmon Hawke's Lolli Redini and Michael Manner's Selkirk's which were awarded one and two hats respectively in 2006 by the Sydney Morning Herald's Good Food Guide. Or there's Belgravia at Union Bank with its up-market wine and tapas bar or Tony Worland's Tonic restaurant just outside Orange in the village of Millthorpe. All are involved in presenting Orange Wine Week events.

Events run from breakfast until the wee small hours as wineries, cafes, restaurants and throw open their doors and gates. Prepare to loosen your belt and nominate a designated driver.

The Showground Pavilion will be home to a number of key events:

THE Orange Wine Show, opens the doors to the Showground Pavilion to the public on October 20. It's your chance to sample around 180 of the local wines including those of leading regional winemaker Philip Shaw of Cumulus Wines and Philip Shaw Wines, and Mayfield Vineyard whose Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon were listed among the top 40 NSW wines.

THE Producers Table: A night around the table with local food and wine producers including Selkirk's chef Michael Manners at the Showground Pavilion

ORANGE'S famous Farmers Market goes nocturnal for the Night Market on Friday 27 October.

THE following day, Peter Bourne, otherwise known as the 'Wine Man', presents tastings of three brackets of six Cabernet Sauvignon wines from around the world with matched food tastings. On hand to discuss the wines are leading Orange winemaker Philip Shaw of Cumulus and Philip Shaw Wines, Judi Cullam of Frankland Estate in Western Australia and Bob Roberts, formerly of Huntington.

THE decks are then cleared for Slow Food Orange who, along with the region's cooks and chefs, reveal why slow is the way to go with their Stew and Shiraz in the Shed dinner.

Many of the region's food producers have joined with Orange wineries to present special tasting events, dinners and hands-on workshops. Learn how to bake bread, blend wines, match your cheddar to your chardonnay, and debate the age-old question: 'Is wine better than sex?' at Mayfield Vineyard.

Other Orange Wine Week highlights include a series of music concerts at the Orange Regional Conservatorium including a performance by Riley Lee, Australia's only Grand Master of the Japanese bamboo shakuhachi flute, and harpist Marshall McGuire.