Check out a new series of Sydney wine and food experiences

Looking for some fun wine and food experiences in Sydney?

In the suburb of Willoughby, The Bridgeview Hotel is next month launching Bridgey & Barrel, a new monthly dining series celebrating wines, the story behind each bottle, and food.

To be held every second Thursday in the hotel's classic Dining Room, each event will be hosted by a different winemaker, winery ambassador or industry expert for $89 per person.

The series kicks off on Thursday, September 10, with wine family legends Tyrrell's Wines from Pokolbin in the Hunter Valley.

Guests will enjoy a guided tasting, complemented by a three-course menu from chef Rob Phillips.

The experience continues on October with Clarity Cru Wine Merchants showcasing Mudgee producer First Ridge, known for outstanding Italian varietals, before Audrey Wilkinson takes over on November 12, highlighting the its Hunter Valley drops.

Closing out the year, Clonakilla, one of Australia's leading cool-climate labels, will take the floor on December 10. The Bridgeview Hotel, 580 Willoughby Rd, Willoughby, NSW 2068

Bookings for September are now open HERE

New Renzaglia wine range showcases regional diversity

 

Here is a new name worth having on your wine radar if you enjoy well made cooler-climate wines at sensible prices. 

All six wines in the Renzaglia Wines Collection from the New South Wales Central Ranges are priced at $37 - and the chardonnay, pinot noir and riesling, in particular, are outstanding. All are precise, considered and another glass worthy.  

While Renzaglia may be a relatively new name in Australia - and the new range just released - the brand's roots go back to 1982, in the most unlikely of places. 

Guy and Betty Renzaglia planted a small vineyard in the dry county of Alto Pass, Illinois, in the US. Now their their son Mark and his wife Sandy are farming in the Wambuul Valley and their third-generation winegrower son Sam Renzaglia (below) has taken the reins. 

He has expanded the range with new wines that showcase the styles possible across this diverse winegrowing zone.

The new releases draw fruit from across the Central Ranges, with vineyards spanning Wallington in Canowindra, Patina and ChaLou in Orange, and First Ridge in Mudgee.



“One of the most exciting aspects of working with a small group of dedicated grape-growers is the opportunities for collaboration,” says winemaker Sam Renzaglia.

“We are like-minded and enjoy robust discussions about viticulture, always with the shared intent of striving for the highest quality possible.

“In the winery, our approach is guided by the essence of each variety. We aim to capture their inherent character without interference, which means no added yeast, tannin, sugar, or acid. 

"We’re using very little new oak and instead working with an array of fermentation and maturation vessels: concrete, earthenware amphorae, stainless steel, foudre, puncheons, barriques and even glass.

"It’s an elaborate toolbox designed to nurture wines that are engaging, honest, and true to their origins.

“Our focus is always on expressing the best characteristics of each variety while delivering value. The vineyards we work with may evolve over time, but that’s part of the joy, learning through collaboration with different growers and exploring the remarkable diversity of the Central Ranges.”

The Renzaglia wines are distributed by Viticult and at www.renzagliawines.com.au.

The range comprises:

2024 Renzaglia Central Ranges Pinot Gris (ChaLou Vineyard, Orange) 
2024 Renzaglia Central Ranges Riesling (Patina Vineyard, Orange) 
2024 Renzaglia Central Ranges Chardonnay (Patina Vineyard, Orange) 
2024 Renzaglia Central Ranges Pinot Noir (Patina Vineyard, Orange) 
2024 Renzaglia Central Ranges Sangiovese (First Ridge Vineyard, Mudgee) 
2024 Renzaglia Central Ranges’Grenache Tempranillo (Wallington Vineyard, Canowindra). 

2024 Renzaglia Central Ranges Cabernets (Mount Panorama & Patina Vineyard) 

My three favourites were all grown at Gerald Naef's long-established Patina Vineyard in Orange. 

Italian varieties shine in Mudgee half a century on

Carlo Corino was a winemaker ahead of his time.

Five decades ago Corino identified then relatively obscure Mudgee as an ideal region for growing Italian grape varieties in Australia.

Corino produced several outstanding wines under the Montrose label made from then unknown Italian grape varieties - but his work went largely unrecognised.

Corino, who died in 2007, left Australia and returned home to Italy, where he helped create some of the first attention-grabbing wines from Sicily.

Today, Italian varieties are shining in Mudgee, as shown by two new releases from First Ridge.

The duo is made from barbera, a native of northern Italy, and montepulciano, which thrives in central and southern Italy.

Both are from the standout 2023 vintage, an First Ridge vigneron John Nicholas says they showcase the depth and elegance of Italian varieties grown in Mudgee’s elevated vineyards. First Ridge is at 520 metres.

“The 2023 harvest period saw ideal conditions, with little to no rain, mild weather and slow ripening, producing grapes with perfect colour, concentration and tannin profiles, albeit later than normal,” says Nicholas.

“We are very proud of these new wines. Our winemaker, James Manners, knows the vineyard well and continues to highlight the power and finesse of these Italian varieties and their suitability to our site.”

The First Ridge vineyard is home to a range of premium Italian varieties, including montepulciano and barbera, along with pinot grigio, sangiovese, vermentino, prosecco [glera] and fiano.

“We are extremely grateful to the work that the late Dr Richard Smart did for us in the early days when we established the vineyard,” explains Nicholas. “He had the experience, foresight and fortitude to build on the work of Mudgee vinicultural pioneer Carlo Corino, who established these varieties in Australia in the 1970s.

“We continue to be optimistic about these varieties. Our customers at the cellar door and in the trade are curious about the wines, and keen to taste them."

The montepulciano was my favourite of the pair, matched with a mushroom pizza, but both wines offer interesting savoury drinking for $45. Both would be great with a pasta and a ragu sauce. 

See www.firstridge.com.au