Australia's popular wine and cheese party is back

One of Australia's most successful gourmet events, Mould x Pinot Palooza, is returning in 2025. 

The showcase of outstanding cheeses and stellar pinot noirs from across Australia and New Zealand, will return its food and wine tour to Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth in 2025. 

Bad news, however, for Sydney, Adelaide and Hobart, who miss out this time around. 

These will be the first Mould x Pinot Palooza events since the departure of event founder and guru Dan Sims, so the pressure will be on the Revel Global team to match the excellence of previous years. 

The dates will be May 23-25 at the John Reid Pavilion at the Showgrounds in Brisbane, July 4-5 in Melbourne at the Royal Exhibition Building in Carlton and August 9-10 at the Silver Jubilee Pavilion at the Claremont Showgrounds  in Perth.

Pre-sales open today for previous party goers with public tickets available from tomorrow. 

Organisers boast: "From the creamiest brie to the stinkiest blue, the prettiest Yarra Pinot and robust Central Otago - we’ve got you covered."

Tickets are $59 plus booking fee and include unlimited tastings at featured stalls, plus a complimentary cooler bag, wine glass and tote.

See https://pinotpalooza.com.au/

New role for star chef Kuruvita

 

Veteran chef and cookbook author Peter Kuruvita has been appointed culinary director for The Curated Plate food and drink festival, which will be held from July 25 to August 3, 2025.

The festival celebrates the best of the Sunshine Coast's local produce, restaurants, chefs, and craft brewers and distillers, from the ocean to the Hinterland. 

Launched originally in 2019, The Curated Plate has grown substantially over the years, attracting more than 7000 attendees to 85 events in 2024. 

Former Flying Fish chef Kuruvita has over 40 years of experience as a chef, restaurateur, author, TV presenter, culinary tour leader, and spice merchant. 

He said he was keen to start talking to local operators about their concepts for The Curated Plate.

“I’m excited to become more involved in The Curated Plate in 2025, particularly to provide guidance and share my knowledge and skills with local chefs and producers, if that’s what they would like,” he said.

“I hope to influence and guide the festival program to ensure we curate the best possible festival of events to showcase both local chef talent and produce and promote the Sunshine Coast as a fantastic food and drink destination.”

Sunshine Coast mayor Rosanna Natoli said the festival created opportunities that translated the region’s exceptional produce into memorable food experiences.

“We are looking to create a program full of diverse experiences for locals and visitors with extraordinary events that take place in unique settings, from our farms to beaches, from our breweries to distilleries,” she said.

“Food and agribusiness has been identified as a key high-value industry in our production economy, which is one of the six high value economies identified for growth as we target a $33 billion economy by 2033.’’

The event program is currently being developed with more details to be announced in the new year.

Further information: https://thecuratedplate.com.au/

Culinary stars align to lift spirits in Far North Queensland

A very popular food festival in Far North Queensland (FNQ), Taste Port Douglas, will return to the tropics from August 8-11 for its eighth year.

Some of my all-time favourite chefs are among the line-up this time around with organisers predicting this year's festival is set to the biggest and best yet, with dining experiences spanning across both its home of Port Douglas and, for the first time, Cairns.

Following a turbulent start to the year, weathering Tropical Cyclone Jasper, Taste Port Douglas’ co-founders Reina and Spencer Patrick are excited to bring the area back to life, welcoming an all-star line-up of some of the nation’s top culinary talent. 

Chefs involved include the great Mark Best (ex Marque in Sydney, my one-time special occasion favourite); Colin Fassnidge, who I first met when he was cooking fresh off the plane at Le Grande Bouffe in Rozelle in 2004, working in a hole-in-the-wall kitchen, and Massimo Mele (top image), who has created Peppina, the tremendous Italian-accented eatery in Hobart's The Tasman hotel.

Other standouts include local hero Nick Holloway from perennial favourite Nu Nu, and Victorians Ian Curley, Adam D'Sylva and Raymond Capaldi, all of whom will escape the Victorian winter to show off their talents, along with several TV cheffie types including Manu Feildel.

On the menu this year will be a smorgasbord of events, masterclasses and tropical parties, backdropped by the reefs and rainforests of the tropics.



Local eateries will welcome a series of chef-led events, including the long seaside luncheons, ‘A Night of Fire’ at Flames of the Forest (above), and several new events.

There will be a total of 25 events taking place over the four-day weekend.

Following a turbulent start to the year, weathering Tropical Cyclone Jasper, Taste Port Douglas’ co-founders Reina and Spencer Patrick say they are excited to bring the area back under a positive spotlight.



“This year's Taste Port Douglas will be a culinary celebration like no other, with a spectacular line-up of events and masterclasses hosted by some of the best talent in the country," says Spencer Patrick.

"Following the cyclone in December it’s been a tricky start to the year for the local community and businesses, and we’re now excited to see the festival bring FNQ back to life, welcoming both interstate and international guests to feast with us once again.

“We hosted more than 10,000 visitors at Taste Port Douglas last year, many of whom travelled from overseas to feast with us, and this year we anticipate an even bigger crowd with bringing our capital city into the action.”

Tickets ware on sale now at tasteportdouglas.com.au, where you can also see the full festival program.