Hit the park for Tasmania's best food and wine festival

Held annually over three days in Launceston's delightful City Park, Festivale is Tasmania's best food and wine festival by some considerable margin. 

Unlike the recent Taste in Hobart, where you can struggle to find a table, where the costs are too expensive for many boutique producers, where the lines can be long and the payment system is unreliable at best, Festivale offers the chance to spread out on the grass while enjoying gourmet food, local wines, ciders and beers and live entertainment from the likes of Kate Ceberano and Wendy Matthews. 

More than 30,000 people are expected to flock to Festivale to enjoy the offerings of over 70 stall-holders, ranging from boutique wine producers like Wines For Joanie, Hillwood Estate, Barringwood Vineyard and Gala Estate to big names like Josef Chromy, Jansz, Pipers Brook, Tamar Ridge and Bay of Fires, as well as regular award winners Goaty Hill and Moores Hill. 

Ciders from Pagan, Little Rivers, Willie Smith's and Red Brick Road and craft beers from Seven Sheds, T-Bone, Morrison, Two-Metre Tall and Van Dieman Brewing will be on offers and food purveyors range from Jahan Paterson-Were's Mahasti tapas to Fingal Valley Bratwurst, Mount Ghomon Farm's porky delights, Ashgrove Cheese and delicious Flamecakes (try one if you haven't already).

Festivale’s outdoor theatre will feature a non-stop local and interstate entertainment line-up from two stages around the park throughout the weekend. Ceberano will headline on the Friday night. Wendy Matthews will bring Saturday night alive and also be singing jazz on Sunday. 

Roving acts and internationally renowned buskers will be on hand to keep the crowd entertained, including The Tiny Top Circus Tent for younger attendees

While entry to the Taste is free, you pay to attend Festivale, which keeps out the hooligan element and assures a family atmosphere. 

This year's Festivale runs from Friday, February 12 to Sunday, February 14, and visitors can choose between paying for daily entry or being season passes. 

Chef Greg Malouf is this year's special guest and Greg will talk about his passion for cooking, knowledge and experience at the Festivale Lunch at Stillwater on the Friday. Working with head chef Craig Will, Malouf will showcase his Middle Eastern cuisine using Tasmanian produce. 

It might pay to book early for both Malouf's lunch and some of the masterclasses to be held over the final two days of Launceston's favourite gourmet event.

The Tamar Valley Wine Route Experience tastings will be held at Design Tasmania, just outside City Park and tickets are on sale now.

Classes include a look at colour in Tasmanian rosé sparkling wines with Dr Andrew Pirie from Apogee and Fran Austin from Delamere and an examination of the difference between pinot gris and pinot grigio with Penny Jones from Bay of Fires and Stewart Burns from Josef Chromy.

Also look out for beer and cheese matching class presented by Nathan Calman, head brewer at James Boags and veteran cheesemaker Uli Berger, and a look at wine and chocolate with Natasha Nieuwhof from Goaty Hill and Theresa Streefland of Cocobean Chocolate.

On Sunday, the highlights include a tasting of the Festivale Awards winners with
James Welsh, Curly Haslam Coates and wine writer Jane Faulkner, who has taken over my judging role at the event.

Also consider a cider workshop with Karina Dambergs of Red Brick Road Cider and Tim Jones of Willie Smiths, and a look at whether to age Tasmanian pinot noir with Tom Wallace from Tamar Ridge and Pete Caldwell from Dalrymple Vineyards.

Entry prices are $20 for Friday night, $25 on Saturday and $15 on Sunday. Three-day passes cost $48 (pre-sale only). 

For full details see www.festivale.com.au 

Tasmanian town goes French for a weekend

The tiny southern Tasmanian town of Cygnet will take on a French accent next month - but only for one weekend. 

Cygnet, with a population around 1,000 and counting, last weekend held its 34th annual folk festival, which drew a crowd of 6,000. 

On the weekend of February 13-14, it will host the first Le Weekend, two days devoted to celebrating all things French and celebrating the region's many links with France.

The bay on which Cygnet sits, some 45 minutes' drive south of Hobart, was named Port des Cygnes (Port of Swans) by French navigator Bruni D'Entrecasteaux in 1793, because he observed a large number of black swans in the area. 

The Huon Valley region, along with its local government authority, several towns, the HHuon River, and the Huon Pine, were named after French explorer Jean-Michel Huon de Kermadec. 

Cygnet’s 150th anniversary in 1984 was marked by Cygnet twinning with Entrecasteaux in France and a visit of the French Frigate “Jacques de Cartier”.

Today, Cygnet is a local mecca for artists, musicians, craftspeople and creative types, including many journalists, TV types, and Gourmet Farmer Matthew Evans, among others. It hosts a hugely popular fortnightly market. 

The inaugural Le Weekend will include the first Tour de Cygnet cycle race, over either 17km or 38km, along with dozens of other events celebrating French history, culture and romance.

Following the opening ceremony on February 13, there will be market stalls with a French flavour, petanque, a French dinner banquet with chicken liver pate and bouef bourguignon and some great cheeses. There will be some terrific French wines and I will be giving a talk on the differences between French and Tasmanian wine. 

There will also be live music, a parade of classic French cars, an En Plein Air art competition, live music and French film festival. 

The market stalls and petanque will be back on the Sunday, along with a Valentine's Day French breakfast, the cycling, French cooking classes with Steve Sakell, the chef at Villa Howden, and more movies and cars.  

On both days, visitors and locals will be able to explore the local waters first mapped by French navigators on board the Lady Nelson sailing vessel. 

Tickets and more information at www.cygnet.org.au 

So you think you have what it takes to be a winemaker?

So you think you've got the palate to make wine like the professionals do? Here is your chance to prove it. 

MOJO Wine: Baptism of Fire for 2016 is looking for amateur/would-be winemakers to be a part of a competition program that offers wine lovers the chance to have loads of fun while raising money for their nominated charity. 

For the first time, the competition is national and has an Australian wine brand behind it as the sponsor.  

There is $10,000 up for grabs for the winners and the call has gone out for prospective contestants who may have always dreamt of making wine but never got there. 

It is a state of origin event aimed at  encouraging  the next generation of Australian winemaking talent.

Teams of two will combine in an attempt to prove themselves the best. 

Jess Ho and Wiremu Andrews were part of Wine Baptism of Fire 2014, restricted to Victoria, and said: “Having the opportunity to e part of Baptism of Fire was a great way to understand the winemaking process rather than just the romantic story when the bottle is in front of you.

"As a bunch of rookies, not only was it fun,  but it demystified the issues that wineries and winemakers face when getting the product out there.”

Contestants are encouraged to apply and those selected will be guided through the process by mentors from the wine industry.

Following the selection process, contestants will need to be available throughout the year to manage the whole process – from choosing which grapes to pick, through to the design of the brand and the launch of the end result.

Each team will align with charity partners of their choice and MOJO will award a $10,000 prize to the winning team. Proceeds from the sales of the finished wines will go to the winning team’s nominated charity.

The competition will be documented in a web-based reality series and applicants can register at www.winebof.com before January 22.

Are a lot of airport security measures a waste of time?

We've all seen it happen time after time. Someone is stopped at the airport security checkpoint and has a tiny pair of nail clippers removed from their hand baggage.

Or maybe a pair of knitting needles intended to help fill several hours of flying time are deemed too sharp; taken away never to be seen again.



The security measures brought in after 9/11 were, in many cases a knee-jerk reaction with absolutely no basis in fact, or safety. It would make far more sense, for example, for everyone to undergo an explosives check before boarding. 

With which could you do more damage? A pair of nail clippers or a magnum of Champagne? A super weapon and very sharp once broken. And what threat does a bottle of water pose on an international flight, other than to airport profits?

Robin Darroch, a training captain for a large Australian regional airline, was reported in the Sydney Moring Herald as telling a recent inquiry that many aviation security regulations "tend towards the wasteful and pointlessly obstructive" and distract security staff from identifying genuine threats.

He asked why pocket knives, screwdrivers, metal cutlery, and small scissors were prohibited from flights when they were "considerably less threatening than makeshift weapons someone could make by breaking a laptop computer screen, or even by sharpening a credit card"?

He said some regulations should potentially be repealed. 

All the security measures over the past 15 years were not necessarily brought in to make people safe, but to make them feel safe. There is a very real difference. 

Darroch questioned why he, as a pilot, was sometimes screened for weapons and other objects before entering his aircraft, despite having access to a "sizeable axe" on the flight deck used for emergency escapes.

It is also blatantly obvious that a heavy walking stick is a potentially dangerous weapon and that many brooches worn by old ladies are sharper and potentially more dangerous than a Swiss Army knife. Yet they are allowed on board with no questions asked. 

There is no logic. And the reality is that there is a lot of money to be made from selling booze at airports; so anyone can carry a potentially menacing magnum of Bollinger on board. 

Making money is apparently far more important than passenger safety. Time for a look at the rules maybe? 

What a luxury: cruising the waterways of Bordeaux

Cruising is synonymous with weight gain. All those buffet meals. Far more cocktails that you'd consume on dry land and lots of time lazing around on the deck taking in the sun.

Recent research has suggested that the average person puts on half a kilo a day during a cruise holiday – understandable when all the food served on board is included in the price, meaning you can over-indulge without opening your wallet.

And then there is that complimentary in-suite mini bar that's replenished every day.

But weight gain can easily be avoided if you have the willpower.

Imagine a cruise where long, invigorating walks were part of the itinerary, where bicycles were at your command to explore the local sights when you dock, and where healthy and vegetarian eating options are always available.

On my recent Scenic river cruise on board the Scenic Diamond through the vineyards of Bordeaux salads, low-calorie dressings, "healthy" lunch options and round-the-clock fruit were the norm, along with all the usual gourmet options.

While the main Crystal Dining restaurant offered buffets for breakfast and lunch (and a la carte dining in the evenings), rewarding treats and salads were available in the River Café from early morning until late afternoon every day.

Think dishes like quinoa salad, stuffed vine leaves, millet salad and fresh fruit platters at a little nook called “Vitality Corner”.

Herbal teas (green tea, peppermint, rooibos) are always available, while fresh juices (multi-vitamin, grapefruit, orange or apple) can be delivered to your cabin at any time and enjoyed on your private deck.

The dinner menus feature several choices each night; the likes of pan-fried fillet of John Dory with artichokes and rice on port wine jus; or crispy duck leg confit with savoy cabbage and potatoes Lyonnaise.

Each night there is, at least, one vegetarian option; perhaps green lentil soup followed by polenta with roasted beets; asparagus with sauce Hollandaise, eggplant compote with toasted baguette and tomato fondue, or perhaps char with caramelised endive, walnuts and sultanas followed by stuffed mushrooms with tomato and basil ragout.

If pavlovas and rhum babas are not your scene, a fresh fruit platter is always available for dessert.

And for working off any excesses (in case a breakfast special of waffles with berry sauce proves too tempting) how about a walk up the hills of Loupiac, through the vineyards, with the reward of fantastic views? Or maybe a 30-kilometre bike ride between the wine villages of Blaye and Bourg and back, or a shorter trip from Cadillac to taste wine? 

And if the cycling does become too much like hard work, all the bikes are equipped with electric engines to help you conquer that last hill. Numb bum? There are on-board massage facilities as well, along with exercise areas and a walking track.

Bordeaux is, of course, a region synonymous with fine food and wine, so no one is expecting guests to be completely abstemious. Wine has been made here since Roman times, and in French culture red wine is much prized for its health-giving properties.

Scenic cruises take in several of the key vineyard regions; the Medoc, Sauternes, Saint-Emilion, Bourg, Blaye and Pomerol among them as the Scenic Diamond traverses the Garonne and Dordogne rivers and the Gironde Estuary. And sea sickness is not a problem. 

Possible excursions include tasting fresh oysters in the Arcachon Basin and the chance to explore the world-famous city of Cognac. Those wanting to know more about French cuisine can take a “Shop with the Chef” excursion to a local market.

The Scenic Diamond offers 11-day luxury all-inclusive river cruises (including flights from Australia) with time spent docked in Bordeaux, the wine villages of Pauillac, Blaye, Cadillac and in the town of Libourne.

The deal includes free beverages, all meals on board with choices of dining venue, free wifi, and a range of daily tours (usually with three options from which to choose).

What I most enjoyed was the freedom to do as many or as few of the tours as you like, although there are plenty of options to please gourmets and wine lovers alike.

The pace is leisurely with no overnight cruising, which means the chance to dine on shore if you are so inclined. We took the opportunity to eat at legendary Bordeaux restaurant La Tupina and at the impressive (and very traditional) Chez Servais in Libourne.

The on-board wine list featured a mainly Bordeaux selection with names like Haut Faugeres, Vieux Maillet and Chateau Balignan, along with Moet & Chandon and Nicolas Feuillatte Champagne and burgundies from Chateau de la Greffiere, along with a Pouilly-Fumé and a Sancerre from Henri Bourgeois. There was also a good range of top-shelf spirits and cocktails, along with artisan ciders.

Among my personal highlights of the cruise were a fascinating visit and tasting at the Sauternes estate of Chateau Guiraud during vintage; the visit to the Remy Martin distillery in Cognac, followed by a fascinating sampling, and a tour of some of the best of the Médoc châteaux, including a tasting at Chateau Gruaud-Larose (below).

Cruise passengers can choose between guided tours or using their headphones to listen to Tailormade devices, linked to GPS, to plot their own course through villages like Cadillac or Blaye. English is the lingua franca on board and most guests seem to be from England, Australia or New Zealand. TV channels on offer include the BBC and ITV.

There is also plenty of time moored in Bordeaux to enjoy the city, which is noted for its 18th-century architecture. The city is a UNESCO World Heritage site and has been reinvigorated thanks to an urban restoration program instigated by mayor (and ex French Prime Minister) Alain Juppe in

1996.

The scheme re-energised the quays along the Garonne river and cleaned up Bordeaux, which has more than 350 buildings listed as historic monuments.

It is here you'll discover the Marché de Quais, a gourmet producers' market, held every Sunday along the Quai de Chartrons.

The market offers a feast for the senses; with locals sniffing and prodding at everything from artisan breads, pastries and cakes to cooked chickens, paella and other hot delights.

Farmers from around the south-west of France sell their seasonal cheeses, fruits and vegetables (see radishes piled high, or tonnes of fresh berries). Locals flock to buy fresh seafood, along with their red meat for the week and local beers, wines and ciders.

The whole scene is a hive of activity with many patrons sampling fresh oysters from nearby waters along with a glass of Bordeaux Blanc, or maybe chomping on a plump fresh fig.

It is fair to say that no gourmet or wine lover will leave disappointed, but excess is easily avoidable.

Scenic offers 11-day Breathtaking Bordeaux river cruises on the Scenic Diamond starting from $7,295 including return flights to France and airport transfers. See www.scenic.com.au/tour/bordeaux-river-cruise/1909 or call 138 128.

Etihad Airways and partner airline Virgin Australia offer daily one-stop flights from Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney to 20 destinations in Europe, via Abu Dhabi, including flights to Bordeaux via Paris. For bookings visit www.etihad.com or call 1300 532 215. 

# This is an edited version of a story that first appeared in Nourish magazine. 

So you are in Tasmania and like the idea of tapas?

Tasmania meets the Basque country at Mahasti, the latest in a wave of new Tasmanian cellar door/eatery openings alongside the likes of Devil's Corner and Riversdale Estate.

Chef Jahan Patterson-Were has put down roots with a permanent gig at Milton Wines on the Freycinet Coast, where his Mahasti eatery showcases locally sourced premium produce, coupled with iconic Basque flavours. 

Patterson-Were, who had a pop-up at the same venue last year, says his food is presented in a contemporary ‘pintxo bar’ format, which means small plates of delicious morsels.

Expect to enjoy glasses of Milton wines accompanied by the likes of natural oysters with salmorejo sorbet, anchovy pintxos with guindilla pepper and green olive; crayfish croquette, lamb and jamon pintxos with argan oil labne, spices and pomegranate seeds; and pan-seared east coast octopus with crispy potato and smoky tomato sauce.

Patterson-Were, who opened on December 20, says the menu will change daily depending on what is fresh. And the setting could not be more perfect, overlooking the lake and vines from the Milton tasting facility. 

Vegetarian options are available on request - and Mahasti will also be one of the foods stalls at Festivale in Launceston on the weekend of February 12-14.

www.mahasti.com.au/