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 News
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Our web site
is always interested in news about developments in the South
Burnett's wine and food industries.
You're most welcome
to send any news tips directly to Jason Ford
via email. Include
your phone number if you have more details you'd like to discuss. |
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You can find out more about the South Burnett on the following web sites:
South Burnett Online
South Burnett Tourism
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Ziebarth Ready To
Release 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot
-
 30th June 2003: Last Sunday I spent a very pleasant afternoon
with Bernard Ziebarth at Ziebarth Wines' cellar door in Goodger sharing
a bottle of his soon-to-be-released 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot.
Bernard told me that this particular wine was bottled the same morning as
this year's Wine and Food In The Park Festival (March 22nd) and
that after allowing three months for it to settle in the bottle, he hopes
to have it labelled and on sale some time in the next 4 to 8 weeks. In common
with many of our region's other wine producers, the 2002 drought helped generate
what is probably the best quality harvest the 6-acre Ziebarth vineyard
has seen to date. The difference between the 2002 Cab Sav Merlot and its
nearly-sold-out 2001 ancestor was not just noticeable - it was astonishing.
The wine itself was produced by John Crane (who makes all of Ziebarth's
reds) and the 2003 Ziebarth whites are being produced in a fortnight by
Peter Scudamore-Smith and Kevin Watson at Marburg's Warrego
Wines. Ziebarth's 15-tonne crush means that there are only about 1,000 cases
of finished wine available in any one year. And since Ziebarth's grow several
grape varieties including shiraz, cabernet franc, merlot and semillon, the
number of cases of the 2002 CSM is likely to be very small indeed. I was
so impressed with this particular wine that I ordered a case on the spot.
And if you like reds, you might want to take the drive to Goodger to try
this wine yourself. I think it's certainly one to watch out for.
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New Owners For Wondai's
Up Country B&B, Cafe and Cellar Door
-
 27th June 2003: Wondai's Up Country
Bed and Breakfast and Café has new owners. Casey Kriletich
and Phil Russell took over the successful business last month. After
seven years of tolerating Brisbane's hustle and bustle, Casey and partner
Phil decided to purchase a business in a more quiet and relaxed country setting.
The pair grew up in country New Zealand and felt a need to return to an
environment in which they were more comfortable. "We looked at properties
in Beaudesert and the Sunshine Coast but fell deeply in love with Wondai
and the South Burnett", Casey told me. "I'd never heard of the South Burnett
before. But we've met lots of people in the local tourism industry and are
really impressed with their united vision for the region. We think the South
Burnett has an exciting future and we want to play a part in it". Along with
the well-appointed bed and breakfast accommodation, heated pool and jacuzzi,
Up Country also has a one-acre vineyard and produces its own labelled wines
- the Southern Skies Collection - which it retails through its cellar
door. At the moment the selection consists of a semillion chardonnay, a merlot,
a sweet white, a sweet red and a port. The property also has a gift shop
and café-restaurant, and from Tuesday to Sunday diners can indulge
in Australian and Hungarian gastronomic delights prepared by Phil with the
assistance of a local Hungarian cook. Casey also hopes to feature silver
perch and red claw on the menu soon - both produced from Up Country's own
dams.
| South
Burnett Restaurant Fast Facts |
Restaurant:
|
Up
Country Café Restaurant |
Address:
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Corner
Bunya Highway and Lysdale Road, Wondai
(one kilometre east of Wondai towards Murgon on the Bunya Highway) |
Contact details:
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Phone:
(07) 4169-0196
Fax: (07)
4168-5444
Email:
ucbandb@big.net.au |
Open:
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Tuesday
to Sunday 9:30am to 10:30pm
for morning tea, lunch, afternoon tea and dinner
(functions by arrangement) |
Average entree:
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$7.50 |
Average main:
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$18.50 |
Average dessert:
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$6.50 |
Licensed?
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BYO |
| Type of Cuisine: |
Australian and
Hungarian a la carte cuisine. Wine tastings are available at the cellar door
from 10:00am. Café style food and coffee also available during the
day, all in a relaxed country setting with indoor and outdoor alfresco
seating. |
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Tarong Mine Community
Development Fund Supports Wine Industry
-
 24th
June 2003: I'm very pleased to announce that Tarong Mine has offered
its support for the South Burnett Wine Industry Association's new marketing
strategy. Earlier this week the company announced that it has just
given the SBWIA a grant through its Tarong Mine Community Development
Fund to support the implementation of two critical components of the plan:
developing the industry's brand identification and facilitating the
introduction of of the South Burnett's unique wine quality accreditation
system (see story 24th May 2003). SBWIA President Graham Helmhold
said that he was very grateful to the Community Development Fund for its
support for both concepts, which will play a fundamental role in the expansion
of the industry in the years ahead. Tarong Mine has been a strong supporter
of the region's wine and tourism industries for several years and are - amongst
other things - the major sponsor of Kingaroy's Wine and Food In The
Park Festival (which is now 5 years old and going like a rocket). The company
believes that the growth of both industries over the years ahead will prove
pivotal to the region's economy when the mine itself is exhausted and their
latest grant reinforces this. Good on 'em, I say!
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Organic Produce:
A South Burnett Growth Industry
-
21st June
2003: Here's a surprising piece of information: according to industry
experts, changes in consumer tastes mean that the organic produce
industry is currently experiencing growth rates of approximately 25% per
annum. In fact, right now organic produce is the fastest growing
niche food market in Australia. And it looks set to stay that way for some
time to come. Happily the South Burnett isn't missing out on this trend and
we now have producers raising organic poultry, fruits, vegetables and dairy
herds all the way from Nanango to Kilkivan. These include Ian and Jane Campbell
of Barambah Organics at Murgon. Ian and Jane are supplying 500 litres
of milk each week to Jola Farm Cheese (a successful boutique cheese maker
on Tamborine Mountain) as well as locally processing their own line of products.
And Pam and Mark Comello of Ivyholme Dairy in Kingaroy who began producing
their own organically certified milk at the beginning of 2002. Initially
they couldn't find a local processing and packaging facility in the area
so they built their own plant at considerable expense and are now producing
a range of dairy products such as quark, feta, mascapone, ricotta, cream
and (shortly) yoghurt. Ivyhome distribute their organic milk to Coles, IGA
and smaller outlets throughout South East Queensland. As mentioned in my
story on 3rd June, Kilkivan's Bendele Farms are fully organic and
now intend utilising the tonnes of poultry compost their ducks produce to
grow garlic and lemon myrtle trees. Another organics champion is Louis
Blanch, who packages and sells boxes of locally grown organic fruit and
vegetables to a loyal client base of thirty households every week. And another
producer I'm sure you'll hear more about next year is Uncle Bob's Organic
Winery at Nanango, who are now the only certified organic winery in the
State. Need contact details for any of these?
Send me an email -
I'll be happy to help.
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Burning Beats Puts
Live Music Back Into Dining
-
 18th June 2003: Kingaroy's Burning Beats Cafe - which
has become a cult favourite ever since it opened last September - will be
taking another step in its evolution next month. On Sunday 27th July
the Cafe will take advantage of its new rear courtyard area to host a live
Sunday music afternoon featuring Brisbane blues legends Blind Dog and The
Reverend, kicking off at 12:00 noon and continuing through until around
5:00pm. For $15 per head (BYO), customers will be able to spend a
relaxed Sunday afternoon in the sunny backyard enjoying this wonderfully
entertaining band and tucking into a serve of any one of five curries the
Cafe will be serving up on the day (included in the ticket price). Since
announcing the project a few days ago the Cafe already has a dozen bookings
and they'll be drawing the line at around 60 people - so if you want to join
in you should either drop in, phone them on (07) 4162-3932 or
email them. If the initial
event is a success - and I'm sure it will be - proprietors Paul Stoddart
and Kerry Cotter hope to make live band concerts at the Cafe a regular monthly
occurrence. Photo: Blind Dog and the Reverend performing at the
2002 Burning Beats Music Festival in Nanango.
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Barambah Ridge Gets
Gong For Staff Training
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15th June
2003:
Back in April this year
I noted that one very positive spin-off of the growth of our wine and tourism
industries is that more and more young hospitality workers are finding that
they can make a career right here in the South Burnett rather than
be forced to relocate to the cities. That necessarily implies that we have
top-notch training facilities here in the region as well, and industries
that are committed to training their people. So I was very pleased to hear
last week that Redgate's
Barambah Ridge Winery
have just been named as one of four finalists in the Medium Employee of the
Year - Queensland Training Awards. Barambah Ridge has made the finals in
the Wide Bay/Sunshine Coast region in the Medium Employer category and if
they're successful in winning this section the winery’s submission will
go on to contest the awards at a State level. Barambah Ridge’s General
Manager Janelle McLaren told me she was thrilled with making it to
the finals and seeing the company's commitment to training recognised. “We
invest a lot of time and energy in our training programmes because the rewards
that our employees receive from this are enormous. Winning the award would
be a great bonus." I can only agree.
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South Burnett Wine
Club Launched!
-
 12th
June 2003: About four weeks ago I mentioned that moves were afoot to
start up a South Burnett Wine Club (see story 15th May 2003).
I'm now very pleased to announce that it's finally getting underway. Bell
Tower Restaurant Executive Chef Steve Gudzinski decided to begin the
club because his customers expressed an interest in gaining a better knowledge
and appreciation for South Burnett wines. Steve told me he was surprised
such a group didn't already exist in the region - but since one doesn't,
the
Booie Range Distillery
(BRD) is going to start one. Some of the benefits of club membership will
include invitations to monthly wine appreciation dinners (featuring
and conducted by local wineries); a monthly membership draw for a $20
voucher to spend at BRD; and a 10% discount on purchases at Booie
Range Distillers (including takeaway wine sales). As an added bonus, tables
of up to eight diners at the Bell Tower Restaurant will be able to take advantage
of the 10% discount from one membership card if they have a meal there. All
members will also receive "The Spirit of the Range" newsletter each month
which will provide updates on new wine releases, activities, events and cellar
door specials. The membership fee will be $25.00 per annum - easily
paid for by using the club's discount features. You can get more information
and/or a membership application right now by contacting Steve on (07)
4162-7000 or by
emailing the Bell Tower
[STOP PRESS! You can also obtain a membership
application as a 224K Adobe PDF
by clicking here - just
print it off, fill it in and post it with your cheque]
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Wine Industry Gets
Serious About Marketing
-
9th June
2003: The South Burnett Wine Industry Association has been undergoing
a quiet transformation this year. After close to a decade's existence - much
if it spent laying down vines and learning what works best with the region's
climate and soils - the SBWIA is now evolving from simply being a growers'
organisation into one that gives marketing and promotion matters
just as much attention as raising baume and avoiding botrytis. Recently the
Association adopted a marketing plan designed to raise the profile of South
Burnett wines over the next several years; and as I reported a few weeks
ago (see story 24th May 2003), the SBWIA is also looking at setting
a basic quality benchmark for regional wines to build consumer confidence
in our increasingly wonderful wine products. A new cellar door/marketing
sub-committee will be holding its inaugural meeting at Barambah Ridge winery
this coming Thursday night, June 12th - and anyone with an interest
in marketing the region's wines is more than welcome to come along. RSVPs
to Janelle McLaren on (0407) 162-475, (07) 41680-4766 or
via email.
-
New Winter Menu For
Copper Country
-
 6th June 2003: Three months ago I reported that Nanango's
Copper Country Restaurant were rolling out their Autumn menu. But
now that chilly June's here, they're changing with the season and rolling
out their Winter one. Chef Stephen Winter unveiled his new menu last
week and - once again - is producing some of the most modern cuisine in the
region. All entrees are $11.50 and the Queensland Scallops with Potato and
Fennel Gnocchi has my vote! I'm also very pleased to see a dish of Seared
Duck Livers in a Short Crust Flan in Rich Red Wine Sauce. These duck livers
come from John Douglass at Bendele Farm who's receiving rave reviews all
over Australia (see story below). You can also now order special handmade
pizzas produced by Copper Country's dedicated apprentice chefs Amy
Ballin and Kellie Spry. All main courses are $22.50 and Stephen
has added a roast of the day to his popular locally grown meat selection
and is serving your choice of pork or beef with an array of warm winter sauces.
The menu has its fair share of seafood - from Queensland bug tails in chilli
beer batter to his 'Seafood Sensation of the Day' (you'll have to dine there
to find out what it is). As with previous menus, the South Burnett's award
winning Kingaroy Cheese takes pride of place on the dessert selection and
all can be accompanied with regional wines or Copper Country's own 1780 vineyards
label. Photo: Copper Country's apprentice chef Amy Ballin competing
at the PCA Regional Cuisine Cook-Off earlier this year - photo by Clive Lowe.
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Bendele Farm A South
Burnett Treasure
-
 3rd June 2003: Last weekend I visited John and Kristy Douglass
of
Organic Poultry of
Australia in Kilkivan, who operate Bendele Farm. I'd originally
seen the farm featured on ABC's "A Shared Table" with Stephanie Alexander
and read numerous articles from the Courier Mail's "Good Life" columns and
the Sydney Morning Herald about it. So why do Australia's culinary elite
consider Bendele Farm a South Burnett treasure? The answer is that John is
the only certified organic duck producer in the country.
This is an expensive and stringent process where feed, water and even the
ground the poultry walk on have to be tested and certified as chemical-free.
On the day that I visited, hundreds of fat Peking-cross ducks where quietly
free-ranging in their spacious habitat. My past experiences of poultry farms
have been cramped cages packed with deafeningly noisy and stressed animals.
John tells me, though, that quiet poultry is a sign of contentedness. And
the proof is always in the eating! Bendele Farm now process in excess of
1000 birds a week: half to fill interstate orders for establishments
such as the celebrated
Sam the Butcher at Bondi,
Surry Hill's Longrain Restaurant and the
Sydney Convention and Exhibition
Centre. The other half is distributed along Queensland's eastern
coast.
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