Valley vendors!
The Hunter Valley, NSW, Australia
The NSW Hunter Valley is known for its wine, but amid the world-class Shirazes and Semillons, lies food, food, and more food…
Nothing makes the stress of city life is just that little bit easier to bear than spending some time chilling out in the crisp, fresh air that had just a puff of chimney smoke about it, sampling cheese and olives (and wine, of course), and growing spherical on gourmet breakfasts, lunches and dinners.
And when it’s all over, you can stock up on a tonne of awesomeness to take back to the big smoke. These are the places I’d definitely return to again for some more tasty goods to show off back home…
Tintilla Estate
Tintilla Estate
Tintilla Estate is a family-run property growing grapes and olives - already two of my favourite things!
As do vineyards, they make wine, but Tintilla dabbles in some of the lesser-grown varieties in the region, such as sangiovese.
Tintilla Estate's vineyard
They preserve and marinate olives on the grounds. I’m not sure if they press olive oil themselves, but they definitely at least supply to pressers. And make tapenade and spreads and other yummy things in jars such as olives marinaded in chilli and lemon. Mmm… They even have a special “mound of olives” as they like to call it, where they grow my beloved kalamatas. *sigh*
Also unique to Tintilla (as far as this region goes, that is) is vinegar making. It’s a big deal to do this on the same property as a vineyard because the flies that hang around vinegar can wreak havoc on vines, but Tintilla has got it down.
There’s also a neat little restaurant there that opens out onto the vineyard which I imagine would be an absolute delight in warmer months.
Binnorie Dairy
Binnorie Dairy
One of my favourite places on this trip was Binnorie Dairy. The cheese from this place is to die for - and I’ve found you can get it in gourmet shops and delis back in Sydney - happiness!
Binnorie is home to award-winning cheeses, including their marinaded feta. It’s so good that if anyone should own the word ‘feta’ (yes, there’s contention over it - like what happened with champagne) it’s Binnorie.
Other gems I tasted were the Labna - a yogurt cheese with zing! - and a delicious blend called ‘Duetto’. Duetto sees the pairing of gorgonzola and mascarpone. You get the extreme flavour of the gorgonzola, but it’s softened by the smooth, creamy mascarpone - genius!
Moorebank Private Vineyard Estate
I didn’t actually get to see inside this place, but I have tried their products. As well as being another winery, they’re also near-obsessive about their spreads, chutneys, sauces, syrups, oils (both edible and fragrant varieties thereof) and dippers.
Moorebank Estate
They have a famous Spicy Grape Sauce, which is, based on what the label says, very versatile. I tried it with cheese and crackers and it was quite sweet. It could work well in a veggie-tofu stir fry (I’ll let you know if I give that a go), though I suspect it might actually be better suited to meats - especially on the BBQ.
But their magical offering, I found, was their Country Garden Chutney Spread. It’s mustardy and tumericy and downright delicious. It’s inspired me to learn more about its main vegetable ingredient - the humble choko.
Pokolbin Chocolate and Jam Co.
The Pokolbin Jam and Chocolate Company
Well, it would take a fairly dire chocolate shop to disappoint me, but happily this one is not dire in any way. In fact, it is marvellous.
And so cute! It’s a little old fashioned shop with colourful walls and stacks of beautiful-looking jars of jam.
Pokolbin's choc penguins
Then there’s the chocolate cabinet - it may look small, but don’t underestimate the variety. The passionfruit one with the purple sugar on the outside, and the penguins with the peach ganache, were wicked. They also have fresh fudge to for you try and buy.
Meanwhile, back at the shelves, I discovered something glorious…
*Choir of angels sings* Dark chocolate-covered cranberries (okay, so I’ve since found them back in Sydney, but still, both were joyous discoveries…)
The Hunter Valley Smelly Cheese Shop
I’ve saved the best for last.
“But something other than chocolate isn’t cited as the best in a Keira Daley blog?!” you protest.
Yes, the shop has an ultra-mega-super selection of cheese to choose from. Yes the shop has the best of all the local cheese, as well as imported stuff. And yes, the shop has a separate little room full of what’s either the stinkiest cheeses (some people say the stinkier the better) or the ones that need to be kept at a separate temperature - or both.
But the very best part about this shop is… the gelato.
Hunter Valley x 2
Often when you go to a food establishment, you just want one simple thing - not three courses, not for your world to be rocked into another solar system, and not for a high-commitment, five star extravaganza. Often, you just want simple things done well.
And sometimes you just get distracted by things that look nice.
Here are two places in the Australian wine region Hunter Valley, NSW, that looked pretty and did simple things well…
Bistro Molines
Margan Wines shows its wares at Bistro Molines, and what better way to kick off your time in Wine Country than with a tasting?
Of course, sipping a barbara at 11am was like battery acid, but the lunch to come would reverse any damage done.
Sitting on the sun-flecked deck among white umbrellas, I noticed the tables of people who are very obviously in the habit of enjoying the finer things in life and thought it was a habit I could quite happily adopt myself.
Stuffed tempura zucchini flowers at Molines
I had tempura zucchini flowers stuffed with goats cheese with a very smooth glass of Margan Cab Sav. It was grand - the crunch of the tempura was complimented by the creamy goats cheese centre.
The olive aioli and fresh cherry tomatoes added tang. It also looked pretty…
I will say, though, that this was one of only two veggie options available (I think the other was a mushroom risotto), and it was actually an entree they made a main size. Plus, it was on the specials menu, so who knows how much choice an unsuspecting vego would have on another occasion. Pity!
Still, fortunately for me, this time I was in luck.
Peppers Guesthouse
Chez Pok Restaurant, Peppers Guest House
I had breakfast at Peppers Guest House’s Chez Pok. It was hard not to be impressed with the fruit platters and other breakfast goodies spread out on the wide, white table in the centre of the room.
Chez Pok
But I opted for something from the menu. I ordered French toast with strawberries and maple syrup. It hit the spot – light, fruity and not too thick or sickly. And the strawberries - ah the strawberries! - were so fresh.
But I forgot to photograph it because Peppers itself was so lovely. The Chez Pok was cosy – like a livingroom converted into a restaurant because your mum’s cooking is so good.
Chez Pok's lovely patio
There was yet another Hunter fireplace to admire, rustic old fashioned decor, simple white starched tablecloths, wooden chairs, and a beautiful patio.
The way light just floated in on a gentle angle through the old fashioned windows was glorious. And the grounds are gorgeous too - no wonder people get married there!