The No.1 magazine for visitors to Hunter Valley Wine Country

B L A C K B O A R D

APRIL 2016 | ISSUE #110

Adventure

Let’s GetADVENTUROUS!

AWESOME Autumn Wines

BASK IN ALL THINGS ITALIAN

9TH TO 10TH APRIL | HUNTER VALLEY STEAMFEST | at Maitland | The Hunter Valley Steamfest, Australia’s premier festival of steam, will take place in Maitland and welcomes visitors from far and wide to experience all things steam. This year’s program features steam train excursions, vintage diesel excursions, market stalls, street steam, miniature loco’s, children’s entertainment, Powerhouse Museum displays and much more. Celebrating its 30th year in 2016, Steamfest is again set to thrill people of all ages. For more information, visit www.steamfest.com.au

SUNDAY 17TH APRIL | CESSNOCK STOMP FESTIVAL | Cessnock | Vincent Street will be a hive of activity with the exciting new Cessnock Stomp Festival. The event will include a full program of activities for all ages including The Great Cessnock Stomp, the Winemakers Breakfast, Mad Hatters High Tea, fashion parade, market stalls, beer and wine tastings, entertainment and kids alley. Where can you stomp grapes in the main street of a country town? Cessnock, that’s where! Get your family and friends together for a great day out sampling some of the best wine, food and fun. Some events are ticketed, for more information go to www.cessnockstompfestival.com.au

8TH TO 10TH APRIL | A LITTLE BIT OF ITALY IN BROKE | Broke | Transport yourself to the rustic ambience and sensational aromas of Italy, as the largely untouched, romantic and authentic Broke Fordwich Wine Region comes alive with A Little Bit of Italy. Now in its 11th year, the festival that started out as a private dinner catered by an Italian Chef has grown into a major celebration for the area with over 3,000 people attending each year. With more than $2,000 worth of local premium wines, gourmet produce and accommodation to be won, this is a unique experience that should not be missed! For more information, visit www.brokefordwich.com.au

SUNDAY 17TH APRIL | LOVE IN THE VINES WEDDING FESTIVAL | Lindeman's Estate | Love in the Vines is not just another wedding expo - brought to you by Your Hunter Valley Wedding Planner, it is an amazing, unique and creative Hunter Valley Wedding Festival! Prepare to be entertained and inspired by an amazing array of talented wedding professionals, gathered at one gorgeous vineyard location and ready to bring your dream wedding to life! On arrival at the iconic Lindeman's Estate you'll be greeted with a glass of their finest sparkling and mouth-watering canapes. You can also expect live entertainment, free workshops and seminars, stunning displays, fashion displays, wine tastings and lots more! www.loveinthevines.com.au

SATURDAY 16TH APRIL | THE RED HOT SUMMER TOUR | Roche Estate | Join Jimmy Barnes, Noiseworks, The Angels, Mark Seymour + The Undertow and The Badloves at Roche Estate for a spectacular live performance at one of the hottest festivals on the calendar. This all-star line up of Australian Rock royalty will guarantee a great night out amongst the vines at Roche Estate (formerly Tempus Two). For more information, visit www.rocheestate.com.au

SATURDAY 9TH APRIL | A DAY ON THE GREEN WITH CHRIS ISAAK | Bimbadgen | For the first time since 2006, Grammy-nominated Chris Isaak will return to the a day on the green stage performing at Bimbadgen Winery supported by James Reyne, Richard Clapton and Thirsty Merc. Audiences will be treated to an inspired performance of tracks from his latest album First Comes The Night as well as long running hits like ‘Wicked Game’, ‘Forever Blue’, ‘Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing’ and ‘Somebody’s Crying’, all injected with Isaak’s sly sense of humour and raw charisma. For more information, visit www.adayonthegreen.com.au

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H U N T E R V A L L E Y

It only seems like yesterday we were sending the kiddies back to school and now here we are at the end of term one with two more weeks to keep the little angels entertained! Luckily Hunter Valley Gardens is onto it and April brings with it loads of school holiday fun.

Join the Minions Mayhem as these cute (but very impulsive) little yellow creatures take over Hunter Valley Gardens, bringing with them plenty of laugh-out-loud moments and truck-loads of chaos!

If you love all things Italian, then a visit to the Broke Fordwich region over the weekend of April 8th to 10th is a must-do. Like many annual events, A Little Bit of Italy in Broke has a history! This popular event started its life as a dinner hosted by Italian Chef Bruno di Sarno many years ago. Today it attracts some 3,000 lovers of the red, white and green who enjoy a celebration of Italian food and wine like no other!

Continuing with the Italian theme, this month we discover the joys of eating Gnocchi and find out some of the best spots in the area to enjoy these melt-in-your-mouth morsels.

Our April issue is the Adventure issue and between our pages this month, you’ll find loads of adrenalin fuelled fun to be had. Whether you like to take things slow, speed it up or add a few new skills to your resume, there’s more

than enough action and adventure on offer to ensure one visit to the Valley is not nearly enough.

The Cessnock Stomp Festival on April 17th gives visitors the opportunity to take off their shoes, roll up their jeans and get in on all the action of winemaking! It’s the first of what is planned to be an annual event for the township.

Tocal Field Days return this year after being washed out in 2015. It’s the Hunter's premier agricultural event and brings with it a vast array of products and services for farming, with a load of fun activities for the kids, fantastic food and wine, craft and live entertainment. If you’ve never been to Tocal – now’s your chance!

Speaking of Live Entertainment – there’s plenty to be had this month with the Gum Ball and, of course, the Red Hot Summer Tour with Jimmy Barnes, Noiseworks, The Angels, Mark Seymour and The Badloves! Talking about ending Summer with a bang!

Autumn truly is a beautiful time in the Valley and the wines that come with this special season are as varied as the colours of the falling leaves. We check out a range of wines that are perfect Autumn drinking.

Enjoy!

FROM THE EDITORS

ContentsLET’S GET ADVENTUROUSPlanning on just experiencing the world class wines and delicious foods on your visit to the Hunter Valley? Well, with vintage aircraft flights, horse riding and hot air balloon flights on offer, maybe it’s time to get adventurous!

FOOD FIVE WAYS - GNOCCHIThese little melt in your mouth pillows are a unique type of pasta, that even the best cooks have trouble perfecting. Lucky for us, Hunter Valley chefs are masters of Gnocchi and this month we spill the secret on where to find great Gnocchi!

FAMILY ACTIVITIES IN WINE COUNTRYWith the school holidays on the doorstep, Wine Country has loads of activities for the family and plenty of room for kids big and small to run around and stay entertained.

AUTUMN WINE FEATUREWith the weather cooling down, our wardrobe changes and so do our wine choices. We have chosen our favourite Autumn wines to see you through the season…

SHINING THE LIGHT ON SEMILLON Often referred to as “Australia’s unique gift to the wine world”, but what makes Hunter Valley Semillon so distinctive and irresistible?

HUNTER BLACKBOARD MAPThe Hunter Blackboard’s handy guide to finding your way around Wine Country.

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