Margaret River Urban Winefest – A Toast to Winter

There’s nothing better than sipping on amazing wines in a beautiful location on a Saturday arvo in winter. By the time you do a round of white wine and then go back to visit each producer to do a red wine round – you’re definitely one happy camper! Mix in some nougat, olive oil and cheese and your taste buds are fully satisfied! Well ours certainly were after spending a couple of hours at the Margaret River Urban Winefest…

A big thanks to the lovely Hannah from the State Buildings for inviting Mr. Spittoon and I along to this event. We had a great time and it definitely warmed us up on a rather brisk Saturday arvo. The Margaret River Urban Winefest is part of a collection of ‘A Toast to Winter’ events happening throughout June-August 2016 at the State Buildings. There are so many awesome events yet to come, some of my picks are:

• Wine of the Winter at Petition (A guided tasting of wines for the cooler months in an exclusive masterclass with the State Buildings Head Sommelier, Emma Farrelly)
• Afternoon Tea with Joseph Nolan at COMO The Treasury (Afternoon tea by renowned Pastry Chef Rika Shiina + a glass of Taittinger Champagne as you discover more about the man behind St George’s Cathedral music programme, Joseph Nolan)
• Winter Indulgent Afternoon Tea at COMO The Treasury (A winter inspired afternoon tea complete with Taittinger Champagne by the fireplace)
• Meet the Maker – Ben Glaetzer at Petition (A free event to learn more about this Barossa winemaker – enjoy the story, the wine and a complimentary shared charcuterie board from Petition Kitchen)
• Meet the Maker – Langmeil at Petition (A free event to learn more about the producer with wine tasting and complimentary shard charcuterie board)
• Meet the Maker – Mat Goulding (Ninth Island, Kreglinger & Pipers Brook) at Petition (A free event to learn more about the producer with wine tasting and complimentary shard charcuterie board)
• Meet the Maker – Giant Steps at Petition (A free event to learn more about the producer with wine tasting and complimentary shard charcuterie board)

It’s definitely a great line up to keep your taste buds busy this winter!

The Margaret River Urban Fest was a great chance to taste some new wines from Margaret River alongside nibbling on some tasty treats – we uncovered some great tipples which Mr. Spittoon and I will definitely be seeking out again!

The highlights of this event for me had to be:

• The absolutely mouth-watering 2012 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon from Cape Grace
• The Vermintino from Les Sauvages and the Petit Verdot!
• The über cute mini Wine Sensory Garden Whicher Ridge had on display (seeing the real one is a must!)
• The ‘Sparkling Project’ Chenin Blanc bubbles from Voyager Estate
• The skin-contact, non-filtered Sauvignon Blanc from Amato Vino
• Oh my god, the Parmesan Olive Oil from Olio Bello was out of this world tasty!
• Heydon Estate and their Chardonnays always get me
• Chatting to the hilarious dude from Bettenay’s and having a couple of shots of tasty nougat liqueur (apparently it’s an aphrodisiac!)
• Plus all the delectable bites to eat coming out of the Petition Kitchen were to die for, including those ooey gooey cheeseboards!

Here’s a few snaps to get you drooling more…

If you haven’t been to the State Buildings yet, you must go! There are a number of different venues to check out, naturally Petition is one of my favourites though!