On Sunday 26th October Wahroonga Park will come to life once again for the annual Wahroonga Food and Wine Festival. Festival goers will get the chance to savour the mouth-watering tastes from local restaurants, sample boutique wines and purchase home grown produce right from their own doorstep.
Colourful produce available for sale from regional farmers will line the pathways while live symphony music and the best sounds from local school orchestras fills the air. Last year’s event received positive feedback; a survey suggested that over 98% of attendees thought it was either good or excellent.
Margot Natoli, the festival producer has taken this year’s event to the next level.
“This year’s event we have more to look forward to” Natoli tells us.
“There are more food stalls and wineries and there is an exciting Champagne and Oyster Bar where Masterchef contestant Mindy Woods and the Champagne Taittinger team will cook some delicious seafood to accompany your bubbles”.
An increased selection of premium wineries have been hand-picked for tasting sessions and the chance to meet the wine makers to learn about wine production, there is a new children’s area and family friendly food stalls have been introduced to make the event even more a day out for all the family.
On offer are signature dishes from Wahroonga’s finest La Zana restaurant, Thai by La Thai, Mexican by Cantina Mobil, the legendary Urban Pasta Van, Spicy Indian dishes by Spice Villa, gourmet hot dogs by Woofy’s Grill and the best veggie burgers by The Veggie Patch crew. There will be grilled seafood tasting plates, pancakes by Gourmandise de Paris, Hunter Valley Cheese Factory platters and for dessert, Danish pancakes and Serendipity ice-cream. To wash it down there are hand roasted gourmet coffees and wines from some of Australia’s most prestigious wine makers.
The most exciting addition for many will be the Champagne Taittinger and Oyster Bar which will take pride in the centre of the park. The exquisite French wine maker, famous for their champagne will team up with Masterchef 2012 contestant and eat local advocate, Mindy Woods to create a delectable menu that will inspire your palate.
“My philosophy on food is very much about celebrating local produce, staying true to seasonality and supporting sustainability”. Mindy Says.
“Simplicity and honesty are the important foundations of the food I create. For the day I have created a menu inspired by the best of Australia’s seasonal produce”.
Mindy and the Champagne Taittinger team have matched the carefully thought out menu with three Taittinger champagnes. On the day you can look forward to freshly shucked South Coast oysters with a choice of three dressings, buttery brioche mini sliders of wild caught prawns and million island dressing followed by Mindy’s personal take on the summer time favourite: strawberries and cream.
The festival also features local side-show events in high profile dining establishments within the Ku-ring-gai municipality. Top Ku-ring-gai chefs will team up with selected winemakers to hold ‘Meet the Winemaker’ dinners. Argo Restaurant, Reel on Redleaf, The Cooks Garden, La Zana Restaurant and Kiplings Garage Bar will all stage a wine and food event in October as part of the event festival program.
Wahroonga Festival is being sponsored by McConnell Bourn Estate, Mercedes Benz Hornsby, Mazda Hornsby and Champagne Taittinger. The event on Sunday 26th October is free to enter and wine tasting experiences start from $25.
Wahroonga Park is in close proximity to Wahroonga train station for ease of travel. For directions and a full schedule of festival events you can visit the official website at www.wahroongafoodandwinefestival.com.au
