Vine dining

With all this beautiful weather, it's almost a crime not to head out and explore a bit of the country. How much better to do it when you know there's going to be excellent food and wine at the end!

Vine Dining on Saturday August 15 is a day when you can explore the wonders of the South Burnett. This is a very picturesque part of south east Queensland, full of wineries producing some very good drops. Three wineries have got together for this event and organised four great chefs to provide food. There's a bus to take you around the different locations do you don't have to drink and drive, and plenty of accommodation in the area if you decide to stay the night. It's a good three hour drive from Brisbane so overnighting will make it a fun weekend. The program even offers Sunday morning brekkie.

Here's the deal. You'll be following the Barambah Wine Trail, Moffatdale and enjoying food at Barambah Wines, Bridgeman Downs & Clovely Estate.

Once parked at either Clovely Estate, Bridgeman Downs or Barambah, the Vine Dining Shuttle Bus can deliver you from winery to winery. All you need to bring a is picnic blanket and hat.

At Barambah, PJ McMillan of Harveys, James Street, Newfarm will be cooking up Barbecued barramundi on a wild rice, chickpea and salted lemon salad, with tahini yoghurt dressing matched with a Barambah 2009 Unwooded Chardonnay. There'll also be Slow cooked lamb shoulder with rosemary, mashed potato, field mushrooms and aioli matched with Barambah Vineyard Selection Red 2008.

The dessert option, by Martin Duncan of Freestyle Tout, is Crème Brulee with strawberry compote and Persian fairy floss matched with Barambah 2007 Rack Dried Semillon.
Asa Broomhall and Band will be the entertainment.

At Bridgeman Downs, David Pugh of Rest 11 will be offering Braised Kinbombi Beef Cheeks on soft polenta with Bridgeman Downs 2005 Shiraz and Ballotine of Angels Chicken with tomato braised chickpeas and Barambah yoghurt with Bridgeman Downs 2008 Verdelho. The dessert, again by Martin Duncan, is Caramel chocolate tart matched with Bridgeman Downs Liqueur Muscat. A legendary local blues band, 'Blues Excuse', will keep you entertained.

Clovely Estate Cellar Door has Matt Golinski of Rolling Dolmades, Noosa and Ready Steady Cook cooking Organic Local Duck on a tomato and black olive Penne Ragu matched with 2008 Clovely Estate Grenache, Shiraz, Mourverdre and Slow roasted Pork Belly Salad served with a cucumber, chilli and roasted peanuts with 2009 Clovely Estate Verdehlo. Martin's dessert is Chocolate Fondant pudding with double cream matched with Clovely Tawny Port or Sparkling Shiraz. Luverly! Guitar vocalist Arthur Nettlefield will provide the music.

On Sunday morning you can join a Pastry & Dough Buffet Breakfast at Windera Hydroponics and buy some fresh produce and herbs to take home!

Sounds like a wow of a weekend. Get some friends together and go!