So somehow, we’re almost at the end of 2024. That sneaked up on us a bit, didn’t it. Perhaps it’s because there’s been so much going on recently.
In this latest Edition, we’re talking about jiujitsu gradings, a new Champagne release, a resurrected celebration of NSW wine throughout November, big birthday weekends away, a wedding and even a regatta on Sydney Harbour!
We hope you enjoy this catch-up.
Cheers – Jim & Christina xx
And we’re off! Only for the weekend, but it’s good to be up in the air again. So much of our travel recently has been on the road, which has been great, but it always feels more you’re out and about when you fly.
We’re off to Lennox Head, just south of Byron Bay to celebrate our lovely friend Sonia’s big 4-0.
We’ve known Sonia for many years, so of course we’re travelling for her big birthday. Plus we’ve never been to Lennox before! Plus…
… it’s a fancy dress party!
Dress code is ’80s disco glam, which I think we’ve both achieved – in varying degrees! Sonia looks fabulous and the setting, a cafe-bar called Shelter, is perfect. Looking out at the ocean this lovely venue is friendly yet stylish, and the food, drink and service here is outstanding.
If you’re ever in Lennox Head, make sure you hit Shelter up. You won’t regret it.
L-R: Margan’s clean and delicious White Label Albarino 2023 from the Hunter & Ross Hill’s incredible Eastern View Chardonnay 2021 from Orange
This evening, we’re back in Sydney at The Cut Bar & Grill – an extraordinary steak restaurant in the Rocks. We’re here to celebrate the reincarnation of New South Wales Wine Month.
More about NSW Wine Month in a moment. First of all, let’s talk about the wine tonight. We’re served a range of superb wines from some of our favourite NSW wineries (and some new ones too).
Wines from Logan, Robert Stein, Margan, Ross Hill, Philip Shaw and Brokenwood are paired with some of the most incredible food. What’s more, we get to hear from the winemakers themselves, who are all here today to tell us more about their wine. They also talk about why it’s more important than ever that we choose NSW wines over others.
For example, did you know that in NSW restaurants, only 12% of wine lists contain wine from NSW. Compare that to South Australia where 76% of their wine lists have vino from their home state. Crazy, right?
The food at The Cut is off the charts. We start with entrees including moreish prime rib empanadas with house-made hot sauce and yellowfin tuna tartare with piquillo peppers. These go so well with the Robert Stein Dry Riesling from Mudgee.
It’s not surprising, considering where we are, that everyone at our 20-strong table have chosen the 250g Black Angus fillet with a 3+ marble score. It’s a good choice. Smoky and beautifully crusted on the outside, the meat is perfectly medium rare and tender in the middle. The steak also goes superbly with the most amazing double-cooked chicken-fat hasselback potatoes.
As for wine, we’re served glasses of Philip Shaw’s No.8 Pinot Noir 2023 from Orange and Brokenwood’s exceptional Vegas Vineyard Shiraz 2022 from the Hunter.
Not only is this a meal to remember, it’s a list of wines to purchase too. And if you’re looking for an outstanding sparkling, make sure you find Logan’s Vintage ‘M’ Cuvee from Orange.
Now, NSW Wine Month. It hasn’t happened for many years, but this November, it’s back with a vengeance.
For the next 30 days, all kinds of amazing events will be popping up around Sydney, championing the glorious viniferous treats from NSW.
Not only are there countless special events in different bars around the city (click here for more about them), there’s also Happy Hour, with lots of pubs and bars giving great prices on NSW wines.
Best of all though is Sydney Cellar Door wine festival.
For the whole weekend of November 8-9, Tallawoladah Lawn – the garden in front of the MCA at Circular Quay – will play host to 40 premium NSW wineries from all 14 regions in the state. It’s free to get in and you just buy tokens to taste once you’re there.
TL-B: outside the Union Bank, inside the Great Western Hotel, about to absorb a wagyu and macaroni pie
This weekend, I’ve been released into the wild on my own – well, with a few mates. We’ve taken the XPT (Express Train) from Sydney to the lovely regional town of Orange for a mate’s 40th birthday. We all agree that – in spite of the early start and the lateness of the bar cart opening – the train is the best way to travel to Orange. You get to see so much more of the countryside. In fact, you get to see things you never would from the car window.
We’ve talked about Orange more than once on this site (you can find our Essential Guide to Orange here), but it’s usually been a much more salubrious experience. With nine guys on their own for four days, things are bound to be somewhat… looser!
He hit as many of the pubs in town as we can – and there are a lot in Orange. Our first stop, straight off the train, is the Great Western Hotel. One of the oldest pubs in town, it’s a great example of the grand old country pubs here.
We also hit up the Orange Pie Company for one of their signature pies – a wagyu and macaroni pie – which is superb. We also share a few of their award-winning sausage rolls, laced with maple bacon.
But it’s not all pubs and pies. We try to catch some culture while we’re here. One of the closest and oldest wineries in Orange is Philip Shaw’s cellar door. These wines have won so many awards over teh years and justly so.
We enjoy a tasting then walk back into town after exploring the grounds.
Another hot tip we’ve mentioned before here is if you want to stay in town but also enjoy a wine tasting, the experiences they offer at Ferment Wine Centre are a great option. This shop is in a beautiful little heritage building, and Ferment offers a chance to try wines from wineries that don’t necessarily have their own cellar door, but whose wines are well worth tasting.
Of course, in Orange, you can do your own wine tasting experience – in most of the pubs! We settle down in the lovely beer garden of the Parkview Hotel, whose wine list is excellent, but by no means a rare thing here. Thank you to Mr Brown for some excellent wine modelling!
Other pubs we visit on our trip include our favourite, the hugely grand Hotel Canobolas, the interesting Victoria Hotel, the Hotel Orange, the Royal Hotel, the Metropolitan Hotel and Badlands Brewery. We also discover that the Orange RSL has one of the nicest cocktail lounges and rooftop bars in the city.
L-R: Michael, Brett, Mark, Rodger, Nim, Justin, Dom, Khalil and me!
But our favourite cocktail bar is easily Washington & Co on Summer Street. This fun little dive bar stirs up superb cocktails and the atmosphere is always cracking. Highly recommended, and their happy hour is worth dropping everything and running across town for.
A few of us also make the very smart decision to explore the extremes of Orange’s night life. The Blind Pig Sound Lounge & Bar is a lot of fun, does jelly shots and allows visitors like us to increase the average age by several decades! Very accommodating. But that’s Orange for you.
This is a weekend I don’t think any of us will forget – in a good way of course.
This afternoon, we’re at the beautiful Sofitel Darling Harbour for a special Champagne launch. Up in the elegant Champagne Bar overlooking the water, we’re welcomed by the enigmatic Madame Pommery – Nathalie Vranken, owner and CEO for this famous Champagne house.
Sofitel is proud to be pouring not just one but three new cuvées from Pommery, launching today: Pommery Brut Apanage NV, Cuvée Sofitel 60 and Apanage Brut 1874.
The last of these – the Apanage Brut 1874 – has been released in celebration of the 150th birthday of Vranken-Pommery Champagne House. It is a brilliant blend of 2012, 2015 and 2018 wines – three superb vintages – to create a delicate yet structured Champagne with lightly buttery nutty flavours coupled with white nectarine and fine minerality.
For that extra bit of theatre, Sofitel Darling Harbour’s hospitality manager has sabraged a bottle of the 1874. This bar is one of the very few in Sydney to open Champagne this way, cutting the top and cork of the bottle with a sabre – a technique that Napoleon himself is said to have created.
L-R: Christina, Amy Reeves & Jim; champagne at the Sofitel Darling Harbour; Jim, Nathalie Vranken & Christina
What a way to spend an afternoon – sipping fine French Champagne overlooking the beautiful harbour. And to top it off, we’re lucky to not only meet the impressive Nathalie Vranken, but also the charming Amy Reeves.
Amy narrowly missed out on winning this year’s Australian Idol, but she’s come so far – literally and figuratively – from her home in Broome, WA. She’s now living in Sydney and working hard to forge her way in the music world. We’re excited to see what our lovely new young friend does next. I bet it’s going to be great!
This one was big! Christina is now officially a red belt jiujitsu fighter! Very proud to watch Chris at her grading tonight. She’s worked so hard to get to this point and deserves her new colours.
Next stop: black belt!
L-R: owner-founder of Dialogue, Kate Bradley; ice sculpture; past and present Dialogue crew kicking back!
Tonight, we’re at the very cool bar Number 10 at the edge of Rushcutter’s Bay and Darlinghurst to celebrate a special birthday.
Dialogue – a communications, marketing and public relations company – is turning 10. It’s such a milestone for this company that owner-founder Kate Bradley started from her front room a decade ago. We’ve worked closely with Kate and Dialogue pretty much the whole time, and it’s wonderful to see this important date come to pass.
Kate has worked so hard on this business and she deserves every success. Well done, Kate (it’s also a blinder of a party btw!).
This afternoon, we’re up in Bayview at the southern edge of Pittwater. It’s a beautiful day – just perfect for a wedding!
We’re here with Christina’s family to celebrate her sister’s best friend’s marriage to a guy she’s known since kindergarten!
This is Leanne and Murray, and their wedding at the BYRA Bayview Yacht Club. They marched down the hill from their house lead by a bagpiper. They’ve made their way to the deck that looks out over the water. What a stunning spot to get married.
It’s such a lovely party and a wonderful thing to be celebrating. We’re so happy for Murray, Leanne and their families. It’s always a good thing to see so much joy in one place. Here’s to the happy couple.
Today is an important day in the Balmain calendar: it’s the Balmain Regatta!
We’re aboard our friend Michael’s boat the 401, which is part of the impressive Regatta Workboat Convoy. The Convoy sees Sydney Harbour inundated with all kinds of historic and modern working vessels, from tugs to ex-navy boats.
It’s one of the best days of the year for the peninsula – even better if you’re aboard one of these beauties.
The boats motor out past the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, and all the way past Fort Denison/Muddawahnyuh before turning back to race all the way to Balmain Sailing Club in Birchgrove.
Although our friend Michael is having the best day of his year so far, I think we’ve got the best part of it; sitting back enjoying the views, excellent conversations, and equally outstanding food and drink.
Everyone’s brought enough booze to flood the fleet and so much grub we could survive for weeks at sea. Nim’s scotch eggs always deserve a special mention though. I have no idea how he does it.
All too soon the race is over, and we transfer to a tender that takes us to the jetties of the sailing club. Anyone can join the party at the club, and the live music, food and drink here confirms this to be the best day in Balmain.
We watch the sailing boats finish their races and moor up, soaking up the festival atmosphere and pinching ourselves that this is real life.
When the last sailing boats tie up and winners have all been announced, things slowly begin to wrap up. We make our way to our friend’s house round the corner for the unofficial regatta after-after-party, where we watch the sun sink into the sea. A special day indeed.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this Edition. Chat to you again soon.
Jim & Christina xx
