Hunter Valley Wine and Food Month highlights

If my recent jaunt to the Hunter Valley was presented via an Instagram filter, it would be courtesy of the social media site's Earlybird, which bathes everything in honeyed sunshine. The Hunter Valley's food and wine scene is one of the best in the land. But in a region so blessed, there are still a few places that are absolute standouts.

Now, with the region's Wine and Food Month right around the corner, there are more reasons than ever to head to the Hunter. This year's program includes a diverse array of activities that encourage visitors to tack to and fro among vineyards and restaurants that are far more than just local heroes. Following are a few of my favourite Hunter haunts that, as well as being worth a visit year-round, are highlights on this year's HVFWM calendar.

Dine with the Dynamic Duo @ Muse Restaurant

No food pilgrimage to the Hunter Valley would be complete without stopping to worship at the cathedral-sized Muse Restaurant run by husband-and-wife team Troy and Megan Rhoades-Brown. Yes, there is even more of an incentive to visit the restaurant during Hunter Valley Food and Wine Month in June with the Dine with the Dynamic Duo event on June 14 a highlight on the culinary calendar. 

Troy Rhoades-Brown and Gwyn Olson of Briar Ridge Wines team up for Dynamic Duo dinner. Photo: Courtesy of Muse.

 In 2014 Rhoades-Brown was named Young Restaurateur of the Year while Gwyn Olsen, of Briar Ridge Wines won Gourmet Traveller WINE Young Winemaker of the Year at the Gourmet Traveller awards. Together, the pedigreed pair will present a four-course menu designed by Rhoades-Brown and matched with Briar Ridge Wines hand-picked by Olsen for the fixed price of $125 per person. 

Jerusalem artichoke, forest slippery jacks, whipped brie and honeycomb.                    Photo: Courtesy of Muse.

Expect a few sighs from rubbernecking diners as the food arrives. While the cooking bears the hallmarks of Rhoades-Brown's Anglo-French training under Robert Molines, his trademark is to focus on terroir and cook with flair, with dishes so pretty the presentation often belies their substance.

Local partridge, salt-baked beetroot, horseradish and Binnorie goat's cheese.             Photo: Courtesy of Muse.

The menu features sashimi of hiramasa kingfish, Jerusalem artichoke, Malfroy's honeycomb, French brie and hazelnut butter, Hunter Valley partridge with salt-baked beetroot, black fig, Binnorie goat's cheese and the Muse coconut dessert all paired with beauties from Briar Ridge.

Diners dreaming of grand food journeys can Dine with the Dynamic Duo on Sunday June 14 as part of the month-long Hunter Valley Food and Wine Festival.

For bookings, phone 02 4998 6777.

Hello pumpkin... food plucked from the Margan Estate garden with Brokenback range in the background.

The Original 100-Metre Meal @ Margan Restaurant

The Hunter Valley's ascension to culinary stardom was cemented with the arrival of Margan 10 years ago. While wine was at the forefront of Andrew and Lisa Margan's early form in the region - they have been making wine in the district for about two decades - the food is just as celebrated as their efforts on the eco front.

The 100-Metre Margan Meal is a highlight of Hunter Valley Food and Wine Month. 

Sustainability is a core value at Margan where Andrew and Lisa Margan's commitment to the environment is embodied in its food, wine and principles.

Lisa Margan is very hands-on at Margan Estate - from managing front of house to working in the sprawling garden patch. 

On a day-to-day basis, sustainability has woven a fairly heavy thread through the restaurant. But the Margan 100-Metre Meal takes this notion up a notch with its 'farm-to-table' fare that keeps that eco-minded ethos front of mind.

The Margan Autumn garden on a plate - everything on the plate is produced onsite.

Everything for the Margan 100-Metre meal, held daily throughout the month of June, has been grown within 100m of the restaurant in Broke Fordwich, which features 100 hectares of vines, a flock of Suffolk sheep, free-range chickens, an olive grove, serious orchard and a sprawling 4000 sq. m kitchen garden, which supplies about 90 per cent of the restaurant's fruit and vegetables.

As far as sustainability initiatives go, Margan sets the bar incredibly high. Winemaker Andrew Margan says the commitment to protecting the environmental values of the property for future generations ensures they integrate environmental responsibility and accountability into all aspects of its operations.

Margan Estate takes the notion of the 'farm-to-table fare up a notch at the 100-Metre Meal.

"This ethos provides guidance for all decision-making within the business and covers areas such as operations, product selection, preferred suppliers and best practice procedures," says Margan.

This year's menu for the 100-Metre Margan Meal at Margan Estate puts the focus on environmental sustainability with a menu that  features Estate-grown Suffolk lamb served with heirloom garden vegetables and accompanied with a glass of White Label Barbera. The banquet is held in the Barrel Hall which is of course just a short sprint away from the vegetable garden and is just $50 per person.

The 100-Metre Margan Meal features vegetables grown on site.                                          Photo: Courtesy of Margan.

On Sunday June 28 Margan will also host the Salt and Pepe Roadshow which starts by showcasing Pepe Saya butter, Olsson's salt and Margan bread and follows with a five-course degustation menu ($125 per person) served with matching Margan wines.

For bookings, email events@margan.com.au or call 02 6579 1317.

Guests at the food fight will judge the performance of chefs such as Sean McConnell at the 6th Annual Food Fight.

The 6th Annual Food Fight @ Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley

Top-notch chefs will again converge on the Hunter for the sixth annual food fight presented by the Hunter Culinary Association. For hardcore food groupies, being asked to judge which chef's cooking you like better is like being asked to choose a favourite friend ... right in front of them.

Expect Troy Rhoades-Brown, of Muse Dining, to deliver a few upper-cuts with dishes such as this elegant entree. 

Hosted by celebrity chef Matt Kemp, the event will see some of the Hunter's most celebrated chefs take up on a line-up of acclaimed chefs from Canberra and the Southern Highlands.

Ben Willis, of Aubergine in Canberra will put his best foot forward for regional culinary fight.

In the blue corner, we have culinary Hunter warriors Troy Rhoades-Brown (Muse Dining), Michael Robinson (Margan) and Emerson Rodriguez. While in the red corner, James Viles (Biota Dining), Ben Willis (Aubergine) and Sean McConnell (Monster Kitchen and Bar) are more than worthy opponents.

Expect big things from Biota Dining's James Viles, of the Southern Highlands.     Eggs and curds image: Jason Loucas.

Guests at the Crowne Plaza Hunter Valley event will have the pleasure of sitting in judgement over this clash of the culinary titans charged with creating the best three-course lunch their respective regions have to offer.

In the blue corner... the highly accomplished Hunter gatherer, Troy Rhoades-Brown, of Muse Restaurant.

The sixth annual Food Fight luncheon costs $120 for Hunter Culinary Association members; $160 for non-members, and $70 for apprentice chefs.
To avoid missing out on this clash of the culinary titans, book early and RSVP to Kirsty on mail@hunterculinary.com.au by Friday May 15. To find out more information about the event, visit www.hunterculinary.com.au

James Viles, of Biota Dining, in the Southern Highlands has his game face on ahead of annual food fight.

The Whispering Brook Olive Long Table Lunch @ Whispering Brook

This is the al fresco place to sit and sip during Hunter Valley Wine and Food Month. As the sun casts a flattering glow over the mountains, witness diners biding their time in the sprawling grounds of Whispering Brook discussing the merits of slow food and great wine.

This feast is the sort of event that connects visitors with growers, winemakers and producers.

Watch a happy smile spread across the faces of Susan Frazier and Adam Bell as they introduce their boutique wines and premium olive oils. This is the not the sort of banquet where you must nibble daintily at your food. While this feast is just a tiny taster of the gatherings for gourmands over the month of June, it's the sort of event that makes food and wine more accessible to a wider audience simply by connecting visitors with growers, winemakers and food producers.

Whispering Brook Olive Long Table Lunch will connect you to winemakers, growers and producers.

Again, provenance is duly noted as is a feast designed to befit the backdrop of those beautiful mountains. In terms of great food and wine experience in an idyllic setting, it doesn't get much better than this. The annual long table luncheon features a sumptuous Mediterranean-inspired menu prepared by chef Andrew Wright, a tutored walking tour in the olive grove and a special presentation by Australian Olive Oil show judge Peter Olson who will talk about the amazing properties of extra virgin olive oil.

Take a tour of the Whispering Brook vineyard and learn more about the terroir.

This year's menu includes dishes designed to highlight the quality of extra virgin olive oil and will be complemented with matching Whispering Brook wines. Highlights of the four-course menu include duck confit rillette with Whispering Brook extra virgin olive oil, BBQ octopus and prawns with saffron aioli, braised pepper tart with white anchovies and olives, Moroccan-braised lamb with dukkah and tahini yoghurt and chill olive oil and rum baba with Whispering Brook lemon myrtle olive oil, mint creme fraiche and muscat syrup (at $139 per person).

To book, phone 02 9818 4126 or email info@whispering-brook.com.

The feast is designed to befit the backdrop of the mountains and showcase Whispering Brook wine and olives.

Other standout events include the Going to a Garden Party gig with George Francisco at Circa 1876, the Trust the Chef five-course feast at Twine and the seasonal menu matched with award-winning wines on offer at the Tyrrell's Winemakers Table at Restaurant Botanica. The Hunter Valley Wine and Food Month also includes a range of educational cooking classes such as The Art of Gnocchi at Hermitage Lodge and Pan to Paella at The Verandah in Pokolbin.

Check out the full program for the 2015 Hunter Valley Food and Wine Month.

Carla Grossetti was a guest of Hunter Valley Wine Tourism and the Mercure Resort Hunter Valley Gardens.

Hunter haunt has the EXP. factor

Husband-and-wife team Frank and Emma Fawkner are forging their own path at EXP. Restaurant.

EXP. Restaurant's head chef Frank Fawkner is visibly proud of the ground he stands on. After spending the last four years working as head chef at Muse Restaurant, the ambitious young chef has taken some of what he has learnt from his friend and mentor Troy Rhoades-Brown and blended it with his own ambitions at the Oakvale Winery restaurant he opened with wife Emma in March.

Head chef Frank Fawkner is focused on giving diners a memorable EXP.erience at EXP.

The warmth that radiates from this happy couple seems to have been infused into the space and the reasons why the new eatery should be on the list of must-visit Hunter locales are many and varied: take the custom-made tables, the white-on-wood decor, the colour-coded crockery, whip-smart wine list, original artworks and general attitude of the warm and friendly staff led by restaurant manager Danielle Doffay.

Everything from the staff aprons to the bespoke plates, artworks and furniture has been well thought out.

"I feel that dining at a restaurant should be about everything - from fabulous food and wine, to the music, service, art, painting, crockery, aromas, furniture and fit-out," says Fawkner.

Frank Fawkner can be found fossicking in the vegetable patch ahead of service at EXP. 

Of course, great restaurants rely on more than just a fab fit-out and bespoke furnishings, and a quick glimpse of the menu, which is divided into Food from the Earth, Sea, Land and Sky, Cheese and Sweets, is a good starting point when it comes to understanding the EXP. factor.

Oakvale Winery has become even more of a destination with the addition of EXP.

Fawkner was part of the team led by Rhoades-Brown that helped the acclaimed restaurant achieve two-hat-status in The Sydney Morning Herald's Good Food Guide 2015. As with Muse, part of the EXP. theatre is watching the 27-year-old chef in the galley-style kitchen as he calmly presides over food from a menu that is totally responsive to the seasons.

Head chef Frank Fawkner prevails over the pass with a Zen-like calm. 

The key to the EXP. concept is authenticity, and the reason the place feels so real is that diners get a sense that the team - both front- and back-of-house - seem to genuinely love what they do. As fans of Fawkner's work at Muse will recognise, the chef's inspiration is rooted in regional produce, some of which is grown just metres from the entrance to the restaurant.

Diners are encouraged to pulverise their own herbs to add to the butter for house-made focaccia.

The first dish to arrive at our table is so fresh that it certainly enlivens and amuses our bouches. It's a mortar and pestle brimming with fresh herbs from the garden beds where Fawkner is seen fossicking ahead of service.

The just-picked herbs have been blasted with liquid nitrogen, which spills like a storm front over the rim of the mixing bowl before dissipating. It's a magical act one, scene one, as we are handed the pestle and invited to pulverise the herbs at the table, mix them with house-churned butter and then spread liberally over a fresh spongey cube of just-baked focaccia.

EXP. menu reads like a love letter to the land, with some ingredients grown metres from the restaurant door.

Like much of Fawkner's menu, the dishes are both innovative and earthy.  Fawkner takes his inspiration from the techniques he has learnt everywhere from the UK - where he worked as sous chef under Tom Aikens at Tom's Kitchen - to Australia. Fawkner describes working at Muse as a defining moment of his career, and says Rhoades-Brown was a great mentor, fast-tracking his career when he appointed him head chef in 2013.

From the earth: house-made haloumi, heirloom tomato, manzanillo olive and herbs.

While the chef is quick to pay tribute to his good friend, he says he is also thrilled to be at the helm of his own restaurant in the thick of NSW's most famous wine-producing region.

"Working at Muse was a great platform for me to develop as a chef. Being part of the team when Muse Restaurant reached two hats also gave me a hunger to find my own voice. I really look up to Troy. I aspire to be like him. He's cool, calm and humble and he's taught me everything I need to know. Where a lot of chefs might just wave you goodbye, Troy has been an open book when it comes to helping me set up EXP." he says.

From the land and sky: chorizo-spiced bacon, chickpeas, spiced broth and lemon. 

The philosophy behind EXP. is on the experience. While Fawkner and Rhoades-Brown both favour a similar contemporary style of cooking, EXP. embraces a more pared-back rustic approach, with less components on the plate. The chef also aims to give the freedom of choice back to the diner so there is no menu, no set order of dishes. Instead, the diner can curate their own adventure on a plate and choose from a range of exceptional dishes that read like a love letter to the land.

Chef's signature dish: black garlic risotto, cauliflower, pyengana cheddar and nasturium.

One of the dishes that most excites is the black garlic risotto with cauliflower, cheddar and nasturtium. It is black and white with nice fresh green leaves.

It's ham on toast, but not as you know it. with duck and macadamia on focaccia

From the Land and Sky section, the ham on toast with duck, focaccia, fig, macadamia and mizuna also tells a story about what Fawkner is about. Sweet tooths will also go nuts for the dark chocolate shell, basil parfait and passionfruit gel, basil jellies and caramelised chocolate, one of Fawkner's signature desserts at Muse.

Chef Frank Fawkner plating up with precision at the pass at EXP. Restaurant.

If you fail to snag a ticket to one of the wine events at the Hunter Valley Wine & Food Month, console yourself with a booking at EXP. 1596 Broke Rd, Pokolbin. + 61 4998 7264. If you would like to view the full program for the Hunter Valley Wine and Food Month in June, click here.

Warm blue cheese, brioche, honey and marigold falls under the Cheese heading.

Carla Grossetti was a guest of The Hunter Valley Wine Country.