Amazingly, it's already 2010, so here are my personal awards for outstanding contributions to food, wine and travel over the past 12 months:
Winery of the year: Stella Bella in Margaret River produces a range of excellent wines at sensible price points – and never makes a dud. The 2007 Chardonnay, 2007 Shiraz and 2007 Sangiovese Cabernet blend are all outstanding.
Best innovation: Kinkawooka Shellfish from Boston Bay in South Australia launched Australia’s first French-style petit bouchot mussels, small intensely flavoured mussels like those from Brittany. They are sold ready to cook at leading seafood merchants during the season.
Best newcomer: Everybody’s talking about Provenance Restaurant and Luxury Suites in Beechworth, the dining and accommodation offering from chef Michael Ryan, formerly of Myrtleford’s two-hat Range restaurant. The restaurant is superb. Phone (03) 5728 1786. http://www.theprovenance.com.au/.
City stars: Cumulus Inc in Melbourne remains the benchmark for casual dining with smart, intelligent food, while Marque, in Sydney’s Surry Hills, consistently serves up degustation menus that both challenge and delight.
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
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