Tam Dahmen

With eager hearts and bellies, we set about the walk down South Wharf to the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre for our first taste of the 25th annual Good Food and Wine Show. This three-day foodie bender had been on our calendars for quite a while and with the Melbourne weather gods on our side, we knew the stars were aligning and we were in for a treat.

Upon entry we were met with an exciting blast of fragrances and laughter. It became clear that we needed a plan of attack for the 300 plus exhibitors before us. Often with these grand-scale conventions it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and spoilt for choice as to where to start. But armed with our complimentary wine tasting glasses, we forged forth into the throng.

The Harvey Norman stage hosted the chocolate queen herself Kristen Tibells. Audiences were treated to the eight distinct flavours of chocolate and the origins of cacao beans. Throughout the day, other A-list celebrity chefs hosted live demonstrations on this same stage. George Calombaris and Shannon Bennett took us through a culinary wonderland, their bubbly dynamic humorously punctuated by the surtitle screen above the stage providing commentary on the action happening below. Miguel Maestre also graced the stage with his infectious smile and delectable “Fiesta En La Cocina” demonstration for passionate cooking.

Being a “curd-nerd” myself (a term I learned from a friendly patron willing to let me jump the cue in front of him), I found myself instinctively gravitating toward the cheese district. First stop was the Smelly Cheese Co. grilling cheese toasties with their Quicke’s English Cloth 18 month Cheddar. Oh my heart. I would die happy. If I had all the time in the world, it wouldn’t have been enough to satiate my desire to sample every cheese stall. One such highlight was Long Paddock Cheese offering handmade artisan cheeses using organic cow’s milk from Castlemaine.

Their Bluestone was reminiscent of a creamy salty stilton and their Driftwood wrapped in spruce bark was baked to gooey perfection that you just wanted to dip a spoon in there and succumb to a cheesy coma heaven. However it was their signature cultured cream salted butter that took the spotlight. Simply spread on some crusty bread, you felt like a 17th century fop giggling over the luxury banquet before you.

Wines, gins and sakes were in abundance presenting flavours and aromas from all over the world. Lychee Estate took my eye with their “Horse’s Neck” cocktail. Located in the small Hong Kong town of Buluo, this distillery prides itself in providing “nourishment to the people and the fruit”. Their award winning lychee vodka and ten-year edition brandy boasts no less than 12 kg of lychees in every bottle. Their “Horse’s Neck” cocktail (a combination of their lychee brandy, ginger ale and lemon rind) reminded me of a great summer drink next to an Aperol spritz.

After sampling an unforgivable amount of sweets, snacks, pastries, condiments and alcohol, it was time for our slow and heavy departure. Word to the wise: next year bring a backpack for all your goodies and be sure to eat something before hitting the wines too hard.

To book tickets to the Good Food & Wine Show in your town, follow the link for session dates and times @ https://goodfoodshow.com.au/.

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