Small but mighty.

In March I attended the Wagga Wagga Food and Wine Festival for the fourth year in a row. I am a Sydneysider who enjoys quality food and wine, but just as important to me is meeting and understanding the people behind the wines and produce. So each year, I make the four-and-a-half-hour drive to Wagga and stay overnight to enjoy all that the festival has to offer. My reason for this letter is to highlight not only the quality of these wines, but also the affordability. In today’s environment of corporatisation, unification of styles and almost robotic production of wines to suit a price point, it is wonderful to see smaller winemakers and vintners working together to offer something different. Some highlights included Borambola Wines; with a good variety of whites and reds, they are sure to please. A new discovery for me was Tumblong Hills Wines. Wow! The shiraz and chardonnay were very good, but the real standouts were the Italian varieties. And finally, there was a highlight pinot noir – not from the area, but owned by a local. Harrisons Wines produce a single vineyard pinot from Tasmania and offered a fantastic experience at the show with a vertical tasting of seven vintages of their pinot. I’ll continue supporting the winemakers of the Wagga Wagga/Gundagai area and small winemakers across Australia. I urge others to do so too in order to ensure a variety of styles continue at affordable prices. So, next time you pass a small winery in a country area, stop and check it out. You might be surprised! Peter Loreggia Sydney