EDITOR’S LETTER
A stay at an eco hut in the NSW Riverina and a tour of the region’s wineries makes for an ideal weekend escape,
When we first began planning this issue four months ago, none of us could have foreseen how calamitous this year’s bushfire season would be. It has been a heartbreaking and horrific start to the year.
It also gives new weight and relevance to this issue’s theme, which is sustainability. Our intention was always to highlight and champion the people, brands and businesses that are actively stepping up to employ more sustainable practices. And to encourage everyone to play their part; to try something new and, hopefully, introduce more thoughtful behaviours into your life. That doesn’t mean becoming a full-time vegan or giving up international travel, but rather, thinking more consciously about how you eat and how you travel, and making small changes that collectively will have a big impact.
If this summer has taught us anything, it is that climate change is a collective issue that affects all of us, regardless of our politics. It follows then, that any solutions must also be collective. We all have a responsibility to change our behaviour.
You will also see we have featured the New South Wales’ Riverina region in this issue, an area directly affected by the fires. This is not an oversight on our part but rather a deliberate decision. The Riverina, like so many of the areas affected by the fires, relies on tourist dollars to keep local businesses alive. Domestic tourism will be essential in helping these communities rebuild and flourish once again. So start planning ahead and spend generously where you can. Your support is invaluable.
It’s the first time in a long time that I haven’t been woken by an alarm. Between midweek meetings, early-morning gym sessions and weekend rendezvous, the not-so-soothing tune of cosmic chimes has become a perpetual sound in my day-to-day life. But not today. It’s just shy of 6am and a deep, resonant mooing breaks my slumber.
I’m at Kimo Estate, a 2833-hectare farm in Gundagai dotted with three luxurious eco huts, one of which I’m calling home for the weekend. Perched high on a hilltop, the simple A-frame structure is completely off the grid: no electricity or mod-cons are to be found. The lights are solar-powered, and water is collected from an underground rainwater tank then heated by solar power. There’s a fireplace, too.
I roll to my left and watch the sunrise through the hut’s low, louvred windows. The sky turns a golden hue and the world slowly comes into focus, including the herd of cattle grazing in the paddock below. With 360-degree views of the Murrumbidgee River flats and its mountainous perimeter, there’s plenty to keep your eyes occupied. I could lie here all day, but breakfast is begging to be cooked.
A cooler filled with a bounty of fresh, local produce – eggs, bacon, sourdough, balsamic-marinated tomatoes, homemade baked beans – and a compact gas barbecue are set up under the eave outside. I flick the ignition and get frying, sautéing, toasting. Food seems to taste better when it’s cooked and eaten al fresco, especially when it’s paired with views as good as these.
Although there is ample supply of tea and coffee in the cupboard, we’re whisked into town for what is said to be the best brew on the Hume Highway between Sydney and Melbourne. Matthew Lucas, owner of The Coffee Pedaler in Gundagai, emerges with a selection for us to sample; he calls it the coffee appreciation experience. There’s an espresso, long black and flat white made with ethically and sustainably sourced beans.
The caffeine begins to take effect as we drive to Tumblong Hills winery, a 15-minute jaunt from the town centre. The vineyard is surprisingly verdant and I forget for a moment that almost all of NSW is in drought. Vigneron Simon Robertson tells us that the deep volcanic soils, mountain-derived water and katabatic winds (downslope winds flowing from high elevations) on the western foothills of the Snowy Mountains create an ideal winemaking environment.
We make our way up to the top of the property and into Robertson’s home. There’s barely enough time to ditch our dust-covered shoes before a tasting glass is thrust into our hands. “Let’s kick things off with the fiano,” he says. Bright lemon yellow in colour, it has aromas of ginger and jasmine flower. It’s zingy and crisp and the perfect antidote to a 32-degree day. So, too, is a splash of the Sangiovese rosé, which is poured next.
The fiano and rosé are both highly palatable drops, but the combination of rich soil and cool nights means that Gundagai is best for producing full-bodied red wines: shiraz and cabernet sauvignon,
The sky turns a golden hue and the world slowly comes into focus, including the herd of cattle grazing in the paddock below.
in particular. So we sniff, swirl and sip, and wait patiently for the bottles in the centre of the table.
The shiraz is lush with flavours of cherry and plum, while the cabernet sauvignon tastes of ripe blackberry, dried herb and anise. They’re confident, juicy wines that require a rich meal and a much cooler day – or night.
With a bottle wedged under each arm, we return to Kimo Estate to one of the property’s two original cottages. A table is dressed for dinner on the back verandah, where candles in decorative lanterns and branches of silvery gum adorn a crisp white tablecloth. I repeat: food tastes better when eaten al fresco.
Our private chef has designed a three-course menu to highlight the best produce from the region. Corn fritters are topped with delicate flakes of locally caught and smoked trout. Lamb is braised until fallapart tender and served alongside smooth roastedcauliflower purée. And a perfectly wobbly panna cotta is scattered with plump blueberries; the berry-forward Tumblong Hills cab sav a more than suitable match.
As the sun disappears behind the ridge, stars begin to materialise. Stomach full and cheeks rosy, I sidle over to the grass and lie down under the Milky Way hoping to map every glistening speck. One final sip of wine and I’m ready to retreat to my eco hut. No alarm required.
“Who’s thirsty?” asks our pilot. We’ve just set off on our Truenorth “Vine to Wine” tour, which will see us explore the Tumbarumba wine region, by chopper. As I soak up a bird’s-eye view of Gundagai, I wonder if I should’ve set an alarm after all; surely this is a dream. Narrow rivers wind their way through tree-lined paddocks in every shade of green and bronze.
We head south over Tumut and cruise past the majestic reservoirs of the Snowy Mountain Scheme before arriving in picturesque Tumbarumba.
There are more than a dozen vineyards in the region and they’re all placed within a short drive, or helicopter hop, of each other. At 850 metres above sea level, the terroir is ideal for growing cool-climate grapes such as pinot noir, chardonnay, riesling and sauvignon blanc.
Our aerial Uber swoops over Johansen Wines before lowering us into the paddock where we’re greeted by owners Tom and Helle Southwell, their two young kids, plus Helle’s parents who live up the road. Tom worked in IT and Helle as a chemist until almost two years ago when they chose to move back to the area to be closer to family – and to make wine, of course.
Their philosophy is simple: to understand and respect the land, and to hand-pick select parcels of grapes to create the best possible wines in the most sustainable way. With thirsts needing to be quenched, we swiftly disembark our ride and march over to the cellar door, a beautifully converted shearing shed.
Tom pours us a glass of 2016 sparkling and I feel instantly replenished. With aromas of fresh bread and flavours of green apple and strawberry, it comes as no surprise this wine garnered a gold medal at the Australian Cool Climate Wine Show. A quick detour to meet the family’s rotund horses and we’re off again.
Until now, I’ve never had vegan wine – or any that I’m aware of. “Isn’t all wine vegan-friendly?” I ask Adrian Brayne, owner of Obsession Wines, as a glass of rosé enters my line of sight. No is the simple answer.
Here, at Tumbarumba’s highest vineyard, everything follows organic principles and not a single animal is harmed in the winemaking process. Grapes are picked carefully by hand and even sheep are brought in to maintain the grass around the vines.
The 10-hectare property is immaculate and flaunts the best views we’ve seen from the ground so far, particularly if you stand at the top of the block in front of the winemaking shed. Visit the cellar door during the March harvest and watch the machines in action.
In comparison to the Barossa or Hunter Valley, the Riverina may not be as well known, but it’s equally, if not more bucolic. And although the vines are not as mature, winemakers are producing drops that are just as delicious and exciting – their new-world approach and eco-conscious attitudes shine through.
I take a sip of rosé and my tastebuds flood with familiar flavours of Turkish delight. Great wine? Tick. Glorious surrounds? Tick. All served with a side of sustainability. I’ll have a top-up, please.