Food
‘COOL’ WINES AND ‘RIGHT ON’ FOOD
There can be no better ingredient to make a rewarding stay than great food and wine and both are drawcards of the Orange, Cabonne and Blayney area.
At present much is being done to develop both and tie in with the produce and wine of nearby Mudgee and Cowra. The Food Of Orange District group is leading the way and holds an FOOD Week in April as well as regular dinners.
At the turn of the century Orange was a premium table grape growing region with orchardists growing grapes as well as cherries and apples. But as other grape regions were established, grapes here went by the wayside. It was not until the early 1980s when pioneer viticulturists arrived that grapes again took hold, but this time wine grapes. The growth since has been staggering and looks set to accelerate before the year 2000.
The district boasts around 30 vineyards and five licensed wineries with other wineries soon to be licensed and more in the pipeline. A number also have restaurants serving gourmet foods.
Most grapes are grown at high altitude which results in cool climate wines. This has brought the region to the attention of some of Australia’s leading producers who are planting large vineyards or using grapes sources from the area to improve their blends. In a short time the Orange region, incorporating Cabonne Country Wineries, has made an outstanding name for itself with many medals from shows around the country and further afield.
Restaurants are using the quality produce and fine wines to the benefit of patrons and a number of impressive new developments planned will ensure this expands in the near future.
Orange boasts a number of stand alone restaurants and motel-linked restaurants which have fine reputations for quality food. Cafe culture is thriving in Orange and surrounding areas with villages, wineries and attractions boasting fine eateries, many of which utilise local produce.
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