Food & Wine of The Tablelands Way experience

Home grown and homemade pleasures
From the days of first settlement the people of the Tablelands region have learnt how to live off the land, growing and cooking their own food. Isolation made this a must for early settlers, but today many locals keep up the tradition for the sheer pleasure of it.

Much of the Tablelands region is in high country, with a cooler climate that encourages ‘hearty’ meals. Casseroles, stews, breads, soups, puddings and crumbles are the perfect repast on a brisk evening. The area’s four distinct seasons have led to its tradition of making preserves, thus keeping the bounty of spring and summer available for the colder winter months.

The Tablelands Way experience’s finest dining is often home grown and homemade fare. Kitchen gardens are abundant. The clean air and environment instil a purity in the food and wine which is highly regarded. Swapping produce is a local tradition. You might, for example, exchange some homemade raspberry jam for your neighbour’s eggs or honey.

Live like a local
You do not have to know a local to partake of these simple pleasures. Many of the best cooks have opened up their homes to you, as ‘bed and breakfast’ and ‘farm stay’ properties. You will find them scattered throughout the region. The boutique, family nature of food and wine making in the region mean that offerings are always changing. Check with the locals for their latest favourite dining experiences, recipes, and local wines.

Be on the lookout for farmers’ markets and festivals where you can try the many homemade delights. In spring and summer try fishing for trout, and taste seasonal berries and peas. In autumn look out for mushrooms and chestnuts, and in winter enjoy the vast array of preserves on offer.

Mudgee – a mecca for those who love creativity

Mudgee wines are exciting. They display bright, exaggerated flavours and beautifully showcase the region’s unusual natural location and continental climate. There are about 40 cellar doors that you can visit, and despite its recognition for fine wines Mudgee remains uniquely open and friendly. When you visit a cellar door in Mudgee you will often be greeted by the winemaker.

A natural abundance of agricultural produce provides great inspiration for <Mudgee’s FT-B1> many food makers. Traditionally it was known for its production of beef, lamb, cereals, vegetables, fruit and honey. Today everything from preserves to olive oils, from goat’s cheeses to pistachio nuts, and from pestos to quails, is grown, cooked, captured or blended. Mudgee is truly a mecca for those who love creativity in food and wine.

Cool climate wines of The Tablelands Way experience

From Rylstone near Mudgee in the north, down to Oberon and Upper Lachlan Shire further south is a host of boutique cool climate wineries. Rylstone is higher in elevation than Mudgee and has a different climatic profile. The vineyards also differ dramatically in their soil type and rainfall, giving each of them unique flavours. The critically acclaimed Rylstone wine grows in rocky terrain with a limestone component. This produces soil well suited to wine production. The red wines of Collector grow on the lean pink granites and reddish shales typical of the Canberra district.

Local knowledge
As these cool climate wineries are boutique operations, which often experiment with different styles, you will need to tap into the local network to find out what is at its peak. The local Visitor Information Centres can provide you with cellar door opening times and guidance on the wines that best match your preferences.

Improves with age
Cool climate wines often improve with age. So while you are enjoying them on your journey why not buy some for later? The extremely good acid profile of many cool climate wines mean they can be cellared for a long time, and high tannin levels will soften as the wine ages.

Recognising a cool climate wine
Cool climate wines do not express the big fruit flavours of warmer regions, such as the Barossa Valley. They tend to be more complex and tightly structured. A cool climate chardonnay may display apple or stone fruit characters, depending on the vineyard. Notes of white pepper, rather than black, are found in the cool climate shiraz. The Tablelands region produces some fine cool climate sparkling whites, but you will need to be quick as winemakers often sell out.

Trout fishing in the Tablelands region

Heavy rains and cold weather make for optimal trout spawning conditions, so watch the weather to pick the best times to go fishing. Trout breed in all the waters along in the Tablelands region. The most common varieties are the rainbow trout and brown trout.

When the trout are in abundance, especially after spawning, you are encouraged to take enough for a meal. But be sure to practice the catch and release code, which ensures the trout remain in sufficient numbers for others to enjoy.

Use local knowledge to find the best spot. A guide will take you to lesser known places, such as remote highland streams and rivers. Boats will give you access to deep water fishing on lakes and dams, but plenty of anglers have success casting lures from the bank.

Head for one of the local Visitor Information Centres. There you can obtain a fishing license, equipment, recipes and information about locations. If required, they can also arrange a guide for you.

Popular trout fishing locations include:

Mudgee: Cudgegong River, Windamere Dam, Burrendong Dam and Dunns Swamp
Lithgow: Lake Lyell
Oberon: Fish River, Chifley Dam, Rockley Weir (If you are prepared to bushwalk in, the Kowmung River offers a spectacular spot to fish for trout)
Upper Lachlan: Crookwell Water Supply Dam, Wyangala Dam, Reedy Creek, Laggan, Golspie Phils River, Pejar Dam and Abercrombie River
Goulburn: Mulwaree: Marsden Weir

Mushroom picking at Oberon

Between early January and late May the forests of the Oberon region sprout the coveted Saffron Milk Cap (Lactarius deliciosus) and Bolete (Boletus portentosus).

The cool temperatures of <Oberon’s FT-B4> pine plantations are perfect conditions for the mushrooms to flourish. Do not be surprised to hear the sound of foreign tongues in the forest during the picking season. These mushrooms are considered a delicacy in Europe. The Saffron Milk Cap has an apricot coloured cap, and is bright orange on the inside. The younger mushrooms are the ones to pick. These mushrooms were not introduced directly, but got here as spores on the pines brought to the area for commercial forestry.

Be careful when picking mushrooms. Use the mushroom picking guide from the Oberon Visitor Information Centre to work out which ones are safe to eat.

Many of the mushrooms to be found in the forest are poisonous, so follow the code “When in doubt, throw it out”.

Goulburn Brewery

The oldest brewery
Depending on the criteria used, Goulburn can lay claim to the oldest brewery in Australia. Bradley Grange Brewery is the only brewery established in Australia before 1840 which survives intact as an integrated set of buildings housing the various activities associated with brewing (malting, milling, coopering, smithing and stabling).

Taste history
Goulburn ales are brewed in the traditional way, with top fermentation in open vessels. Modern production closely follows the original recipes. This means no added sugar, no preservatives, no artificial carbonation and no filtration. The basic ingredients are barley malt, ale yeast and local water. As a compromise to modern tastes, hops have been added to the ales. The local stout however is still brewed without hops.

Better for your health
Goulburn ales are better for your health than most modern beers. Ales brewed the old way are less likely to cause hangovers and headaches. This is largely because they have not been filtered, which means the yeast (a natural source of vitamin B and thiamine in your diet) remains in the brew. The yeast helps the liver digest alcohol, thus reducing the chances of intoxication.

A charming setting
There is no doubt that ale tastes better in a charming environment, and the handsome Bradley Grange brewery certainly fits the bill. Designed by the colonial architect Francis Greenway, and completed in 1836, the building is in near original condition. There are many places to kick back and enjoy the brews at Bradley Grange, from its cottage style gardens to its rustic traditional bar. While you are there listen out for the many stories of its history, including bushrangers, the building of the railways, and life in the early 1880’s.

Delicacies of The Tablelands Way experience

Olive groves and oils
Scattered throughout Tablelands region are many growers and producers of gourmet olives and olive oils, each boasting their own individual style. Olive Groves and oil producers are found in the Mudgee, Lithgow, Oberon, Bungonia, Goulburn and Upper Lachlan Shires. These are boutique family operations, so you will need to check with the local Visitor Information Centres for public openings.

Berries
It was said that an English bush walker scattered blackberry seeds around the National Parks so future walkers could feast on the fruit, while taking in the sights. Like many introduced species the plant is now a troublesome weed. National Parks have a instigated a program to exterminate it. Enterprising locals gather the berries to make jams, tarts and crumbles from the troublesome weed.

The Tablelands region is well suited to growing berries, and small boutique berry farms are scattered all over the area. If you are lucky, you may find your local bed and breakfast has a berry garden of its own. Ask at the local Visitor Information Centres to find out whether berries are in season, and where to find them.

Preserves
Most of the Tablelands region has the full four seasons, with the higher altitude areas such as Oberon and Upper Lachlan getting occasional snowfall. Longer winters caused enterprising locals to develop the tradition of preserving summer fruits and vegetables for the colder months. Lynwood Café in Upper Lachlan Shire has an extensive selection of award winning preserves. Each area has its own local delicacies, hand crafted in home kitchens. Ask a local, or drop into the local Visitor Information Centre to find your favourite concoctions.

Country roads are often narrow and winding.
Bends and curves are often dangerous due to a build up loose dirt and stones.
Be prepared for changing road conditions and surfaces in wet weather.
Always drive to the conditions, which is not necessarily the posted speed limit.

Photo Galleries for Food & Wine of The Tablelands Way experience

Food & Wine of The Tablelands Way experience (13 images)