Experience wine culture at Balmoral by the Glass
A celebration of the Mudgee region, Balmoral by the Glass is back on Sunday 23 August. Previously known as the Mudgee Food and Wine Festival, the event brings a taste of Mudgee to Sydney’s North Shore.
Whether you’re a wine fanatic, foodie or want a family day out, there’s something on offer for everyone at the event located by Balmoral Beach.
Run by the Mudgee Wine Association and featuring around 17 alcohol vendors from Mudgee, organiser Meg Wong told NL that the idea for the event is to ‘bring Mudgee to Balmoral.’
“For us, it genuinely is about exposing that Mudgee region and giving people a taste to come experience it,” Meg says.
Meg explains that the goal is for people to consider exploring the region, ‘but for those who can’t get to Mudgee region, we bring it to them.’
Balmoral by the Glass is free to enter, with a glass and tokens available to pre-purchase online in exchange for wine tastings. The alcohol vendors receive a rebate to reimburse event costs, with the remaining funds going towards the Mudgee Wine Association. The association is volunteer-run and made up of winery owners who aim to promote the Mudgee region.
President of the Mudgee Wine Association Tom Dunstan is ‘very excited’ about the upcoming event. Having grown up in Northbridge and now based in Mudgee, Tom feels a personal connection to Sydney’s North Shore. “A lot of us actually have North Shore connections,” he says.
Tom is a winemaker at Mudgee’s Pieter van Gent Winery and has his own brand Teto Wines. “We try to use alternative varieties and some awesome different winemaking techniques. (We’re) having a bit of fun with the winemaking,” he says. Last year was the first time Teto Wines had a stall at Balmoral by the Glass and they will return for this year’s event.
As the event date draws closer, it’s ‘all systems go,’ with multiple Mudgee wineries working together to make Balmoral by the Glass happen.
The organisational atmosphere of the event is supportive and collaborative, with Tom saying that ‘everyone is always happy to help each other.’
As President of the Mudgee Wine Association, Tom hopes Balmoral by the Glass will ‘give (attendees) an idea of what Mudgee wine is.’
“The idea is to promote what we do and try and get people to want to come and visit Mudgee, show how good we can be.”
With live music, face painting, food vendors and even the chance for pets to get involved with a Puppuccino Pet Spa, Balmoral by the Glass is as much of a recognition of wines from the Mudgee region as it is a fun day out.
Wine tasting tokens are available for pre-purchase online, starting from $30.
Enjoy a sunny Saturday by the beach with a glass in hand and leave with a lingering taste of the Mudgee region or, as Meg says, a desire ‘to turn that into a weekend away…to go explore that region.’
BALMORAL BY THE GLASS
Sunday 23 August
10am to 5pm
Balmoral Beach
Free entry
Wine tasting tokens $30+