Gin Dinners, Cheese Events and Boozeless Wine JudgingMr and Mrs Romance

As we edge in the direction of the mid-way level of 2023 and winter right here in Sydney settles into its stride, we get to see a distinct facet to a metropolis that’s so incumbent with solar and scorching climate.

Winter right here has all the time fascinated me.

I’m a type of expats that’s all the time shocked when it’s chilly in Australia–even after 20-odd years of dwelling right here. However like I stated, chilly climate and nights coming early carry a facet to Sydney guests may not anticipate.

To show my level, this Weekly Version options enjoyable cheese festivals, the magic of Vivid Sydney and its lights, a wholly superior new eating expertise inside a distillery and the most recent judging for mid- low- and no-alcohol wines!

We hope you get pleasure from this one

Cheers – Jim & Christina xx

Each June, one thing fantastic occurs in Sydney: the Bon Fromage Cheese Pageant kicks off at Round Quay!

We’ve been a few occasions earlier than and it’s all the time enjoyable. It’s free to enter and there’s an enormous desk lined in all types of fantastic European cheeses to strive–in reality, it’s a giveaway of actually tonnes of cheese!

You possibly can assist your self to the desk or there are market stalls all spherical promoting all the things from raclette to fondue. There are additionally a number of masterclasses you possibly can e book to participate in.

The pageant runs over three days throughout Vivid on the Abroad Passenger Terminal. Be sure you mark down subsequent yr’s dates so that you don’t miss out!

Vivid Sydney has been working since 2010 and lights up town for 23 nights in June yearly. There’s all the time one thing superb occurring within the metropolis throughout Vivid and the packed streets are full of people that in all probability wouldn’t be anyplace close to town usually.

We discover a number of the installations which might be all the time right here just like the Opera Home and Customs Home, however this night we’re right here to take a look at one thing utterly new to Vivid.

The drone show that lifts up from the water over the bay at Round Quay is superb. The most important drone swarm in Australia in reality.

We’re not solely to see this unimaginable engineering feat but in addition we wish to see the way it compares to the drone show at Uluru we’ve simply seen launched: Wintjiri Wiru, at present the largest everlasting drone show on the planet.

The Vivid show is certainly spectacular and the shapes and designs they’ve created with the drones are fairly cool, however there’s not the story or cohesion that Wintjiri Wiru has.

For some purpose, the designers right here have determined to finish the present with emblems of Superman and the Flash within the sky. Undecided what’s occurring there.

This night, we’re fortunate to be have been invited to a double launch at Hickson Home Distilling Co within the Rocks.

Not solely are the fellows at this superb distillery launching their newest gin–the Seven Spice Gin–but in addition a wholly new eating idea the place we get to get pleasure from an outstanding meal amongst the stills!

Whereas we sip on very good martinis made with the deliciously savoury Seven Spice Gin and await our entrees, we hear from co-founder of Hickson Home Mikey Enright and chef extraordinaire Sean Connolly, who designed the menus we’re consuming from.

Mikey can be proprietor of a few iconic bars in Sydney: the Barbershop, and subsequent door, the Duke of Clarence.

Sean’s been within the restaurant sport endlessly and used to personal the Morrison in Sydney the place he’d have the legendary Crab Carnival yearly. He additionally used to have a spot in Byron Bay referred to as the Balcony Bar, however he explains to us that he’s extra concerned about passing on his data to others now and to do extra experiential issues like this.

The meals Sean’s created tonight, as we eat in probably the most superb setting between the glowing copper of the Hickson Home stills, is phenomenal and all designed with both the brand new gin or its botanicals concerned.

Left to proper, we’ve got entree of seared scallops within the shell with a splash of Seven Spice Gin and native citrus butter, most important of dry-aged duck seasoned with anise myrtle, spiced carrot, bitter orange and wattleseed served with completely roasted duck fats potatoes. Lastly, the Basque cheesecake, which has the feel extra of a soufflé, garnished with quince jelly and wattleseed.

The meals is accompanied by completely different gin cocktails that go well with the flavours of every dish–the Carrotini, that includes Seven Spice Gin, aquavit, roasted carrot Lillet Blanc and orange bitters, and the Magnificent Seven with Seven Spice Gin, Pommeau de Normandie, ginger, lemon curd, tonka bean and wattleseed are fantastically crafted drinks.

Nonetheless, the martini–or ought to I say the Pearl 2.0 Martini–is my favorite, a easy gin martini at its coronary heart, however in actuality one thing way more complicated.

oyster pearl infused Seven Spice Gin with kelp vermouth, aqua bianca and garnished with samphire, it is a martini on an entire different degree!

On every desk, we additionally get to see, odor and style the seven spices that make up this gin’s identify: finger lime, wattleseed, native lemongrass, pepper leaf, aniseed myrtle, bush tomato and lemon myrtle.

The end result these botanicals have on this new gin are fantastic. That is really an important gin.

This night has been such an unimaginable expertise, to spend this a lot time amongst the stills within the fashionable but useful beating coronary heart of Sydney’s solely inner-city distillery and to be eating on such luxurious dishes.

Mikey will probably be working extra of those unique dinners and for less than $199pp, so preserve your eye open right here.

Tonight, I’m assembly up with a few good buddies for dinner. Christina and I had been away at Uluru for my birthday final month, so that is ostensibly a birthday dinner for me.

In actuality, we simply haven’t caught up in ages.

We’ve come right here to Chaco Ramen in Darlinghurst for a warming bowl of Japanese ramen and the kitchen hasn’t dissatisfied. Wealthy, thick soup, surprisingly thick-cut (and much more surprisingly tender) chashu pork and all the opposite goodies that include this true sincere consolation meals.

For the June lengthy weekend, we’ve come again to one in all our previous favorite haunts: Bundeena.

This lovely little beachside city, surrounded by the Royal Nationwide Park, is an actual gem, and appears like a thousand miles from anyplace. In actuality, you possibly can see town skyline fairly simply from the seashore and Cronulla’s only a fast ferry journey away.

The water is spectacular and the seashore as lovely as ever. Canines are welcome right here off-leash throughout winter, and it by no means will get previous seeing them splash round after a stick.

We’re additionally available in the market for sticks. We want kindling for our fireplace pit for later. I say ‘our’ fireplace pit. I imply our good friend Deb, who we’re visiting.

Earlier than lengthy, the solar’s gone and the flames chew by Deb’s inventory of timber from constructing her deck. I’m having fun with the additional heat from my new finest mate Betty, Deb’s black havanese, whereas we watch the occasional (and amusing) remaining proof of the deck burn away.

The hearth burns properly and remains to be glowing once we determine to show in.

This morning, we head to the mountain climbing trails that community by the Royal Nationwide Park not removed from our door. The cliffs take us excessive above the water–excellent viewing platforms to look at the migrating humpback whales as they make their manner down the coast.

There are a whole lot of them and we cease often on our stroll to benefit from the sight of their spouts and occasional tail slaps and pectoral waves. Superb that you are able to do this from land.

Tonight, Christina and I are in our best, heading to the Australian Hair Business Awards gala dinner and awards night time.

It’s all the time enjoyable going to those occasions. Everybody’s in excessive spirits and dressed to the nines.

Even higher, my mate and Christina’s hairdresser Stevie English has managed to win Colourist of the 12 months for the third yr in a row and for the fourth time ever. It’s a record-breaker and a well-deserved accolade.

This night, we’re again in our previous neighbourhood in Surry Hills.

The Vineyard is enjoying host to the Mid-Low-No Alcohol Awards (MLNA) 2023 Shopper Selection Occasion, the place we get to choose our favourites from 4 kinds (glowing, white, rosé and pink) in two classes (mid or low alcohol and no alcohol) with three wines in every. So we’re tasting 24 completely different wines.

It’s sensible that there’s such a spread of this kind of low or no alcohol wine out there now, a rising development that offers a lot extra alternative.

It’ll be attention-grabbing to see which wines win. We each had some favourites all through the classes–particularly within the glowing and rosé kinds. My favorite of the night time although was the Fourth Wave Wines‘ Tread Softly Sangiovese within the mid-low class.