Accommodation was hosted by Vera & Don; who let us stay at Yellow Cottage. The place was a delight, with fig, peach, pomegranate, apple, pear, you name it, they had it growing in the surrounds. 2 bedrooms, a kitchen, open lounge and dining area made for the perfect base camp for an eating weekend.

I miss getting up early and standing in the middle of the road in my PJs, catching the sunrise and the amazing #cloudporn. The middle of the road was one of the places I was guaranteed phone reception too  

As part of the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival, we enjoyed the Tastes of Rutherglen and El Dorardo’s Moving Feast. Tastes of Rutherglen was a bit like Taste of Melbourne, but more spread out, as you drove or caught a shuttle bus to each winery. You could dine on an entree sized dish with matching wine, take part in a activity, or sit around and soak up the live music. It was a great way to spend the day, and exploring the different wineries.

El Dorado’s Moving Feast was the first of it’s kind in the quaint town of El Dorardo where we stayed. Due to weather, the moving part from creek, to orchard, to historical monument didn’t go to plan, but we had a trip to the Dredge, then canapés and archery at Eldorado Pottery (archery and beer ….. not a good mix!); main course at the Eldorado Memorial Hall, which was decorated with lovely charm and fairy lights; then dessert followed at the Museum.

Most of the food was sourced from within a 20km radius; lambs were from the property next door, garlic from our accommodation hosts Vera & Don; it gave a great sense of the community of El Dorado. We had ales from Bridge Road Brewers (<3) and cider fromBeechworth Cider, wines from local wineries, including our intended location for dinner Mt Pilot. 

Despite the weather, it was a great night, catching up with old friends and making new ones! Paris the MC was a ripper, and I would have a party just to have him entertain the crowd. I’ve included a little video as a special treat

Sandy, you did an amazing job; and I do hope you find the strength to do it again next year!