So this weekend I went-a-visiting to the Melbourne Good Food and Wine show.
I was looking forward to the endless arrays of food and wine, and more food and wine, and then some more food and wine. And the show did not disappoint. I sampled an unbelievable variety of cheese, tasted countless chips and crackers in sweet and savoury dips, and made some new food discoveries (Salted Caramel, where HAVE you been my whole life). The exhibition was amazing, in terms of products, produce, cooking and baking equipment, and the wine, aah, the wine. I made my way to the Wine section, glass in hand, and best Oliver Twist impersonation on.
Hahahah, I needn’t have worried. The exhibitors were more than happy to share their wine. And after one too many just-a-little-bit-more samples, and purchasing my super yummy bottle of Moscato, I was a happy girl, literally and spiritedly.
Apart from the traditional fresh produce, snacks, and wine, there were some really innovative designs and products on display. Here’s a look at the the six totally awesome food and wine ideas that caught my eye at the Good Food and Wine Show 2014:
1. Fruit Infused Sparkling Wine
Take a bottle of sparkling wine, infuse it with the freshest and sweetest natural strawberries, and you have a fizzy, and sugar-free bottled brilliance. From the wineyards of Chile, and using the freshest strawberries, the winemakers at Fresita have produced pure tasting magic for the senses. Move over apple cider, and watermelon mojito, the new fruity fiesta is in town.
To know more, head over to their website at http://www.fresita.com.au/
2. No Handle Wine Decanters
Is it a snake, is it a trumpet, or is it an elephants trunk? Or am I just shooting a picture of the guy’s butt through my phone camera? None of the above. These are actually hand-blown glass no-handle Wine Decanters from Reidel. Just have a look at these hand-crafted glass beauties. I so wanted one of these, but will have to plan this purchase for later, as they are quite steeply priced at AUD 499, and upwards.
3. Baked Doughnuts
Baked Doughnuts, yeah, you read that right. I love doughnuts but tend to stay away from them as they tend to be deep-fried and laden with guilt. But Noshu, (which stands for All Love No Sugar, so ta-da NOSHU) has quite simply done away with the guilt. So what you get is a baked, gluten-free, sugar free, fibrous healthy dessert which is everybody’s favourite Doughnut. Quite obviously, their stall was completely sold out of this amazing product but I did manage to sample from the tidbits that remained. The taste was different from a regular doughnut, but extremely delightful and the texture was similar to that of a spongy cake. And the possibilities are endless, you can have them jam-filled, drizzled with chocolate, glazed, plain, flavoured. I for one can’t wait to order it online for my next party gathering. You can check their details here at:
4. Pretty as a Painting Jelly
I actually thought that these were super pretty paper weights until the Blossom Treats exhibitor asks me, would you like to taste some? Wait what! Turns out these pretty paper weights were actually Jelly. Oh, the prettiness, why would anyone want to ruin it by eating it. But I did too (because I never say no to a free food sample), and if you love jelly, then you will love these too. But the true potential of these babies is the absolute gorgeousness they lend to your dinner table.
For their entire range of prettier-than-petals jellies, have a look here http://www.blossomtreats.com.au/portfolio/
5. Single Serve Wines
Genius. Pure and simple genius.
Carry. Sip. Drink. Dispose. Perfect picnic hamper accompaniment. Perfect anyplace anywhere accompaniment. These wine glasses come in disposable material and are completely sealed so they can be carried anywhere. Plus once you are done with your glass, they can be disposed off wherever you find a proper trash can (you better find a trashcan!). And they even fit into your bag. Georgia Beattie sure did think of everything. Genius!
Read about them more at http://singleserve.com.au/
6. Lavender Cheese
Lavender and cheese don’t necessarily go together and you would not want to venture your taste buds anywhere close to that combination. But wait a minute, I tried it, and it works. Like really well. The cheese is crumbly yet wedgy, and is the perfect ingredient to add to fruit salads and your cheesecakes. And you know what the makers of this exceptional cheese at Bruny Island are calling this delectable offering? NANNA’s UNDIES. I promise I am not making this up. Click on the image to know why the particular fancy for grandma. No one is a pervert or germophile here so RELAX.
So there you go, my Fabilicious list from the Melbourne Good Food and Wine Show 2014. Hope you discovered something new in there. Now am on my way to find and share the next fab foodie-wave with you. Maybe it comes from my kitchen or maybe someone else’s. The hunt is on!
Ta!
