Foodies, here’s why you should add this gourmet festival to your calendar
Escape to Amazing was the carrot that Lexus dangled. This journalist chop-chop dismissed information technology as hyperbole, to be honest. After all, the word itself inspires an expectation of the phenomenal – in astonishing proportions. And is, therefore, a rather dangerous covenant to bind oneself to.
So I saturday in suspended apprehension in a Lexus NX300 en route to Margaret River for the almanac Western Australia Gourmet Escape, the Japanese carmaker being an official sponsor for the 2nd consecutive year.
The food and vino festival, touted every bit i of the earth's best, is held each year in the picturesque Margaret River vino region, 3 hours south of Perth.
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The charming destination has grown renowned for its undulating vineyards (217 at terminal count) and wineries, every bit well equally its scenic littoral trails, aboriginal multi-chambered caves and world-famous surf breaks.
"It'due south a beautiful corner of the earth," Marco Pierre White told CNA Luxury as we chatted in the Lexus hospitality tent in the Gourmet Hamlet festival grounds sited on Leeuwin Estate.
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"Information technology'southward quite magnificent in the sense that one-half of it is sort of wild and the other half is manicured; it's a visual feast to the eye, really," the Michelin-decorated British celebrity chef connected.
White was among the constellation of culinary stars including the likes of Dublin-born chef/restaurateur Colin Fassnidge (My Kitchen Rules) and Mark All-time (Masterchef Commonwealth of australia) who came to cook, inspire and fraternise at 45 finely curated epicurean events in add-on to the cooking workshops and bevy of local cellar door tastings on tap, all spread over 10 decadent days.
And dissimilar almost leading food festivals of the globe that are concentrated in one location such as Taste of London in Hyde Park and The Good Food & Vino Show (Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane), Gourmet Escape offers a smorgasbord of gastronomic indulgences speckled beyond the entire Margaret River region.
This 8th edition even extended to Swan Valley, also known for its wine-producing terroir, but much closer to the city – just one-half an hour outside Perth for those who may not wish to travel as far.
"Gourmet Escape is, without question, the greatest food evidence on earth," White proclaimed. "You've got the state, you've got the expanse, you've got the coast, you've got the vineyards, you've got the woodlands… the sheer number of options of all the events is amazing."
There'due south that word once more: Amazing.
Our 4-24-hour interval Escape to Amazing epicurean sojourn officially began, as it should, at Margaret River's grand maiden, Vasse Felix, the very commencement vineyard and winery to be established in the region in 1967.
One standout dish at this start vino pairing dinner by Caput Chef Brendan Pratt (formerly of The Fat Duck) was the Pork with Eel and Cabbage in La-Yu.
Every bit our emcee who journeyed with usa throughout our series of curated events Sarah Todd (former model and Masterchef contestant-turned-celebrity chef herself) explained, 'Dauntless design' was the culinary theme of the evening, inspired by 1 of Lexus'southward fundamental brand pillars.
Indeed, information technology was brave of Pratt to suggestion such a big amount of fatty in a unmarried dish merely it was so beautifully rendered to perfection that non a unmarried morsel was left on my plate.
The next course – Octopus, Burnt butter and Mushroom XO – came paired with one of Vasse Felix'south most notable varieties, Chardonnay.
"Margaret River is considered one of the greatest Chardonnay-growing regions in the globe today," noted Virginia Willcock, Chief Winemaker and one of the most awarded female person winemakers in Australia.
"Our Chardonnay has ability; it has intensity, it has a beautiful structure, it has a firm acrid line only it also has a lovely dry out structure," she added.
Much similar Willcock herself, the 2022 Heytesbury Chardonnay has a assuming personality, as did the Blanc 8 that came before it.
A WINE PARADISE Bordering ON BORDEAUX
While Margaret River is today famed for its Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, it wasn't Chardonnay vines that Vasse Felix'southward Dr Thomas Cullity start planted only Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Malbec and Riesling.
As the pioneer who paved the fashion for Margaret River to achieve premium status on the earth winemaking stage, Dr Cullity discovered – somewhat by trial and error – that the region's Mediterranean climate (sans extreme summer and winter temperatures) provided platonic growing weather condition comparable to that of Bordeaux in a dry vintage.
Humidity levels also proved ideal, and the winning combination of climate, soil and viticulture practices continue to yield remarkable results to this day.
Dr Cullity'southward offset vintage in 1971 may take been a disaster owing to bunch-rot and native birds but today, his legacy continues on in the thriving wine region with 55 sq. km under vine that, while producing but three per cent of Australia'southward total wine production, commands over 20 per cent of the Australian premium wine market place.
TAKUMI CRAFTSMANSHIP, EPICUREAN-Fashion
With craftsmanship sitting at the cadre of both culinary arts and that of a premium automobile manufacturer, some other evening began with a creative showcase of diverse forms of artistic craft.
Beatboxing champion Kairi and "calligrafitti" creative person Mami were both flown in from Japan specially to perform for us, besides every bit the sixty-something or so clients the brand was as well hosting. Lexus, luxurious? Certain. But edgy? Hmm.
Dinner was nonetheless another 1000 matter, conceived this time past celebrity chef Palisa Anderson, whose Thai-inspired bill of fare was designed to likewise demonstrate the Takumi spirit of craftsmanship that goes into producing every Lexus vehicle.
In Japan, primary craftsmen are known as Takumi and information technology takes virtually 60,000 hours of work or training (equivalent to about 30 working years) to accomplish Takumi status.
Petty did I know at this point, that I would share the stage with not simply one merely ii true Takumis at the Gourmet Hamlet the next mean solar day.
I found myself in the Best Seats in the House showcase and who should walk onstage but the youngest and kickoff British chef to exist awarded three Michelin stars, Marco Pierre White, together with his mentor, the legendary Pierre Koffman. The likes of Gordon Ramsay and Jason Atherton apprenticed under Koffman, and their ain proteges have since amassed more than than twenty Michelin stars betwixt them.
As White and Koffman conducted a cooking demonstration for the audience, I feasted on an exquisite cheese platter and sipped the finest Margaret River wine from a crystal glass.
Amazing.
The author's trip was made possible by Lexus.
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Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/experiences/western-australia-gourmet-escape-176966
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