Clockwisefrom
topleft:Truenorth
helicoptertours;
theSnowy
Mountains
Scheme;
TumblongHills
rosé.Opposite:
Tumblong
Hills winery.inparticular.Sowesniff,swirlandsip,andwait
patientlyforthebottlesinthecentreofthetable.
Theshirazis lushwithflavoursofcherryandplum,
whilethecabernetsauvignontastesofripeblackberry,
driedherbandanise.They’reconfident,juicywinesthat
requirea richmealanda muchcoolerday– ornight.
Witha bottlewedgedundereacharm,wereturn
toKimoEstatetooneoftheproperty’stwooriginal
cottages.A tableis dressedfordinnerontheback
verandah,wherecandlesindecorativelanternsand
branchesofsilverygumadorna crispwhitetablecloth.
I repeat:foodtastesbetterwheneatenal fresco.
Ourprivatechefhasdesigneda three-course
menutohighlightthebestproducefromtheregion.
Cornfrittersaretoppedwithdelicateflakesoflocally
caughtandsmokedtrout.Lambis braiseduntilfall-
aparttenderandservedalongsidesmoothroasted-
cauliflowerpurée.Anda perfectlywobblypannacotta
is scatteredwithplumpblueberries;theberry-forward
TumblongHillscabsava morethansuitablematch.
Asthesundisappearsbehindtheridge,starsbegin
tomaterialise.Stomachfullandcheeksrosy,I sidleover
tothegrassandliedownundertheMilkyWayhoping
tomapeveryglisteningspeck.Onefinalsipofwineand
I’mreadytoretreattomyecohut.Noalarmrequired.“W
ho’sthirsty?”asksourpilot.We’ve
justsetoffonourTruenorth“Vineto
Wine”tour,whichwillseeusexplore
theTumbarumbawineregion,bychopper.AsI soak
upa bird’s-eyeviewofGundagai,I wonderif I should’ve
setanalarmafterall;surelythisis a dream.Narrow
riverswindtheirwaythroughtree-linedpaddocks
ineveryshadeofgreenandbronze.
We headsouthoverTumutandcruisepastthe
majesticreservoirsoftheSnowyMountainScheme
before arriving in picturesque Tumbarumba.142 GOURMET TRAVELLER