(Truffle hunting, Borrodell Vineyard – pic. Seth Buchanan)

Central NSW has so much to offer and much of it is to do with food and wine. Its food and wine calendar is brimming with authentic and tasty ways to spend a long weekend in the country. Don your gumboots for a truffle hunt, learn to cook venison in a farm-house kitchen, try bush-tucker over smoky camp fires or join a wine-show dinner.

It all begins just 2.5 hours’ drive from Sydney in a region that offers a rich cultural heritage, magnificent landscapes and beautiful places to stay.

Central NSW is one of Australia’s biggest food and wine bowls with award-winning producers, wine-makers, restaurants, cafes and farmers markets. It includes Bathurst, Orange, Mudgee, Parkes, Cowra and Forbes.

To plan your stay, Central NSW Tourism has released this list of top 10 food and wine events coming up this winter and spring.

1.    Small Acres Cyder Tasting Lunch (Orange) 22 June, 20 July, 17 August, 21 September, 19 October. The first producers of cider in the region are famed for their ‘appscato sparkling’ and once a month you can enjoy special event lunches at the cider house with homemade Normandy chicken pie and a guided tasting of their range. 

2.    Mandagery Creek Venison Farm Kitchen (Orange) 14 June, 12 July, 9 August, 26 October. Take a tour of the venison farm, learn how the produce is used in a cooking demonstration and enjoy a relaxed three-course lunch. The farm kitchen is set in a garden surrounded by pine forest and paddocks, there is no nicer place to enjoy Orange’s fine produce. 

3.    Neila’s Hands-on-workshops (Cowra) 28 June, 27 July, 30 August, 27 September. Nestled amongst Cowra’s history is a one-chef hatted restaurant (SMH Guide 2014) renowned for its local produce. Book a hands-on workshop with recipes and lunch including their signature pasta making studded with black sesame seeds. 

4.    Cooking Classes at Bishops Court Estate (Bathurst) most Mondays. Stay at this historic boutique hotel and join culinary host Christine for regular cooking classes in the kitchen followed by a candle-lit dinner in the chapel. There’s something for everyone from the Asian themed ‘Spice it up’ to fast dinners with flair in ‘Secret women’s business’. 

5.    The Cowra Wine Show Weekend (Cowra) 25-27 July. A smorgasbord of events from Lachlan Valley producers includes gourmet markets, master-classes, organic winery tours, dining events and a public tasting. 

6.    Borrodell Vineyard Black Tie and Gumboots Truffle Hunt and Dinner (Orange) 19 July. A stunning vineyard setting with valley views is home to Sisters Rock restaurant, 150 types of heritage apples, premium accommodation and the annual Black Tie and Gumboots Truffle Hunt and Dinner. Don your boots and hunt for truffles with the dogs then enjoy a five-course dinner with entertainment. 

7.    Trundle’s Bush Tucker Day (Parkes) 6-7 September. Bond with the vibrant Trundle community over smoky camp fires, cook outdoors and taste bush-tucker straight from the land. Fun games include the Billy Boil Sprint and the Damper Throw. Trundle is 55km NW of Parkes. 

8.    NSW Small Winemakers Show (Forbes) 25-29 August. A celebration for small winemakers that crush no more than 500 tonnes annually, this event has been held in Forbes for 25 years. The public tasting is on 29 August and cost $25 for canapés and tastings from around 100 NSW vineyards. 

9.    Mudgee Food and Wine Festival (Mudgee) 12 September to 5 October. At the top of the menu in this month-long festival is ‘Top of the Plate’, a new event that features around 30 cafes, wineries and restaurants plating up some extraordinary dishes using local produce. This is a delicious way to try the cheese, olives, nuts, saffron, chocolate and huge variety from Mudgee’s Fine Foods producers. 

10.  Orange Wine Festival (Orange) 17 October to 2 November. Orange’s biggest food and wine celebration includes degustation dinners, a night market, tastings with wine-makers and special events in this historic town’s restaurants, wine-bars, cafes and venues.

Accommodation in Central NSW is available in eco-suites, historic properties, self-contained cottages or boutique hotels.

Central NSW is just a click away, for more information and travel deals..........