Posts Tagged ‘food and wine festival’
2009 Melbourne Food and Wine Festival – Good value events
Having just had a quick browse through the guide for this year’s Melbourne Food and Wine Festival I must say I’m completely underwhelmed. The length (amount of events) and breadth (number of cuisines) are impressive but the majority of them seem to completely ignore the factor of cost. A quick perusal of the index of events at the back of the guide confirms my suspicion, out of about 300 events, only 26 are free, 50% are in the above $50-200 price range and are in the over $200 range. Considering the economic climate and the “festival” status of this event is this a little over the top?
This being said, there are a number of events that look like they will be really good value that I will definitely be trying to get to.
7th – 23rd March – Restaurant Express ($35)
A huge number of restaurants in the city and surrounds are providing a 2 course lunch, a glass of wine and a coffee or tea for $35. This seems like it will be a really great way to experience a restaurant that you might not normally be able to afford to eat at, or if you would might be able to have a couple of extra lunches for the same price.
12 March – A spanish affair, Comme ($40)
An extravaganza of all things Spanish, flamenco, food, beer and cava will be the flavour of the night on Alfred Place. Hosted by the the renowned Comme Kitchen the evening should be a Spanish style party of the highest quality.
7th March – Meat & Malbec, The Montague Hotel ($25)
The Montague Hotel will play host to an exploration of beef and Malbec wine. The wine comes straight from South America and as any red blooded Argentinian will tell you, it’s a match made in heaven.
14 March – Section 8 Block Party ($25)
Tucked in behind Chinatown, Section 8 is an example of a laneway bar that is bigger than the laneway. The Block Party is slated to bring together everything that the bar stands for. Fine beer, great asian cuisine, DJs and hula girls – What more could you ask for for $25?
21st and 22nd March – Cellar Door at Southgate ($25)
This is will be like going to all of the state’s cellar doors all at once. There are a number of learning sessions and tours provided for free by the festival and a number of restaurants are providing cheap tasting plates. This is all capped off by the Melbourne International Jazz festival happening at the same time.
23 March – The Global Trends, The Langham ($40)
Certainly not for every food lover looking for a bargain but this short conference about the food and wine industry and its media will certainly pique the interest of any aspiring journalist or blogger. 3 sessions with various world class media personalities and chefs and drinks should certainly cover a lot of ground regarding the entire industry and it’s future.
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