Meet the Winemaker at Edinburgh Castle
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Winter has come and gone, and the seasons are a-changing; one thing we know is that change is constant, and the Sydney pub scene is no exception either.
The Edinburgh Castle has joined in the latest pub makeovers and undergone a stunning facelift of its interior, attracting existing and new crowd with a well thought out menu designed by Head Chef Daniel Lanza (ex North Bondi Fish). The variety on the menu was welcoming, and Lanza took pub food up a notch by adding modern touches to some classic favourites, such as:
Some of the other dishes recommended to us were house made potato scallops with chicken salt, saltbush chicken schnitzel and crumbed barramundi burger, which we will definitely be back for. And boy would I love some warm fluffy damper!
I wonder if most people would know the history of places they set foot in (I certainly don't) but I have now learned that Australian writer and bush poet Henry Lawson once resided at the Edinburgh Castle.
While the upper-level bistro area has been completely revamped to house a cocktail lounge and outdoor courtyard, its historic heritage remains a key feature of the venue. To complement this, expert Sommelier Matt Dunne has curated a 100% Australian wine list. A quick look up on Matt Dunne on the internet and you will find his various accolades in the industry, including being named Sydney Morning Herald's 2011 'Good Food Guide Louis Roederer Sommelier of the Year', and more recently winning the 2015 Wine List of the Year in the Good Food Guide for ARIA Sydney.
For wine aficionados, you will be pleased to learn that Edinburgh Castle is also hosting a series of "Meet The Winemaker" on the first Thursday of every month from 5pm, which includes complimentary wine tasting accompanied by a delectable cheese platter.
I had the pleasure to meet winemaker Alex Retief from A.Retief, a boutique wine label made in Wagga Wagga known for its handcrafted, adventurous wines. We sampled 7 types of wines, including Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Rose, Field Blend (mix of reds), Shiraz, Petit Verdot, and Tempranillo. All of them were easy to drink, but my personal favourite was the least common variety, Petit Verdot, which had a fine blueberry finish.
During the wine tasting, I learned that Alex launched Australia's first large-scale urban winery (aptly named Urban Winery) in February 2016. Located in St Peter (just 500m from Sydenham train station), anyone can now access virtually any experience whenever they want. Some of these experiences include blending your own wine and wine masterclasses, which are carefully curated by Alex and his team. You can find out more about A.Retief wine
here and the Urban Winery
here .
The next "Meet The Winemaker" series will take place on October 6th with Gwyn Olsen from Peppertree Wines, an award-winning winemaker. Come ask her about her winemaking journey while you enjoy some wine and cheese, or just pop by any day to check out the place yourself! Summing up my experience, I would say that Edinburgh Castle gave me a warm and fuzzy feeling, most likely a combination of the booze, an ambience which reminded me of my local pub, and the interactions I had with the friendly staff there. Something tells me The Edinburgh Castle is going to be
the new favourite pub for many Sydneysiders!
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98465 - 2023-06-12 07:56:46