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Joanna Savill is the festival director for the new Sydney Morning Herald International Food Festival which will start next year. As popular food personality and well-known SMH Good Food Guide co-editor and Good Living contributor, Savill has played an active role in many amazing food events around Australia and internationally. “For many years I’ve hoped that one day Sydney would stage something on a similar scale,” she says. “It's so exciting and inspiring to be heading the push!” says Joanna Savill. Minister for Tourism Jodi McKay said, “Tourism NSW will promote the Festival as part of a major marketing campaign that will capture the essence of Sydney in spring time and embrace the lifestyle we all know and love that is unique to our harbour city including food, art, culture and outdoor living,” Ms McKay said. “The opportunity to spend a day with some of the world’s leading chefs sharing their secrets and recipes at the first international masterclass staged in Sydney will attract visitors from interstate and abroad. The festival, will be held each October from 2009, and will replace Good Food Month, building on the event’s success. International Wine Challenge announces new vintage wines results The International Wine Challenge (IWC) has announced the results of the Library Collection, the first competition to demonstrate the merits of premium wines and their cellaring potential. Recognising the best five and 10-year-old vintages, this year’s competition focuses on the 1998 and 2003 vintages, blind tasted by a panel of leading wine experts. The wines in the Library Collection come from a diverse range of producers and include old and new world wines which is further evidence of the ageing potential of wines from all around the globe. With 10% of the wines scoring a remarkable 95 points or higher, wine lovers will now be able to identify wines that have made the grade by looking for the IWC Library Collection logo on the bottle whether buying in a retail outlet or restaurant. The Library Collection is a natural extension of the IWC and is setting a new standard in the diversity and excellence of wine competitions. As the only competition that looks at the way wines age, it offers a concise opinion from some of the world’s foremost wine experts. Derek Smedley MW, Co-Chairman of the IWC Library Collection tasting panel, says: “The IWC is the first competition to launch a vintage-focused tasting which has been introduced to show the value of vintage wines for immediate drinking, their ageing potential and as an investment. “If the Library Collection helps guide people in buying the right wines for their lifestyle, whether that’s Christmas Day wines or as an investment, we have done a useful job.” The IWC Library Collection was judged by an independent panel of accredited judges following the same meticulous approach as established at the International Wine Challenge. The Co-Chairmen include Derek Smedley MW, Tim Atkin MW and Charles Metcalfe and Sam Harrop MW. The IWC Library Collection results are available at www.internationalwinechallenge.com together with tasting notes and comments on cellaring to give wine consumers important direction on the ageing potential of the wines. The Library Collection wines 2008: Vintage 2003, Portugal, Adriano Ramos Pinto Vinhos SA, 2003. Score 96/100 The IWC has been running for over 25 years andis accepted as the world’s finest and most meticulously judged wine competition. The Library Collection assesses every wine blind and judges each for its style, relative to variety, region and vintage. Every wine is assessed independently of its price and need not be commercially available. A wine scoring over 95 out of 100 in the Library Collection is a mark of outstanding achievement. Visit the website www.internationalwinechallenge.com/competitionpage1.aspx Waiheke Wine Festival in February
The event will take place on February 6-8, 2009 and offers three different elements over the 3 days. The event kicks off on New Zealand's national holiday, Waitangi Day with a sumptuous long lunch, a special 6 course degustation style menu, served undercover and matched with local wines. Saturday is the Waiheke Wine Festival proper with a chance to sample and buy some of the best wines produced on the island, matched with delicious local food accompanied by some great music on the 2 entertainment stages. Sunday offers the chance to relax with some soulful jazz at the Sunday Brunch.
Event Organiser Kathy Cunningham says “Music may not come first but the quality and calibre of musicians is high. This is the perfect way to spend Waitangi weekend. Why not do the stunning sculpture walk on Friday morning then the Waiheke Wine Festival Long Lunch. Indulge your senses on Saturday at the festival proper with great music from local and international artists. On Sunday you can attend the Onetangi Beach Race then chill out at the Festival Sunday brunch.” What: The Waiheke Wine Festival Executive appointment to share knowledge with UK
Justin Everard (right), Head of Media Relations at the Food Standards Agency, UK, has moved to Sydney to act as Director of Communications at the Authority while Ms Samara Kitchener is on maternity leave. Mr Everard has been with the FSA UK since 2003 where he is a key member of its communications team and principal liaison with the European Food Safety Authority. Prior to that, he worked as a communication expert at Shell International, London, and BBC News. Food Authority Director-General George Davey said he was delighted that Mr Everard would share his wealth of experience in dealing with high-profile issues with Authority personnel. “Justin has managed communication relating to sensitive and high-impact public health issues such as Avian Flu, artificial colourings in food and major food contaminations,” Mr Davey said. Key Dockside Group appointment
Ms. Aitken brings to the position an impressive history in directing the marketing of some of Sydney’s most outstanding venues with more than 20 years extensive industry experience. Most recently she was Director of Marketing for the AIH Group, a position she held for the past two years, previously holding senior positions as Manager Brand & Research for Sydney Olympic Park Authority and Head of Brand at Sydney Airport. As the newly appointed Director of Marketing she will take responsibility for setting up and delivering marketing and customer service platforms throughout the organization to drive growth from new and existing markets.
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The ‘Island of Wine’ has a brand new major wine event. The Waiheke Wine Festival is a special three day celebration of the fruits of this unique island producing area with its sub-tropical climate, perfect soil and dedicated award winning internationally acclaimed growers. The event is aimed at those who take their wine seriously and appreciate good food matched with a fine red or white.
President of the Waiheke Winemakers Association, Chris Canning says “We’re delighted that the Island of Wine once again has a major showcase for the highly acclaimed and award winning wines produced on Waiheke. What’s also important in this event is its appeal to those serious about their enjoyment of fine wine. It’s a festival where wine comes first, food second and music third.”
The NSW Food Authority is strengthening its ties with its United Kingdom counterpart with the temporary senior executive appointment.
One of Sydney’s fastest growing hospitality groups, the Dockside Group has bolstered its executive management team with the appointment of Lesley Aitken (right) to the newly created role of Director of Marketing, taking responsibility for the overall marketing of the combined portfolio of eight venues and the future developments in 2009.