A Little bit of Italy in Broke promises the best of the good life
The highly-anticipated culinary celebration that is A Little Bit of Italy in Broke is once more promising another incredible Italian-style weekend as stunning Broke Fordwich comes to life with all the vitality and warmth long associated with Mediterranean hospitality.
The event will run on Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 April and will span 12 venues, bringing with it a weekend full of fun and hospitality – as well as an abundance of fresh, authentic cuisine, local produce, cooking classes, workshops, demonstrations, vineyard tours and the region’s renowned local wines.
Set in the stunning rural scenery of Broke Fordwich, the festival, now in its 15th year, offers the perfect foodie escape. Showcasing the region’s diverse wine offerings along with its abundant local produce, A Little Bit of Italy in Broke offers the visitor the best of local hospitality with a touch of that special Italian magic.
A well-loved short-break destination, the area is a premium wine-producing sub-region located in the Hunter Valley. Its peaceful, laid-back vibe and welcoming community make it the perfect setting for visitors to chat with growers and makers while sampling the wines and produce of the region.
Relaxation and indulgence is yours for the taking, with plenty to see, do, eat and drink. Many of the venues are teaming up with local restaurants for the festival to bring gastronomical delights to visitors, with a host of options available for delicious, fresh, authentic Italian cuisine.
The weekend will kick off with the famed Margan Welcome Dinner on Friday night where a three-course Italian-inspired menu in the stunning piazza under the stars will set the tone for the Festival. Over the weekend the Margan piazza will continue to be a drawcard, offering antipasto platters, salads, cheeses, coffee and sweets to guests as they indulge in all the pleasures of the cellar door.
Among some of the incredible cuisine on offer will be gourmet Italian barbecue, organic cheese and olives at Ascella Organic Wines; gourmet Italian picnic share hampers from Greenway Wines; wood-fired pizza and gelato in the Tuscan-inspired courtyard at Krinklewood; and delicious antipasto platters at Winmark Wines.
Visitors will also love the dishes at Mount Broke Wines such as traditional wood-fired pizza, antipasto, truffle gnocchi and delicious Itallian desserts; while Greenway Wines will host the famed Long Red Table on the bank of the Wollombi Brook. Tinonee Vineyard Estate will tempt you with classic favourites like gelato and Italian-originated macaroon, while at Whispering Brook a mouth-watering menu of Italian favourites will be served. And for the sausage lover, Somerville Wines is the place to go for homemade Italian sausages by the Barbalance family.
Dinner will also be available at Catherine Vale Wines and Nightingale Wines.
Once again there’s plenty on offer for those who love cooking and creating as much as eating, with gnocchi-making classes; Italian cooking demonstrations; Zafferano wine masterclasses; the Margan harvest and cooking school; and an ‘You are what you eat – why organic?’ workshop at Ascella Wines.
There’ll be olive oil appreciation workshops at Nightingale Wines, food pairing and cooking demonstrations at Greenway Wines, a grape tasting and heritage tour at Ascella Wines; Whispering Brook will host a vineyard and olive grove tour, and Catherine Vale Wines will host an olive oil masterclass.
Some workshops and demonstrations are free, while others charge a fee and require bookings. Once again, a Little Bit of Italy in Broke has partnered with the Singleton Cancer Appeal and glass sponsor Zafferano, with $2 from every Zafferano glass sold going to the appeal.
Transfer buses will run on Saturday and will pick visitors up from a wide range of accommodation in the Cessnock, Rothbury, Lovedale or Pokolbin areas, with shuttle buses running between festival venues over the course of the weekend. Be sure to book these in advance. And of course, there are plenty of accommodation options as well.
The full program and more information can be found at italyinbroke.com.au
A Little Bit of Italy in Broke will be held on Saturday, 13 April and Sunday, 14 April.
For all media enquiries please contact Stephanie Airlie-Noé at House of Airlie Public Relations This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call on 0420 698 882.