Autumn Drops.

WORDS ROBERTA MUIR

Usher in autumn with vintage festivals galore and a zesty new lemon drink

SOUR SIPS
Summer’s citrusy cocktails look set to linger into autumn with the arrival on Australia’s shores of Lemon Z, New Zealand’s take on the classic Italian lemon liqueur, Limoncello. Beating the Italians at their own game, it won ‘Best in Class’ against

Italian entries at the 2006 International Wine and Spirits Competition. Try it straight over ice or in this zingy cocktail: in a shaker tin, muddle one star anise in 50ml vodka, then add a cheek of an apple cut into pieces and muddle until it’s mushy.

Add 20ml Lemon Z, 10ml fresh lemon juice and plenty of ice, shake vigorously. Strain into a chilled martini glass and garnish with an apple fan or float a star anise on top. Schwing! www.lemon-z.co.nz

WINE TO FLOAT YOUR BOAT
A new wine range from Rosemount Estate founder and billionaire Bob Oatley is named after – what else – his beloved maxi yacht Wild Oats XI, which took line honours in the 2006 Sydney to Hobart race, becoming the first ever back-to-back winner. Approachable and distinctively packaged – we love the bright, see-through labels – the six Wild Oats wines (Shiraz Viognier, Cabernet Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc Semillon, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay and Rosé) retail for around AU$18.99 a pop. www.oatleywines.com.au

GET PICKING
If you ever needed an excuse to get over to Adelaide, here it is! The Barossa Valley is holding its 60th Barossa Vintage Festival on 7–15 April, making it the oldest wine festival in Australia. With over 100 individual events, it’s a great chance to get cosy with the region’s fabulous food and wine. And on April 10 you can even have a go at grape-picking for yourself at Turkey Flat Vineyards. Work up an appetite, then enjoy a traditional harvest lunch with the vintage crew – the AU$60 fee also gets you a signed bottle of pre-release 2007 Turkey Flat Grenache. See www.turkeyflat.com.au and www.barossavintagefestival.com.au for a full programme of events.

MUSIC WITH A HEART
Jazz and blues fans should head up to the Noosa Hinterland, on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, on the weekend of 21–22 April for the Dingo Creek Wine, Jazz and Blues Festival. Held in the gorgeous Dingo Creek Vineyard, the festival’s line-up features legendary jazz musician Don Burrows, along with Bob Barnard, Errol Buddle, Ed Wilson, Kevin Hunt, John Morrison (pictured), and John Nicol. With great music, wine and food, and free camping at the vineyard, it’s shaping up to be a fantastic weekend. Entry fees are AU$55 for Saturday, AU$60 for Sunday, or AU$99 for the weekend. All proceeds go to support SIDS and KIDS Queensland. www.dingocreek.com.au

WE’LL DRINK TO THAT
Make the most of Sydney’s harvest season by heading up to the Hunter Valley for the Semillon and Seafood Festival, at Tyrrell’s Winery on 14–15 April. To celebrate the region’s outstanding grape variety and its natural partner in crime, seafood, there’ll be tastings of Hunter Semillon from over 40 wineries, a Semillon masterclass, oyster-shucking, samples of local seafood, live entertainment and cooking demonstrations by Peter Evans from the LifeStyle Channel’s FISH – all for a bargain AU$20, including souvenir wine glass! www.huntersemillonandseafood.com.au