Richard Learmonth is a fine dining chef based in Orange. The experienced chef creates bespoke dinging experiences and events using produce from around the region. He has a passion for fresh, local produce. You can follow him on Instagram here.
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Spring has well and truly sprung into life and in stark contrast to 2022 we've been enjoying blue skies and temperate climes.
It's too early to say what this means for the region's grapevines, which have been eagerly sprouting new foliage, but there's plenty of reason to be optimistic about the opportunities for great wine and food in the coming months.
The Orange dining scene has enjoyed something of a renaissance in recent years and the influx of culinary talent has now extended to the region's wineries.
Whilst our wineries have been pouring delicious things into glasses for decades, many now also serve delicious things on a plate.
Choosing from world class fine dining, to small dishes specifically matched to individual wines, or classic pairings of cheese and charcuterie, visitors to Orange wineries have plenty of options for a great food and wine experience.
I've compiled a non-exhaustive list of a few favourite spots of mine for springtime dining.
Orange Wine Festival
The annual Orange Wine Festival kicked off earlier this month with a very well attended Night Markets in Robertson Park, and runs until the end of October.
The festival boasts a program packed with more than 50 events at venues across the region catering to all tastes and budgets.
A particular highlight is the signature event Altitude; a roving degustation around Lake Canobolas where several of our best wineries combine to match with a selection of outstanding food producers.
The full program of events is here.
Printhie Dining
Printhie Dining is quite comfortably the standard bearer for a Central West winery restaurant.
Situated on the slopes of Mount Canobolas in picturesque Nashdale, Printhie offers a degustation menu best started with live oysters pulled fresh from the custom-designed freshwater tank.
Chef Jack Brown's whirlwind passion for great seasonal produce and refined eye for detail lead to an outstanding fine dining experience that lingers long in the memory.
Brown's culinary exploration of his indigenous heritage as well as some newly established kitchen gardens augur well for things to come.
Swinging Bridge Wines
Fresh from winning six awards at the Orange Wine Show, including Best Wine of Show for the William J. Shiraz, Swinging Bridge is firing on all cylinders right now.
The cellar door has a newly refurbished kitchen and that's where chef Dave Wright works his magic.
Besides orchestrating the menu for Wine Festival events on the 14th and 20th of this month,
Wright is the mastermind behind the winery's Savour and Indulge experiences.
The former is a selection of canapes expertly paired with seven different Swinging Bridge wines while the latter is a delectable four course meal that follows a vineyard tour and in-depth tasting.
Word of Mouth Wine
Deb and Peter Gibson run this gem of a winery where sustainable practices and traditional winemaking techniques have been the modus operandi long before the patois of "natural wine" aficionados was pervasive.
Word of Mouth produces some less common varietals such as Petit Manseng, Mencia, and Gruner Veltliner which are all terrific food wines in their own right. The epic grazing platters have also been rising to legendary status.
French washed rind cheeses jostle for position with Northern English cheddars, Spanish manchego, truffled d'affinois, and Will Studd selected goats cheeses.
Poached pears, spicy chutneys and relish are made in house from produce grown onsite whenever possible and local saucisson from Cured Orange completes the picture.
A range of chocolates to pair with the reds, vegan options available, and a pie warmer stocked by Orange Pie Company; simply the best in intimate winery dining.
Seesaw Wine
Seesaw moving into the old Racine Restaurant space on Lake Canobolas Road has breathed new life into Nashdale as winemakers' dinners, garden parties and outdoor screenings have become regular features of this bustling cellar door.
Cellar Door manager Matthew Eustis draws from a past life as a chef to whip up delicious creations which are paired with the award winning organic wines.
Grazing tables and seasonal wine matches are a regular feature and his Spring Dinner matched with back vintage wines on October 27 will be a great event.
Badlands Brewery & Taproom
No, it's not a winery (although the wine list is good) which is ok because sometimes a change of pace is needed. And when the beer is of such a great standard and variety we'd be mad not to find room for it.
Without the space for a kitchen, Badlands taps into the local community to keep their drinkers well fed. Arancia Wood Fired Pizza, Trang Hue Vietnamese Street Food, Orange Pie Company, and The Upper House Indian Cuisine all regularly fill the bellies of happy Badlands imbibers.
All great options but the one thing you mustn't pass up, if available, is one of Kai Woltman's bretzels. The salty, dense, lye-dipped bun is the perfect thing to chew on between sips.
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