{"id":403,"date":"2012-09-09T17:48:25","date_gmt":"2012-09-09T16:48:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.northeastwine.org.uk\/Blog\/?p=403"},"modified":"2012-09-11T20:59:27","modified_gmt":"2012-09-11T19:59:27","slug":"northumbria-food-wine-2012-the-festival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.northeastwine.org.uk\/Blog\/northumbria-food-wine-2012-the-festival\/","title":{"rendered":"Northumbria Food & Wine 2012 – The Festival"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 2nd Northumbria Food and Wine Festival<\/a><\/strong> raised its Marquees at the Corbridge Rugby Club last month, fortuitously on the only truly dry weekend of summer up until that point (a welcome change from last year when the late planning meant a grey weekend in October). As expected from such a young event the format had changed a little, possibly in response to feedback on the obvious shortcomings experienced in 2011. This time round there was no Sunday schedule, instead a 2pm start on Friday 10th<\/sup> and a 12pm start on Saturday 11th<\/sup> August \u2013 although with the timing of the hourly train services along the Tyne Valley line from Newcastle they probably would have been just as well starting on the half hour instead.<\/p>\n

Once again I took advantage of the ticket price allowing full access and took the Friday afternoon off work. On both days in I met fellow NEWTS when I joined the train at Prudhoe, Chairman Geoff on the Friday and (partner in wine adventurism) Elaine on the Saturday, although it was a little disappointing not to see more of the Society joining in the fun, especially as the weather was kind. The mix of local wine retailers pouring their choice wines, some of the best pop-up kitchen food in the region and a selection of wine experts talking about what they know best is such a good way to while away the hours!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The 3 marquees had been set up in at 90 degree angles to each other with an open seating area in the middle, a much larger and better spread arrangement than last year. External fencing directed you to the entrance where you picked up your tasting glass and 12 tokens to get you started (I managed to get through a lot more than that over the weekend!). This year round the ISCN tasting glasses arrived with the requisite 50ml indicator (the absence of which caused a great deal of confusion last year!) and token prices had been re-jigged to 50p each, allowing the stalls to offer 50ml tastings at 2, 3, 4 or 5 tokens depending on the value of the wine (although some stalls also offered 125ml pours as well).<\/p>\n

The Food part of the festival was covered by 3 kitchens offering different styles of food to tempt the crowds. At the entrance was Bouchon Bistrot<\/a><\/strong> from Hexham and I was looking forward to trying something from their French menu, but sadly timing conspired against them as owner & Chef Greg Bureau was in hospital and staff problems at the Bistrot meant the kitchen was staffed by a crew from The Feathers. My late lunch came from here with a lovely Greek Mezze complemented by a Tasmanian Riesling (2006 Lalla Gulley).
\n\"\"<\/a>A little further in was The Eclectic Picnic<\/strong>, a pop-up caterer run by Newcastle based Chefs Sally Walker and John Connell, a truly eclectic combination of Doonhamer and Kiwi with CVs that read like a culinary who\u2019s who<\/a>. Their Eastern inspired menu was a big hit on both days, with the Beef Rendang my Friday dinner \u2013 complemented superbly by a Portuguese red (Falcoaria 2006) \u2013 and the Teriyaki Salmon an excellent choice for Saturday dinner. I also meant to try their Truffle Brie cheese which looked inspired, but sadly got distracted and forgot to come back! Still, I hope to see them again (menu pic?).
\nFinally at the other end of the marquee (and really needing no introduction) was The Feathers Inn<\/a><\/strong> from Hedley on the Hill with chef Rhian Craddock and Festival co-organiser Helen Greer. Unsurprisingly it was also busy throughout, with the split roasted lamb selling out so fast I didn\u2019t get a chance to try it for Saturday dinner! Instead a welcome Saturday lunch was the slow-cooked Ravensworth Grange<\/a> pork with braised chickpeas and chorizo\u2026mmmmm\u2026.!<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Another aspect of the last two Corbridge Festivals have been the free wine talks given by various wine professionals and enthusiasts, including myself. This year the organisers did a superb job of bringing Internationally renowned experts Sarah Abbott MW<\/a> and Karen Hardwick of York\u2019s Wine Academy<\/a> alongside festival regulars Helen Savage<\/a> (journalist and educator), Marta Mateus<\/a> (Portuguese Importer) and Massimo de Nardo<\/a> (Prosecco producer). With such a prestigious line-up there was no need for me to take to the stage again, so I was happy to enjoy the wine and the talks from the other side!<\/p>\n

Sarah Abbotts\u2019s informative and humorous talks on Friday were a comparative look at \u201cGetting what you pay for\u201d and \u201cNew Frontiers\u201d; Marta covered the Portuguese Wine regions; Helen had 4 topics (she was a real trooper over the weekend) on \u201cWine Faults\u201d, \u201cFrench Country Wines\u201d, \u201cBordeaux\u201d and \u201cWhat a Summer\u201d; Massimo discussed Prosecco, the region and the wine; Karen\u2019s technical and detailed talks on Saturday were on \u201cAlcohol and why it gives winemakers headaches\u201d and \u201cWhy is New Zealand special\u201d. As well as raising the stakes with the quality of presenters Sarah, Karen and Helen also increased the example wines used to complement their talks, meaning that they approached Masterclass status but for free. For me the 2 talks from Sarah, 4 by Helen and 2 by Karen were worth the ticket price alone and you can read why in my next post<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Saturday also saw a new addition to the format with \u201cA Question of Taste\u201d panel Q&A session hosted by local BBC Newcastle radio host Jonathan Miles. That was a good laugh, with Karen & Helen offering wine words of wisdom (including fielding a choice question on \u201cminerality in wine\u201d!) and Rhian and Sally for food queries \u2013 I don\u2019t think I\u2019ve ever seen anyone as initially uncomfortable as Rhian when Jonathan was \u201cplaying\u201d with him!<\/p>\n

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Of course the focus of the festival was on the wine retailers, and there was a diverse mix of tables across the 3 tents. Most of the regulars were there representing the North East;<\/p>\n