'A Little Bit of Italy in Broke' Italian Festival

A Little Bit of Italy in Broke will be held in various venues around the Broke Fordwich Wine Region from Saturday 31st March to Sunday 1st April 2012 from 10am to 4pm each day. Each autumn as the grape harvesting season gives way to the olive picking, Broke Fordwich hold their annual festival of food, wine, olives, music, dancing and celebration of all things Italian. People can enjoy all the fun and gusto at the Hunter Valley's Italian Festival - a little bit of Italy in Broke! This year sees the 7th 'A Little Bit of Italy in Broke' Italian Festival where visitors are encouraged to drop into any of the nine venues to sample a taste of "La Dolce Vita". 

 The price of entry is the $5 purchase of a souvenir tasting glass, which is used at each venue for a free sample of the local wines.

The passport lists the twelve participating venues and the food and entertainment to be found there. As the visitor travels from venue to venue they can get their passport stamped, allowing them to go into the draw for over $2,000 worth of local premium wines, gourmet produce and accommodation.

On Saturday evening four venues will be hosting first class Italian-themed dinners accompanied by live music. Booking essential for the dinners:

  

Your passport to travel, with map and info - available near the Broke Fire Station - will guide you around the participating venues in the area such as local cellar doors, olive groves and farm outlets where local wines, olives and other delights can be sampled. Visitors can even pick their own olives and visit other farm outlets. Selected venues will provide music and 'tasting plates' of Italian food for a small charge. Four local restaurants will be hosting an Italian-themed Dinner on Saturday evening accompanied by live music. There is free entry to all the day-time activities.

Participating Vineyards and Outlets

Ascella Pure Wine - Organic Wines - enjoy all the fun of the festival with us at Pickled & Pitted / River Flats Estate (see below)

Broke Estate - Taste award winning aged wines & gourmet Italian food.

Broke's Promise - Estate grown wines, olives (picking available on the grove), art gallery, wood fired pizzas.

Catherine Vale Wines - Award winning wines, market stalls, bocce, BBQ, live music, cooking demonstrations, Murphy's Puppets, The Italian Gardener, Artisan Cheese Masters, dinner on Saturday night. Special support from Shannons Insurance for Italian Car and Motorcycle display. See the newest Alpha from Brian Hilton Motors from the Central Coast.

Glenguin - Award winning wines, gourmet food and music. The wines of Glenguin include several major trophy winners including "NSW Best Young Red Wine", "NSW Wine of the Show" and "NSW Wine of the Year". Other wines have won numerous medals including several golds at various shows over the past decade.

Krinklewood Wines - Biodynamic grown, award winning wines set in a French Provincial style cellar door with music, cheese platters and a wood-fired pizza oven.

Margan Family Winegrowers - Award winning wines and awarded best new restaurant in the Hunter. Live music, dinner on Saturday night.

Mount Broke - Join us on the verandah outside the tasting room for some delicious Italian inspired light lunch offerings, washed down by award winning wines. Taste our spectacular range of local olive oils and olives, take in the view and enjoy "La dolce vita" with a gelato and an espresso.

Nightingale Wines - Award winning wines, music, gourmet restaurant, dinner on Saturday night.

Pickled & Pitted / River Flats Estate - Olive oils, olives, gourmet condiments, live music, coffee cart, fresh fruit & veg market, Italian style food, olive picking at the grove and dinner on Saturday night.

Stomp - Join our winemaker and olive growers as we celebrate all things food and wine. Taste our highly awarded wines and the full range of Woodlands Olive products. Relax as you soak up the music and partake in a glass of wine and your choice of light meals available.

Whispering Brook - Estate grown wines and olives, music and gourmet food.

Friendly locals, stunning scenery, fine Hunter wines, olives and olive oils, farm produce, seriously good eateries and great places to stay … what more could visitors want? The reality is, they’d just like to stay longer in this tranquil area of the Hunter Valley, NSW, Australia.

The beautiful Broke Fordwich wine region is like a secret … one you can’t wait to share. And that is part of its true charm. Come and see why. The scenic Broke Fordwich stretch of the Wollombi Brook has quietly developed into a quality wine tourism region where visitors can enjoy premium wines, fresh olive oils and innovative farm gate products, wonderful restaurants and cafes, luxury accommodation and most importantly, a tranquil rural experience which is far removed from the hustle and bustle.

Situated in a wide section of the valley, the surrounding hills frame some of the best scenery in the area with the striking Brokenback Mountain Range and iconic Yellow Rock providing an impressive backdrop. The natural beauty of the region coupled with the great food, relaxed accommodation, skill and dedication of the locals has seen many couples choose Broke as the ideal place for their wedding.

Broke Fordwich is an easy fifteen minutes drive from the hectic centre of Pokolbin, about two hours drive from Sydney via the historic township of Wollombi, and just over an hour from Newcastle.

For further information call 

Catherine Vale - 02 6579 1334

Margan -  02 6579 1102

Nightingale - 02 - 6579 1499

River Flats Estate - 02 6579 1063