MOUNTAIN Ridge Wines owner Barry Starkey is making last-minute preparations for the upcoming Shoalhaven Coast Winter Wine Festival.
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The 11th annual festival will run over the long weekend (June 7-9), and Mr Starkey said he was excited about the thousands of wine-lovers who he expects to trudge through his cellar doors.
“We get people from all over who come here for the festival,” he said.
“We specialise in many wines, including a semillon-sauvignon blanc and semillon and in the reds a shiraz, cabernet saviginon and merlot.
“We also have arneis wine, which no one else in the region has at the moment.”
Mr Starkey also has an interesting twist on his passionate love of palatable drinks.
“I make a lot of liqueurs, it’s one thing which sets Mountain Ridge Wines apart from the others,” he said.
“You see the macadamia trees behind me? I make a macadamia liqueur from those nuts, and also make other flavoured liqueurs, including orange, strawberry, peach and tropical.”
Eleven wineries, including Yarrawa Estate, Roselea Vineyard, Crooked River Wines, Silos Estate and Wiley’s Creek, Mountain Ridge Wines, Coolangatta Estate, Two Figs Winery, Cambewarra Estate, Cupitt’s Winery, Fern Gully Winery and Bawley Vale Estate, will take part in this year’s festival.
The wineries, which will open their cellar doors from 10am to 5pm, have come up with an impressive line-up of wines, food and live music as they host an expected 7000 people over the three-day festival.
Festival goers will have the opportunity to taste a diverse variety of wines, taste locally produced food while listening to some of the region's best live bands.
A commemorative glass for $8 will be available at each winery and Stuart’s Coaches will once again be running a local hop-on hop-off bus.
For more information about the Shoalhaven Coast Winter Wine Festival visit www.shoalhavencoastwine.com.au.