Four days of food and wine revelry in Noosa

Courtesy: Tourism and Events Queensland 

Any Masterchef Australia fan will tell you one of the most enduring images from the series has been the incredible and fantastic creations of the endearing Adriano Zumbo. So one of the first things that caught my eye was the chef list at the 11th Noosa International Food and Wine Festival this year (May 15-18) where Zumbo along with the suave Neil Perry will be the stars among an equally long list of acclaimed chefs.

Courtesy: Tourism and Events Queensland 

 For four days, this little resort and beach town North of Brisbane will be the cynosure of all eyes, or at least those who have a thing for their food and wine. Charming and pretty, Noosa can easily pass for one of those picture-postcard scenes, but it has much more going for it. Over the last decade it has gathered the most discerning gourmet and gourmand and evolved into the Sunshine Coast’s food capital with fantastic restaurants. 

Courtesy: Tourism and Events Queensland 

At the helm of this reputation is the four-day festival, where over 250 chefs, producers and winemakers will gather. What makes this festival a bit different is the fact that music and entertainment is an integral part and renowned entertainers also form an important part of the line-up for the festival. So much so that the festival will open with Foodie Fandango, the opening concert where food will be served to the accompaniment of music performed by the inimitable Queensland Virtuosi Orchestra. From there, it is one whirlwind of delectable food, wine and mind-blowing entertainment. 

Visitors can choose to pack their days with a number of things such as river and hinterland food trails which include such eclectic items as strawberries, cheese and even nougat, lifestyle lunches, riverside high-teas, picnics and wine masterclasses among other things.

For a break in the festival, visitors can also choose to head out to the scenic mountain villages of Montville and Maleny, colourful markets or stretch out on one of the many beaches and let the sun and sea work their magic. It’s a combo that is potent and alluring and I can hardly wait for it to get underway.