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Wine and Dine

Picture
Over the many years I have visited Canberra, the only restaurants I had ever found to be worth writing about were the ones that only politicians and senior public servants could afford to eat in. But in the last few years it has all changed. Yes, there are still plenty of top-shelf ones around, but at least there are many that are affordable.

Most restaurants and cafes feature local produce, which can be enjoyed from an early (or late) breakfast, exciting coffee shops, interesting lunches and imaginative menus for dinner.

Local wines also feature on most menus. The region's award winning cool climate wines are now making inroads to the international market and I for one was very delighted in their improvement over the last ten years.

On the farm gate trail - just to the northwest of Canberra, at Hall, is a fine example of why Canberra is becoming a 'foodies' destination. Its called Poachers Pantry Smokehouse Cafe. Susan and Robert Bruce began with Poachers Pantry in 1991, a gourmet smoked-meat manufacturer. So much in demand were the products that the opened the Smokehouse Café in September 2002. Using a fully restored weatherboard farm cottage as a tasting room, a cellar door and a family restaurant.

Such is the success of this venture that I was asked to make sure that you know that “bookings are essential”. Only open from Friday to Sunday (10am – 5pm), they do more business than some that are open 7 days.

I mentioned cellar door sales, on the drive in you pass their Wily Trout vineyard, and even though it was first planted in 1998, they have began to produce some stunning cool climate wines. We sampled and enjoyed their Wily Trout Rose 2005, the 2004 Sauvignon Blanc and a superb Sparkling Red.

www.poacherspantry.com.au

Jeir Creek WinesOnly a few kms along Gooda Creek Road and Bluebell Lane near Murrumbateman, is another interesting vineyard. Owned by Rob Howell and first planted in 1984, he not only produces 5000 cases of his own wines but is winemaker for 10 of the districts wineries. We found his knowledge exceptional and extremely interesting. Unfortunately, the police were offering free breath analysis on the main road so further sampling was not recommended.

Winery tours, picnic facilities and cellar door sales are available.

www.jeircreekwines.com.au


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  • Home
    • CRUISING >
      • Coral Expeditions
      • Majestic Princess >
        • Princess Explorer >
          • Volendam
          • Holland America Orient >
            • Holland America Line’s Nieuw Statendam >
              • Lake Geneva Restoration
            • Royal Caribbean Icon
            • Hurtigren
          • Paul Gauguin Cruises Tahitian Dreaming
          • Blue Lagoon Cruises
          • Sunborn Yacht Hotel
          • Captain Cook Cruises Fiji
          • CroisiEurope >
            • CroisiEurope Danube
          • Ponant Adventures in Style
          • SeaDream Visits Elba
          • Azamara Onward >
            • Azamara Pacific
          • SeaDream Memories
          • CroisiEurope
          • CroisiEurope Loire Valley
          • CroisiEurope Rhine River >
            • Turn in those trinkers >
              • Oceania Cruises
              • Silja Line
            • Rhine Part 2
          • Silversea's Wild NZ
          • The Rhine
          • Riverboats
          • Rhine Part 3
          • Riverboat Cuisine
          • Mekong Riverboat
          • Lake Geneva
        • Diamond Princess
        • Multigenerational Cruising
        • Cunard Queens
        • Norwegian Cruise Lines >
          • MSC Bellissima >
            • Luxury Boating
            • Cruise Relaunch plans >
              • Samoa Shells
              • Canadian Rail
              • Portugal Rail
              • Canada Rail
              • Ascott The Residence
              • Whitsundays Photo Essay
              • Hotel Kurrajong
              • Croisieurope paddlewheeler
              • Silversea NZ part 2
            • MSC Opera
        • SeaDream A Seven-Day Dream >
          • PNG with P&O
          • Celebrity Galapagos Cruise >
            • Celebrity Beyond
            • Celestial Eclipse. Baltic
            • Wonder of the Seas
            • Voyager of the Seas
            • MSC Seaside >
              • MSC Grandiosa >
                • HAL Rotterdam >
                  • Citadines Sydney Airport
                  • Captain Cook Fiji
                  • Luxury Whitsundays
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              • Sponsors >
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                  • Yamoto The Battleship
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                  • African Elephants
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                  • Ethiopia
                  • Yorkshire
                  • Bryce Canyon
                  • Macao
                  • Dubai Taj
                  • Return to Sri Lanka
                  • The Copper Coast
                  • Nepal
                  • The Balkans Tour
                  • Disney Star Wars
                  • Indian Motorbike
                  • The Falkland Islands
                  • Rajasthan
                  • Marrakech
                  • Europe
                  • Ganges Odyssey
                  • Hokkaido
                  • Würzburg
                  • Samoa
                  • Tripura India
                  • Hong Kong Park Lane
                  • A Day in Hong Kong
                  • Zagreb Croatia
                  • Paris Hotels
                  • Majorca Hotel
                  • Dubai Hotel
                  • Croatia
                  • Flanders >
                    • New Zealand
                    • Switzerland
                  • Wales
                  • The Sahara
                  • Rabat, Morocco
                  • Ireland's Movies
                  • Morocco Adventure
                  • Milwaukee
                  • Hong Kong Peak Tram
                  • India's Golden Triangle
                  • Peru's Colca Valley
                  • Destination Africa
                  • Samoa Paradise
                  • Italy's Amalfi Coast
                  • Sri Lanka Eco Lodge
                  • Cuba Cars
                  • Caribbean Airport
                  • Jasper Canada
                  • Kuala Lumpur
                  • Antarctica
                  • Cuba Revolution
                  • The Netherlands
                  • British Columbia Bears
                  • North to Alaska
                  • Winnipeg Canada >
                    • Finland 'Escape'
                  • Thailand
                  • Germany
                  • Finland
                  • Malaysia Medical
                  • Stockholm >
                    • CroisiEurope Canary
                  • The Havannah Vanuatu
                  • Deadwood, USA
                  • Helsinki cool
                  • French Village
                  • Vietnam
                  • UK Film Locations
                  • Cumbria England
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                  • Archives >
                    • Blue Lagoon Photos >
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                      • Cook Islands Photos
                      • SAMOA PHOTO JOURNEY
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                      • The New Paklite Collection
                      • Travel Books >
                        • Latest Lonely Planet Kids
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                        • New Holland Publishers
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                        • Political Correctness
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                        • Where the Murray River Runs
                        • Lonely Planet’s Cruise Ports >
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                        • Lonely Planent Cuisines
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                        • Stealth Raiders Book
                        • GOLF RESORTS BOOK
                        • Gelignite Jack Murray
                        • Lonely Planet Kids
                        • Roped In from Hardie Grant
                        • The Australian Bird Guide
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                        • Fly Rex
                        • Cathay Pacific Business
                        • The Steamboats of Lake Geneva >
                          • International
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                        • About Us >
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                          • Contact
                          • Advertise
                          • Media Kit
                    • Pacific Jewel
                  • Hong Kong
                  • Costa Rica Lindblad
                  • Ottawa
                  • Tokyo Disney Park >
                    • Tokyo Disney Sea Music
                    • CHINA >
                      • China Shore Tour
                    • FASHIONS $ GEAR >
                      • GROUP TOURS >
                        • Fiji with Peter C >
                          • UK & IRELAND >
                            • Singles Travel >
                              • P&O restarts >
                                • Princess restarts >
                                  • Grey Nomad Awards
                            • Holland America Home >
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                    • Tokyo DisneySea Dining
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        • European Waterways >
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      • MSC CRUISES
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      • Lonely Planet Books
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      • Hawaii with Dal >
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