Burnbrae has hottest wine in town

By Darren Snyder

Burnbrae Wines has joined the long list of successful Mudgee wineries by taking out two major awards at the Royal Flying Doctor Service Hot Climate Wine Show in Dubbo.

The 2008 Botrytis Semillon collected the Best Desert Wine as well as taking out the prestigious Best Wine in Show on Thursday – confirming the region has a lot to offer.

The success follows Burnbrae’s Best Desert Wine award at the Cairns Wine Show earlier this year.

Burnbrae winemaker Frank Newman said the Semillon had great Botrytis character. 

“It has a well-balanced flavour, which is not overwhelmingly sweet,” he said.

“For a wine only 18 months old it is very fresh with apricot type aromas.”

Owner of Burnbrae Wines Tony Bryant said it was great to see the Botrytis develop its own character.

“We are showing our consistency with a wine that is one of the hardest to make,” Bryant said.

Mr Newman also added the wine had multiple purpose, saying the Semillon was not only great to go with desert but would also be great with pate or hard cheeses.

Source: The Weekly, Wednesday Oct 28, 2009

Blacktie barbecue

Once a year Burnbrae hosts a much anticipated Black Tie BBQ, which is an elegant, swanky, sumptuous and rollicking affair that delightfully blends elegance and grace with bonhomie and panache

The first chapter of this grand affair was staged in the amazingly green garden with locals and visitors indulging in champagne and canapés while hobnobbing under the grand old Pepper Tree.

From there guests were ushered into the winery to be greeted by an unexpectedly magical setting: mellow, soft lighting (instantly causing a hush and drawing a number of ‘ooohs’) which nonetheless allowed us to admire three massive paintings from well known Aboriginal artists, along with a mysterious glimmer of tanks in the surrounding shadows.

Sydney Chef Simon Ekas did the catering and his team ‘wowed’ us with three gastronomic creations that proved to be a huge hit with everyone – each course accompanied by one or two of Burnbrae’s latest vintages.

This was indeed an evening of fine foods, fine wines and elegantly dressed couples, yet happily it didn’t have even a smidgen of stuffiness about it.

What followed was an extravaganza – Cabaret style – of fabulous vocals, glitter, sequins, frills, village people outfits. Needless to say the crowd enthralled within the first 3 seconds and held under their spell from beginning to the very end.

Source: Mudgee Guardian, Friday December 11, 2009

Mother’s Day Fork It Lunch 9th May 2010

Source: The Weekly, Wednesday May 5, 2010

Frank Newman: Beyond the enigma

Source: Discover Magazine, January 2010