THE FIRST fine-weather day in late May proved a perfect setting for the Zonta Club of Hunter Newcastle’s fourth annual Food and Wine fundraiser event, held at ‘Tuscan Lodge’ in Tea Gardens on Sunday 25 May.
Enjoying the delicacies on display, as well as a soul-warming break from the recent rains, were some 60 guests, including many coming up from Sydney and Newcastle, to join a local group from across the Myall Coast region.
President of Zonta Hunter Newcastle Club is Tea Gardens’ Lee Romstein, who welcomed guests and explained the day’s format before introducing Jacquie ’Jaq’ Christie, a winemaker from Pokolbin-based boutique winery ‘Jac & Jones’.
Jac gave expert deliverance and description of the creation and intermingling of their wines, from vinting to bottling, then introduced the specialised food selected to be paired with each wine.
The experience was made all the more enjoyable after the weather, as the eminent exposure to specialist wines and food was amplified by the highly specific educational element to each serving.
“Each wine has been expertly paired with special food, presented by Taste Me Creative catering, straight from the Pokolbin area,” explained hostess Helen Blackbourn.
“This event greatly increased peoples awareness of specialised nature for producing some of the Hunter Valley’s top wines.
“Even better, all the money raised from tickets and certain proceeds is donated by Zonta to critical causes for assisting the advancement of women and girls, with projects running both within Australia, and developing countries around the world.”
A recent Zonta initiative was the birthing kits prepared and packaged by several local volunteers, partnering with the Hawks Nest Bridge Club, and featured in NOTA a few weeks ago.
Following the afternoon’s presentation the guests moved in ‘the barn’ for live music from the Michael Wilks duo, singer/songwriters from Newcastle, then a dinner that lasted well into the evening, with the last guests departing at around 9pm.
As this annual event looks towards its fifth year in 2026, it is proving to be a “must attend” social occasion every year in the Myall Coast region.
By Thomas O’KEEFE
