The Lane Cove Food and Wine Festival By the River was a big success, and locals enjoyed discovering what the Mudgee Region had to offer. For the second year running, Mudgee has been named Australia’s Top Tourism Town with Hall of Fame honours in the population greater than 5,000 population category.
As you know In the Cove always loves a “Lane Cove Connection” and we found not one but two Lane Cove connections with the Mudgee stallholders at the Lane Cove Food and Wine Festival by the River.
We were alerted to these connections when ITC, Mr ITC and Mr Doggy ITC were having coffee at Nibu Café on the morning of the festival. Nick, who owns Nibu, introduced ITC to Mike and Kim Nelson. The Nelsons own Martins Hill Organic Winery in Mudgee, but they were long-time Lane Cove residents before that. They were having breakfast in the Lane Cove Village before heading back to the festival site at Burns Bay Reserve.
The Nelsons mentioned to ITC that Linda and David from Linda Chilli Relish were also Lane Cove ex-pats who had a stall at the Festival.
ITC wanted to know how you went from living in Lane Cove to becoming a Mudgee Region food and wine providore, so we dug a bit deeper.
Martins Hill Organic Wines – Mike and Kim Nelson
We moved to Lane Cove in early 1999. After renting in Longueville for a few months, we found a wonderful home in Osborne Park. The neighbourhood was very friendly and was a gem of a location, backing onto the golf course.
We had 21 wonderful years in Lane Cove, with both our children attending Lane Cove Public School, before heading off to high school.
Lane Cove is quite a unique location, being so close to the city, yet remaining a real family-oriented community. We both worked in the corporate sector, so being close to the city was a bonus. I worked for a large insurance company, and Kim worked in technology
How Did You Go From a Corporate World to Owning a Winery in Mudgee?
While we’ve always enjoyed our wine, we’d never seriously considered purchasing a vineyard and joining the wine-making community; it all happened quite by accident. We were looking at post-retirement lifestyles when we stumbled upon this beautiful little property at Apple Tree Flat, just on the edge of Mudgee.
We chose Mudgee for a number of reasons, it’s not too far from Sydney, it’s a very picturesque location, and Mudgee is quite a diverse town. It has a thriving rural community as well as a good mix of Sydney refugees, funnily enough, mostly from the north side of the bridge.
Prior to moving, a local summed up the Mudgee lifestyle nicely; she said on one corner, there’ll be a couple talking about the global equity markets and on the other, they’ll be chatting about sheep crutching.
The change has been immense, but very rewarding. The previous owners of Martins Hill Organic Wines, Michael and Louise Sweeney have been wonderful mentors and remain very much engaged in the operation today. Michael planted the vines back in 1985 and managed the vineyard using organic practices ever since, we’re fortunate to have the benefit of his foresight.
Why Did You Decide to Make Organic Wines?
Since moving to the Mudgee Region, we’ve come to appreciate that we share this environment with so many other species. Since 1985 the vineyard has been managed without using synthetic herbicides and pesticides, so the bird and insect life is prolific. These birds and insects are the unpaid workforce in an organic vineyard. They keep other pests, such as caterpillars and aphids, in check, and a balanced ecosystem doesn’t require toxic chemicals.
Producing organic fruit and wine requires a much more hands-on approach than traditional wine-making methods. Because we don’t use chemicals to manage under vine grass, we spend a lot of time on whipper snippers, in fact, we’ve become quite expert at using them.
We’re certified organic by the National Association for Sustainable Agriculture Australia (NASAA). We can’t use non-natural products to control the likes of downy mildew (a major issue during wet weather). Instead, we hand thin foliage to create airflow through the vine canopy, this reduces humidity around the vines. So, while producing organic fruit takes greater effort, the product is certainly better.
While the property is only 20 acres, it’s quite intensively planted. Our varieties include Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and some wonderful Ports.
How Was the Lane Cove Food and Wine Festival by the River?
We had great feedback from those who visited. Lane Cove residents are really switched on, when it comes to the environmental impact of agricultural chemicals and the superior taste of organic products.
We had a good selection of our wine, which included Shiraz, Cabernet and Pinot Noir, along with Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc, plus some beautiful Rosé made from our Cabernet fruit.
Lane Cove is certainly not one-dimensional when it comes to wine, we were surprised by the diversity of palates. All varieties were very popular; by 4:30 pm, we were down to a handful of bottles.
How Can Lane Cove Locals Visit Martin Hill Organic Winery?
Martin Hill Organic Wines is a small boutique operation, with Kim and I being really hands-on. We manage everything from grass cutting, vine pruning, canopy thinning and wine sales; the only time we use external contractors is when it comes to harvest.
Because there are just the two of us, our cellar door is by appointment only, bookings are made via our website – click here to make a booking.
We’ve found that by only having small groups at the cellar door, the experience is so much better, and we often have quite a lot of fun with our customers.
Lindas Chilli Relish – Linda and Bruce Wilson
Bruce Wilson was kind enough to answer ITC’s questions.
How Long Did You Live in Lane Cove?
I lived in Osborne Park, Lane Cove, from 1953 to 1973.
I grew up surrounded by bushland and lived on a dirt road until 1965.
We lived opposite Billy Hughes’s house (7th Australian Prime Minister) house. In 1905 Billy Hughes purchased land and, in 1906, built a house called “Osborne Park” on Osborne Road (ITC NOTE: read Lane Cove Historical Society notes on Billy Hughe’s connection to Lane Cove here.)
We travelled to Lane Cove Primary School on a double-decker bus and always had bonfires on Cracker Nights. I watched the Bandicoots tearing up Dad’s much-loved lawn.
My family was also involved in the argy-bargy of creating a Lane Cove Golf Course instead of a housing development (ITC NOTE: read the history of the Lane Cove Golf Club here and how the land was rezoned to stop it being developed for housing.)
Why Did you Move from Lane Cove to Mudgee?
Our daughter started University at The Queensland Con, so Linda and I decided to resettle in Mudgee. We had invested in Mudgee some years before and loved the idea of a rural lifestyle.
How Did You Start the Business?
My Grand Mother made a sweet chilli relish that my mum continued to make then Linda found the recipe, and so our little business grew from my mum’s recipe to the successful award-winning enterprise it is today.
We sell our range of products at various Farmer’s Markets throughout the Central West. We are stocked at retailers across the state, and our website is the fastest way to get your hands on the best chilli relish in Australia.
What’s Your Best Seller?
Best seller….. They’re all gold medal-winning products, although our Lime and Ginger relish is certainly very popular.
No one in Lane Cove has sold our line YET. However, you can easily buy all our range at www.lindaschillirelish.com.au
How Was the Lane Cove Food and Wine Festival by the River?
The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, and we were pleased to introduce our range of 6 relishes and sauces to my old neighbourhood! It was great to be a part of The Lane Cove Wine and Food Festival at Burns Bay Reserve and to be back in a suburb I truly love and remember with great affection. Go, Lane Cove!
The Food and Wine Festival By the River was a great day – ITC can’t wait for next year’s event.
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