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The Barwon Wine and Food Society
was formed in 1976 by Darryl and Elizabeth Jones. While Darryl and
Elizabeth are the only current founding members, others who have
served the Society for over twenty years include Neil and Phyl Drew,
Gail Thomas and Eddie Amon who, along with the Jones, are all Barwon
life members.
Barwon is a mixed group of
around 45 people and meets usually on a Tuesday night every 6-8
weeks between February and December.
Members are delegated to host
functions and as the Geelong region has a diverse abundance of
restaurants and venues from which to choose dinners extend across a
wide range of styles and cuisines. As the Society also holds a
substantial cellar accompanying aged wines add to the interest and
diversity of the functions.
Over the years there have been
numerous memorable and imaginatively themed dinners including a
chocolate dinner where chocolate was cleverly incorporated into
every course, the ‘marriage of wine and food’ conducted along the
lines of a wedding reception, The Barwines – a take on the Oscars
presentation, – a ‘biblical’ dinner at Apostle in Queenscliff, a
restaurant in a converted historic church and a nursery rhyme themed
dinner at the appropriately named at Jack & Jill restaurant.
The Society also holds an annual
Wine Options night with teams vying for a perpetual trophy while
simultaneously educating their palates with a selection of wines.
There are also occasional
out-of-town functions usually in the form of a Sunday bus trip to a
specific region perhaps visiting food producers and wineries along
the way before lunching at a restaurant.
Over the years the Society has
hosted functions featuring guest speakers including wine makers,
food producers and journalists and we have also engaged a number of
high profile chefs to prepare dinners at the Gordon TAFE in order to
give local apprentices the opportunity to experience working
alongside inspirational and well respected mentors. |