Bowling up the dusty drive to the extensive Huntington Estate winery near Mudgee you’re immediately reminded it’s been a dry year out here in rural NSW. In her welcome speech, Nicky Boud the cheerful general manager informed us that “gentlemen should feel free to water the vines – all donations would be welcome.” Given that an evening’s event here can begin at 6pm with a pre-concert talk from Carl Vine, followed by canapés and drinks, a two-and-a-half-hour concert (with interval refreshments) and then a sit down supper with unlimited beverages, I should imagine those vines will be running positively rampant by Saturday night!

Thinking about what to blog about, my first thought was the food – no the wine – no, maybe I should start with the music. Or should I just have another glass of the excellent Cabernet Merlot (a case of which is now in the boot of my car) and chill out a bit. Actually, I think I can manage a bit about all of the above. And the scores for all three should come out pretty high.

The food is not only excellent – it appears to be unlimited. Looking at my fellow travellers, many of who...