Published Tuesday, 18 December, 2007 at 11:28 AM
Minister for Tourism, Regional Development and Industry
The Honourable Desley Boyle
Get your taste-buds jumping this Christmas with goodies produced in the Far North
The Far North abounds with top quality locally-produced food and wine – perfect for Christmas lunch or gifts for family and friends.
Tourism, Regional Development and Industry Minister Desley Boyle is urging Queenslanders to support our local producers and choose Queensland-made food and wine this Christmas.
“Queenslanders need look no further than their own backyard to find everything they need to indulge their family and friends – and themselves – this Christmas,” Ms Boyle said.
“Queensland-produced food and wine is among the best in the world.
“Although Queensland has traditionally been known for its meat products and sugar, our value-added foods are rapidly gaining a worldwide reputation for quality.
“In addition to the Far North’s well-earned reputation for its tropical fruits, the region is also home to some of Australia’s finest seafood and produces very good coffee.”
Ms Boyle said Cairns and the Far North was converting its natural advantages in tropical fruits to develop a quality alternative to grape wines - fruit wines.
“Some of our favourites are now being used as the basis for a refreshing range of fruit wines, including mango, banana, lychee, pineapple, passionfruit, black sapote, pitaya as well as citrus and native Australian fruits such as the Davidson Plum and Lemon Aspen.”
The Queensland Government helps local businesses to promote their products and grow their businesses through workshops, grants and by helping them to showcase their products at exhibitions.
The following businesses have received Queensland Government assistance:
o Barramundi Gardens in the Port Douglas hinterland is a commercial aquaculture farm, fingerling nursery and hydroponic produce complex that’s locally famous for its Barramundi Spring Rolls. It also has a sports fishing tourist facility where you can catch your own barramundi.
o Skybury Coffee Estate, on the Atherton Tableland, was one of Australia’s largest coffee plantations and the country’s oldest, producing approximately 60 per cent of Australia’s coffee. It runs a Plantation Tour and has a coffee laboratory.
Ms Boyle, who is also responsible for Wine Industry development, said she encouraged people to try a local wine over the festive season.
“Boutique winery Golden Pride Wines, located just outside Mareeba on the Far North’s largest commercial mango plantation, has developed a range of wines, ports and liqueurs from the delicate fruity flavours of the Kensington Red mango.
“They’re open seven days a week so anytime’s a good time to drop into Golden Pride Wines.
Ms Boyle said Shannonvale Tropical Fruit Winery was another company that had captured the essence of the Tropical North to produce a range of dry, medium, sweet and fortified fruit wines that were ‘bursting with sunshine’.
“Some varieties currently on offer include fig, mango, carambola (star fruit), parsley, grapefruit, lychee, passionfruit, water cherry, ginger, mulberry and lime.
“The family business took home a swag of medals – gold, silver and bronze – at the 2006 Australian Fruit Wine Awards and their wines are open to the public for tasting through their cellar door in the Shannonvale Valley.”
Ends
Media contact: 3224 2007
18 December 2007
Tourism, Regional Development and Industry Minister Desley Boyle is urging Queenslanders to support our local producers and choose Queensland-made food and wine this Christmas.
“Queenslanders need look no further than their own backyard to find everything they need to indulge their family and friends – and themselves – this Christmas,” Ms Boyle said.
“Queensland-produced food and wine is among the best in the world.
“Although Queensland has traditionally been known for its meat products and sugar, our value-added foods are rapidly gaining a worldwide reputation for quality.
“In addition to the Far North’s well-earned reputation for its tropical fruits, the region is also home to some of Australia’s finest seafood and produces very good coffee.”
Ms Boyle said Cairns and the Far North was converting its natural advantages in tropical fruits to develop a quality alternative to grape wines - fruit wines.
“Some of our favourites are now being used as the basis for a refreshing range of fruit wines, including mango, banana, lychee, pineapple, passionfruit, black sapote, pitaya as well as citrus and native Australian fruits such as the Davidson Plum and Lemon Aspen.”
The Queensland Government helps local businesses to promote their products and grow their businesses through workshops, grants and by helping them to showcase their products at exhibitions.
The following businesses have received Queensland Government assistance:
o Barramundi Gardens in the Port Douglas hinterland is a commercial aquaculture farm, fingerling nursery and hydroponic produce complex that’s locally famous for its Barramundi Spring Rolls. It also has a sports fishing tourist facility where you can catch your own barramundi.
o Skybury Coffee Estate, on the Atherton Tableland, was one of Australia’s largest coffee plantations and the country’s oldest, producing approximately 60 per cent of Australia’s coffee. It runs a Plantation Tour and has a coffee laboratory.
Ms Boyle, who is also responsible for Wine Industry development, said she encouraged people to try a local wine over the festive season.
“Boutique winery Golden Pride Wines, located just outside Mareeba on the Far North’s largest commercial mango plantation, has developed a range of wines, ports and liqueurs from the delicate fruity flavours of the Kensington Red mango.
“They’re open seven days a week so anytime’s a good time to drop into Golden Pride Wines.
Ms Boyle said Shannonvale Tropical Fruit Winery was another company that had captured the essence of the Tropical North to produce a range of dry, medium, sweet and fortified fruit wines that were ‘bursting with sunshine’.
“Some varieties currently on offer include fig, mango, carambola (star fruit), parsley, grapefruit, lychee, passionfruit, water cherry, ginger, mulberry and lime.
“The family business took home a swag of medals – gold, silver and bronze – at the 2006 Australian Fruit Wine Awards and their wines are open to the public for tasting through their cellar door in the Shannonvale Valley.”
Ends
Media contact: 3224 2007
18 December 2007