Monichino antipasto weekend not to be missed
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Over the weekend of November 4 and 5 just before the Melbourne Cup, Monichino Wines will hold its hugely popular Antipasto Days.
Enjoy antipasto platters, slow-cooked meatballs, crusty Italian bread, good company and a glass or two of Monichino’s finest cellared wines from its museum.
What could be more tempting?
Among its award-winning wines is one of the finest Australian sparkling wines ever produced, strongly resembling its famous French cousin: champagne.
Labelled Monichino Blanc de Blanc Methode Traditional, it has been produced co-jointly by visiting French winemaker Marine Fouchet together with Terry Monichino. It is undisputedly outstanding and should be sampled before it sells out.
The family is selling its museum stock stored in the old cellar, and sadly, these delicious matured wines will never be seen again, including a 1976 vintage port — one of the best ever produced in Australia.
Carlo Monichino established the winery in 1962, and it is renowned for producing rich, full-bodied wines. It became Carlo’s passion to produce exquisite vintage fortifieds.
Anyone lucky enough to sample this 1976 vintage port will be left in awe. Don’t miss the opportunity.
Call Terry or Anna and book a table. Don’t forget to order your antipasto platters and meatballs. Delicious wines will be available by the glass or bottle.
Contact Monichino Wines on 5864 6452 to ensure you don’t miss this special treat. Open from 11am to 3pm on Saturday and Sunday, November 4 and 5.
The sky is the limit
The iconic grain silo at 18 High St, Cobram is for sale and has the potential to attract entrepreneurial attention.
The town’s landmark was opened in 1942 and controlled by the Grain Elevators Board. It had a capacity of 135,000 bushels of grain storage, with about 75 per cent of the wheat handled at the site travelling from across the river in NSW.
The silo was built in response to wartime needs, and long queues of farmers with wagons and trucks loaded with grain could be seen taking their turn after completing the harvest.
(The equivalent of a bushel today would be 27kg.)
It may well be a ‘pie in the sky’ idea to form a group to purchase the historic site and discuss how to create a drawcard that could see Cobram considered more as a modern, progressive tourist town rather than a business centre.
For country towns to survive, we need tourists to visit and spend their dollars. If we don’t believe in our town, how can we convince others to come and visit?
The Cobram district has so much to boast about and offer visitors, yet it is only as good as the effort we all put in.
The number one attraction, Thompsons Beach, is unique and recognised widely but not drawing the attention it deserves.
The RACV Resort provides top facilities and is in high demand, particularly from Melbourne visitors, while Cobram Tennis Club possesses some of the finest grass courts in the region. In addition, there are great ‘old-fashioned’ race days at Cobram Harness Club, Cobram Barooga Golf Club boasts a spectacular course, Federation Park has a fantastic children’s play area including a skate park, and there is a host of eateries, motels and sporting clubs.
Retail is well covered, together with hair and beauty salons, while Cobram Community Cinema has two theatres showcasing the latest movies. There is little you can’t buy or enjoy in the town.
However, if we need people to visit and spend their hard-earned dollars in the town, we need to stand out.
The silo site is zoned one commercial and is on three titles over nearly 3500 sqm. There are myriad possibilities, and while the site has a heritage overlay, Moira Shire Council approved the demolition of the historical silo in 2017, subject to specific criteria.
However, some ideas being bandied about for the silo include an art gallery, micro brewery, café and bar, backpacker accommodation and perhaps an outdoor summer movie screen painted on the silo, with construction of toilet and dining facilities and ample parking on site.
Perhaps local artists could paint the silo with murals focusing on local agriculture, lit up with spotlights.
Developers are always seeking something different (at the right price, of course). They may see the advantage of keeping the silo and retaining the tallest construction in town, and building on local history.
What do readers think?
Do you have any suggestions about the future of the silo? What can be done, what can it be used for, and could it be transformed into a magical drawcard?
Love to hear from you.
Yes or No
Discussions on this week’s Voice to Parliament referendum have been interesting.
It was amazing to learn that few people have bothered to read the Uluru Statement from the Heart, which perhaps defines a little more clearly what we Australians, who number 26,439,111 (of whom 3.8 per cent are Indigenous people) today will be voting for, to enshrine an Indigenous Voice to Parliament in the Australian Constitution.
The proposed law would alter the Constitution to recognise First Nations people of Australia by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.
The Yes campaign argues the Voice will give Indigenous people a say on policies impacting them, while the No campaign contends that the Voice either goes too far or not far enough.
What is my view?
Well, if nothing changes, nothing changes.
And if it all remains the same, is that what we want?