The Thirsty Travellers were thrilled to join Moet Hennessy to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Cape Mentelle at North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club this week.

The Margaret River winery is marking the occasion with a tasting and collaborative exhibition featuring the work of lifestyle photographer Aquabumps. The Cape Mentelle x Aquabumps Explore Your Horizon interactive exhibition is popping up beside the sea in Sydney from November 28 – 29.

Established by winemaking legend David Hohnen in 1970, Cape Mentelle is one of the founding Margaret River wineries. Over the years, the award-winning winery has cultivated a sustainable winemaking philosophy driven by a thirst for experimentation and a desire to showcase the potential of the pristine Margaret River region.

Cape Mentelle’s collaboration with Aquabumps (Eugene Tan) is designed to bring to life the winery’s rich history, showcasing the people and stories from the last 50 years. His passion for his art is inspiring – we loved his comment at the event: “If I won Lotto, I’d still be at Bondi taking photos at sunrise.”

Tan’s photographs of the region are stunning – he dangled out of a helicopter to capture many of them – and the wines that accompanied his photographs were equally memorable.

We enjoyed an entree of citrus cured salmon, mascarpone, fennel, picked walnut, roe and brown rice cracker matched with Cape Mentelle 2019 Sauvignon Blanc Semillon, Cape Mentelle 2017 Chardonnay and Cape Mentelle 2018 Rose.

The main of roast Junee lamp rump with braised lentils, eggplant cream, roast cherry tomato and basil was one of our favourite meals of the year. It was matched with Cape Mentelle 2018 ‘Trinders’ Shiraz Cabernet, Cape Mentelle 2017 Shiraz and Cape Mentelle 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon.

Dessert was a sublime chocolate, espresso, salted caramel tart with creme fraiche and pistachio. The stunning accompaniment was a Cape MEntelle 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Magnum.

Our favourite drops were the Rose and the Shiraz Cabernet, the latter being sensational value at around $31 RRP.

The Rose had a bright salmon colour and a luscious fresh strawberry flavour that was perfect for a sunny day at Bondi. The Shiraz Cabernet was dark and nuanced, with plum, cranberry and black forest berry tones.

It was a gorgeous day to celebrate – The Thirsty Travellers loved attending the event, everything from the stunning Bondi location to the delicious wines – with fantastic commentary via video link with winemaker Ben Cane – to the amazing food was superb.

Tickets to see the pop-up exhibition and enjoy an accompanying wine tasting are limited; to book and for more information click here.

Here’s a video capturing our visit: