IMSMC HUNTER VALLEY 2013

Oh what a weekend! 55 members, family and friends made Thornleigh McDonalds our rendezvous! Our departure was predictably half hour later than planned but we are getting better!

Straight up the F3, with many passersby honking horns with smiles on their faces! Charlie Losinno and Roberto Mattei, opting to drive their Dante Giacosa Fiat 500s, left 20 minutes before the "faster cars", yet it was approximately 100kms up the freeway before we caught them! I was happy to sit behind these 2 beautiful machines for the last 50kms of the freeway drive, happily sitting on 100km/h. Viva la cinque cento!

Our first stop was Draytons winery, some members deciding to take a more scenic route to our first location...where the owners happily provided sampling - the stand out being a red - "Little Prick" A wine that is being used as a prostate awareness product - these days its a blood test! (just a little prick of a needle)!

It was lunch time and we utilised the facilities at Draytons, and in true IMSMC style there was enough food to conservatively feed 5 times the amount of people in attendance! We tasted "home made salami" from 5 different regions of Italia! (and cheese, prosciutto, schnitzel, olives, eggplants, finest breads and wine!)

After lunch we visited 2 other wineries - Petersons,  and our great friends and club sponsors First Creek Wines. Many a purchase was made by the enthusiastic "tasters". Time to go back to the Cumberland Inn to have a rest and freshen up...instead the party continued on the verandah outside our rooms! Discussion, laughter and interest in what each had to say (in abundance)! Our next stop was Pedens steakhouse, where alot of the same continued!

It was wonderful to see the number of "extended family and friends" of our members that attended this event - no doubt about it, "good attracts good"..we feel that there are some purchases of Classic Italian cars in the pipeline, all of a sudden!

"Hats off" to Sebastian Ferla who recently completed a restoration of his Alfa - the result is a magnificent 1982 concourse condition Alfa Spider! and he drives it! good on ya Seb! I understand the smile! Maiden voyage and you couldn't have chosen a better weekend!

After 15 years of being parked in the family garage, Nat Stillone has put back on the road his 1968 Alfa 1300 GT Junior - great to see another classic resurrected Nat! Sweet sound (and you look good in it too)

Sunday morning breakfast was held in the Hunter Valley Gardens where we made the most of the leftovers! If we planned to have remained for a week, we'd still have had enough food for 5 more breakfasts! Not that there's anything wrong with that!

The morning passed and it was time to leave..for some, one more stop at the Hunter Barn, where purchases of lollies and sweets topped off a wonderful weekend! Naturally we're now planning 2014!