THE story behind the recently opened La Bianca Wine Bar and Woodfired Kitchen can be traced back to a small Beer Garden outlet operating near Munich in 1991.
It was there that a young New Zealand kitchen hand fell in love and married the German chef.
After getting married Carolyn and Alex Obel immigrated to New Zealand and for 10 years ran a successful restaurant in Taupo.
With two children soon under their wings they then decided to move closer to Carolyn’s parents who had landed in sunny Queensland.
They were introduced to Ipswich firstly as the caterers at Brookwater Golf Club and after three years they decided to open their own café just down the road at the small Brookwater IGA shopping complex.
That café, Brookwater Barista, remains a thriving business as it moves into its fifth year.
Their latest venture, a high-quality wine bar, had a soft opening last week and it has already been stamped a success.
“We are still reviewing the best wines from both the Australian and New Zealand wine regions for our selection and it will be constantly changing,” Caroline said.
“We also have plans for degustation dinners, wine appreciation and information nights and we’ll even be offering a wine club membership called the Magnum Club.
“It’s exciting to be involved in a new challenge and we believe the Brookwater area is the perfect place for it.”
At this stage La Bianca will be open Wednesday through to Sundays with exact times to be released shortly.
