Cycling the Vineyards of Marlborough, New Zealand

Two of my favorite things include sunshine and wine. Throw me on a bike on a cloudless day and give me a map of the boutique vineyards in the heart of the Marlborough wine region and honestly, it was one of the best tasting experiences I’ve ever had.

Lisa in Marlborough

Tasting in Marlborough has long been on my list of wine regions to conquer. In fact, considering its remoteness in a quiet northeast corner of the South Island, New Zealand, I was starting to fear I would never get an opportunity to go. Partially because I think my appreciation for its world-renowned Sauvignon Blanc grape outwore its welcome on my pallet years ago. Secondly, it’s just not super convenient to get to.

I have a special fondness for New Zealand. I’d even go as far to say I love it. If you asked me to live there for a short while I’d be hard pressed to say no. Another reason it was crucial that I get myself to Marlborough. My favorite part about New Zealand is flying over it. With the terrain ever changing, lush green contrasted against snowy mountain peaks and azure water, it’s absolutely breathtaking. Every time, I’m reminded again of my first time, looking out of the airplane window in 2011, and it’s always equally as majestic.

North Island Volcano

In terms of getting to Marlborough my friends took the Interislander Ferry across from Wellington to Picton. At the same time I witnessed from above the stunning alcoves of the tiny islands their boat wove between while flying down from Auckland to Blenheim. Knee deep in my inflight magazine I took a quick break to gaze out of the window and my mouth involuntarily dropped. Just below the clouds sat a volcano. This was just before I passed from the North Island down to the South Island. Shortly afterward the striking coastline came into view.

South Island Northern Coast

My three Australian friends greeted me at the Blenheim airport with a big “Welcome to New Zealand” as if they were locals. And while Blenheim isn’t much to offer up socially, it is just on the cusp of the vineyards and has a range of accommodation and a few noteworthy bars and restaurants, such as Scotch. We stayed in a small cottage in the back of a B&B called Tresco. The owner Ian and adorable terrier Dudley were friendly and accommodating and it was only a short 10-minute walk to town. At night, the residential streets were quiet and the stars shone bright. It is true the Milky Way can be seen on this side of the world.

Drinks at Scotch: Blenheim

But enough of Blenheim (jokingly termed phlegm-em). Let’s talk wine.

Wine Tours By Bike have a great thing going. Family run by Steve and Jo Hill, they made it all so easy. That’s the thing; the day was more or less completely on our own terms. We booked in advance to be picked up from one of the three 5-hour long timeslots and were greeted with a big smile and handshake from Fred, Jo’s dad who drove us to the bike shed in Renwick. Set on a beautiful B&B property Hillsfield House, we were instantly asked to pick a bike from the lot parked out front. Told that just like a person no bike is the same, we tested them for height and seat comfortableness before analyzing how large each of our heads actually was during a helmet fitting. The award went to Rob.

Wine Tours by Bike Crew: Courtesy of Ceri

Steve gave us an amazingly detailed, yet brief overview of the vineyards in the vicinity of Renwick while we, along with some locals which are always a good sign, observed as he pointed them out against a white map pinned against the wall. My group then huddled together, our paper copies in hand and highlighter at the ready, mapping out how to tackle the afternoon and fit in all of our top spots. Water bottle, check. Lunch reservation, check. Social media post, check. And we were off!

Wine Tour Group Selfie: Courtesy of Wes

Wobbling a bit when we set out, we eagerly headed to our farthest destination first, yet the most boutique. Te Whare Ra’s small quiet property impressed us with both their Riesling D (dry) and M (medium) so much that none of us left empty handed. In fact, it was my most favored tasting of the day and my only regret is not purchasing a case.

I traveled on, steadied on my African cruiser bike, with a smile from ear to ear. We dashed through the back of a vineyard on our way to another, taking shortcuts on dirt paths as we were hugged by the vines and the monstrous mountain peaks at the perimeter towered over us. The sun was hot, but in a good way. Then, the wind picked up and it was so strong, peddling against it turned our leisurely cruise into a battle of resistance.

Cycling Marlborough

At Giesen we had a delicious vintage platter for lunch yet an offensive wine host ruined the experience unfortunately, so much in fact I wouldn’t recommend a visit. At Hans Herzog it was worth the cost of a tasting to be blown away with their exquisite presentation. It was the only Sauv Blanc I purchased in Marlborough, and for the cost it’s a keeper. Framingham won our hearts with free shipping to Australia so of course we bought a case between the four of us, but not without Mary Jo’s amazing attentiveness in pouring our Riesling flights. We finished the day lounging on bean bags on the lawn at Forrest, where fellow American Katrina won me over with their 2011 Chenin Blanc.

John Lennon at Framingham

Forrest Wines

Tasting at Framingham

Mary Jo at Framingham

Hans Herzog

Vintage Platter at Giesen

The Fudge Factory

Awesome Bike Quote

Giesen

Te Whare Ra

Peddling back at the end of the day, still smiling while taking in the landscape, the pureness of the area and of the wineries really took hold. In fact, while I had a general distaste for what I had assumed was the mass production of sauvignon blanc, biking through the region and seeing the smaller farms and family vineyards gave me a whole other appreciation for it. But also, more impressive was the execution of other varieties likes riesling, pinot gris and pinot noir. I’ve done a lot of wine touring, but cycling and tasting through the vineyards of Marlborough takes the cake! Settling in around the picnic table back at Tresco later that evening we barbequed local fish and vegetables while sipping some of our favorite wins from the day.

Wine Tours by Bike

Christmas in South Australia

My first Christmas in Australia, what can I say. Simply put I was sold on the promise I was going to shear a sheep.

Christmas away from home will never replace Christmas as I know it, nor should it try to. But at a minimum this Christmas gave me insight into a new Australia. I wanted to avoid the feeling of Christmas but in the end I walked away with more than I could have anticipated.

I flew to South Australia the evening before Christmas Eve to spend the holidays with my flat mate Wes and his family. All I knew about where I was going is that I would first fly the hour to Adelaide, then get on a small commuter plane and after arriving in Port Lincoln drive another hour north. Tell that to any Australian and they nod, “ah the middle of nowhere”.

Peering out of the window before landing in the Eyre Peninsula, farmland stretched for hundreds of miles then hit the sea. I don’t believe I’ve ever seen the contrast of country and sea smashed against each other. I started picturing mermaid sheep. Mer-sheep? But once I arrived I was greeted with such gracious hospitality that didn’t stop until I boarded the plane back to Melbourne.

Rockeby Farm Pantry

I spent that first evening on Rockeby Farm, the family farm Wes grew up on. Driving down the pitch-black dirt roads late at night, the air quiet, I squirmed at the thought of knowing that there was no one around for miles. Everyone knows I’m scared of the dark. But the old farmhouse, built in early 1900s, was warm and I spent a few hours getting to know his parents, Sue and Mark, who kindly taught me a bit about their farm properties as we sipped a few wines. We spent only that first night on the country farm though and were off to the beach in Port Neill for the next few days.

But first Wes took me to town. We spent Christmas Eve morning sitting on the Tumby Bay pier eating fresh chicken sandwiches from Ritz Café, watching a young boy expertly fish alone off of the side, as Wes told me stories about growing up in such a small, rural area. Tumby as it’s known, is a good 30 minutes from the farm and is where he went to school – one school for all children from kindergarten to 12^th grade. There were 46 kids in his grade when he started; he graduated with 16 and was only one of 6 to go to university. Talk about small town ambition.

Fishing in Tumby Bay

Tumby Bay Pier

He then whisked me away to Boston Bay Wines, a small boutique vineyard and cellar door set on a hill where the vines overlook the ocean, just outside of Port Lincoln. We sampled the gamut and stocked up for Christmas with their Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and award winning Riesling.

Lavendar Farm

Dellacolline Estate

Boston Bay Wines

There was no stopping us there, so we were off to Delacolline Estate next. Stepping out of the car we were greeted with the sound of hundreds of bees chatting away over their afternoon lunch. I was so ecstatic at the thought of visiting my first lavender farm, the sweet scent overwhelmed the property and the fields of purple snuggled next to the vines made for a beautiful backdrop. Not to mention the 2005 Riesling was a stand out and we also couldn’t resist a bottle of Sparkling Shiraz, as it’s an Aussie Christmas tradition after all.

The Eyre Peninsula is known to be one of the purest seas in the world. Remote and desolate, with many untouched bays it makes for pristine fishing grounds. It’s a region that prides itself on sustainability and is where seafood such as oysters, abalone, tuna, prawns and more is exported from daily. Of course I had to try some. Sarin’s Restaurant in the Port Lincoln Hotel is the best spot in town to devour the famous Coffin Bay oysters, which is exactly what we did before stopping off in quiet and stunning Coffin Bay itself.

Coffin’s Bay

Port Lincoln Tuna Farm

Port Lincoln

Oysters at Sorin’s

We stayed at the beach house for the next few nights, and that evening I accompanied his parents and siblings to the local pub. Wes unfortunately had an emergency oyster spew on our ride home so recovered in bed alone. In a town of 300 people, the one pub is where everyone, and I mean everyone, goes for a social gathering; parents, grandparents and small children included. I felt a treat being introduced as the foreigner from far away America and giggled to myself as it seemed every second person was named Hannah.

I woke up Christmas morning to a quiet house and decided to start the day with a run on the beach. As I approached the half-moon bay of Port Neill, Mark’s words at the pub the night before couldn’t ring in any truer. He told me, “Why go to a beach with lots of people? If there’s people, just go to the next one”. I told him I never knew such a luxury.

Port Neill Beach

As I began to run, I saw the sand ahead, the water clear blue to my right and the sun beaming down against it; and that’s when I got emotional. I think it hit me all at once. The sparkling water and unexpected beauty really let the distance and pure remoteness sink in. Christmas, and this couldn’t be any more of a contrast of what I’d be doing at home. It’s exactly what I asked for if I couldn’t have the real thing. In that moment I felt the luckiest person in the world, and it was a moment for me that was incredibility awesome.

Even more awesome was when I got back to the house I had eggs and bacon waiting for me. We then exchanged a few gifts. I was overjoyed for the generous touch of perfume from my flat mate and homemade heating pad Sue made with grain from the farm, a gift I had been secretly hoping for. Even more special was the Christmas-themed box and stocking that made its way from the US then onto the plane with me so I could open a gift from my family on Christmas morning. The day followed with an impromptu game of tennis in the sun, some reading and sunbathing and the enjoyment of our wine purchases from the day prior.

Watering flowers

Boxing Day, while still very casual and relaxed, was celebrated with even more grandeur as all of Wes’ 3 siblings and their partners, as well as his grandparents attended at the beach house for a traditional seafood lunch feast. As I cracked open my popper, I found myself realizing I’ve picked up some Aussie slang like the common contradictory response of “yea, no”. The outback must have gotten to me.

Before getting too settled in Mark had myself, Wes’ brother Lewis and girlfriend Chelsea out on his boat at dusk to catch the next day’s lunch. Chelsea and I caught 7 snoek between the two of us, a great success as it was her first time fishing.

On my final day Mark, Wes and I headed back to the farm. Unfortunately due to the holidays there wasn’t enough time to get the sheep ready for shearing. Mark made up for it though and gave me a full tour of the farm. First he emptied the trough, and then Wes and I hopped out of the cab of the truck to herd 340 lambs from one paddock to the other. We simply walked along through the fields, both casually and slowly, and those fools just kept running away…right where we wanted them to go. My deed was done.

Emptying the trough

Rockeby Farm

Lamb butts

Wes herding lambs

That evening we BBQ’d the most exquisite, uhum, lamb for dinner then ended in the late hours laughing till I cried playing the vulgar game Cards Against Humanity the Australian edition with the family.

Thank you Wes, Sue, Mark, Lewis, Karl and Hannah for your amazing hospitality, beautiful homes and an amazing holiday adventure!

Game On Adelaide: A Weekend of Food and Wine

Adelaide’s pretty rad – and there’s more to it than the mocking nickname of ‘Rad-elaide’. Ever since I first visited in 2011 I’ve stood behind its defense, but even more so now that I’ve learnt on my most recent visit that is has made a conscious effort to play cultural hard ball.

This trip no doubt contained another visit to the Barossa Valley disguised behind a work-related conference held at the Adelaide Convention Center. With the Intercontinental, albeit a bit dated, in a prime location overlooking the Adelaide Oval and the beautiful running tracks along the River Torrens, I was already set up to achieve great sights.

River Torrens

Upon arriving I gave my friend a tour of the small city. We started along North Terrace beside University of Adelaide’s beautiful 19^th century sandstone buildings, a contrast against the neighboring modern architecture of its newer lecture halls.

Looping around at Rundle Park took us onto Rundle Street, home to boutiques, cafes, pubs and assortment of restaurants. For a sunny Friday afternoon we stopped off in the Belgian Beer Café and historic pub the Austral for a few pints to start the holiday off.

Rundle Street

Rundle Street turns into Rundle Mall where you can find most of your common name brand stores like Meyer, Sports Girl, JB Hi-Fi and the likes. Most famously on the corner of Rundle Mall and Hindley Street sits Australia’s oldest family owned chocolate maker, Haigh’s Chocolates.

My perception of Adelaide was turned upside down when I discovered Peel Street later that evening. Here sits the latest note-worthy restaurant in the city with the same name, Peel Street, and it’s a must stop off (restaurant bookings required). The closest thing Adelaide has in comparison to big sister Melbourne, this small laneway has a splattering of hip bars and underground cocktail lounges to make any local feel privileged thanks to the new small venue license recently instated to help entrepreneurs bring a new vibe to the CBD.

Highlights include Clever Little Tailor, a tiny bar offering a variety of top notch spirits and hand crafted beers set against the original exposed brick and structure. Next door, dine at Bread and Bone Wood Grill for a quick and fancy burger or dog. They really are all the rage but we went a bit rogue by ordering the fish and pork belly, both also to be admired. The waiter kindly offered us entry into the cocktail lounge downstairs, Maybe Mae, where I felt as if I entered some secret world found only in the 1920s, green leather booths, plush carpet and drinks served in crystal. One more stop across the street at Mexican inspired Chihuahua Bar for a wine and a lovely chat with the want to be rock star spun bartender before calling it a night as we had a full day of wine touring ahead of us.

Since I’ve made my rounds in the world-renowned Barossa Valley previously, this time the goal was to visit boutique wineries in a small group to uncover the greatest Shiraz presented to me. Cellar Door Wine Tours asked in advance where we wanted to visit and hand crafted the itinerary amongst all the guests’ top picks.

Murray Street Vineyard

Barossa Valley Vineyards

Maggie Beer

Penfolds Wines

Cafe Y

Turkey Flat

Yaldara Estate

Murray Street Vineyards was the perfect first stop, as we tasted while sitting around a square table so that all 10 guests had the opportunity to get to know each other. It was refreshing to be greeted by a young host, as Ryan was enthusiastic and knowledgeable, specifically as he demonstrated double aeration. I wanted to walk away with the Gomersal Estate 2010 Shiraz but was nervous to purchase any wine too early in the day– my greatest regret for sure.
Maggie Beer is a gourmet food brand well known by dinner party hosts and the like. The beautiful shop sits on top of an aqua green lake making it a fantastic picnic spot. The best part about the small shop is there is something to taste in nearly every nook and cranny – from fig paste to pate to cider and caramel topping. I spent my time devouring enough homemade bread dipped in olive oil and damper to hold me over until lunch. I also took note of the cooking school that could be a good excuse to come back.
Penfolds was my biggest disappointment of the day. While this isn’t boutique in anyone’s mind, it was a special request from another guest. Honestly, what they offer on tasting is the same as what you can buy in the liquor store and it was only the Tawny I was tempted to buy until I found out that too is distributed in my local bottle shop.
Chateau Yaldara and Café Y is where we stopped for both a tasting and lunch. I wasn’t too impressed with their wines except their sparkling Shiraz and while you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, I definitely would recommend they undergo a branding exercise for their labeling. Luckily the family-owned cafe made up for it with lunch that was described to us by the son in the most intimate detail and while I’m not much of a pasta lover I couldn’t resist the duck ravioli.
Rockford Wines interestingly do their tastings in an old horse stable making it a unique atmosphere for the much anticipated tasting. This winery was our tradeoff for Grant Burge (the one we asked to visit) being too busy. I found the pourer entertaining as he reminded us of Murray from Flight of the Concords so I walked away with a bottle of their Tawny as a Christmas present for my hosts.
Turkey Flat is one of the oldest boutique vineyards in the region. I was sold on a bottle of the now-sold-out 2012 Cabernet as the wine maker was both very chatty and informative, reminding us that 2010 and 2012 were the good years for grapes after the drought. I also couldn’t resist buying the cheeky fortified NV Pedro Ximenez too.

The biggest surprise from the day was the amount of cabernet sauvignon coming out of the Barossa Valley. I truly didn’t expect it and while I didn’t find a long lasting lover in Shiraz to take home, it did make me have a deep think about how much my taste buds have changed as of late.

Back in Adelaide central, one more spot not to miss is the Gouger Street restaurants and the Adelaide Central Market. My absolute, hands down, no questions asked top notch visit was to Cork Wine Café who specialize in organic and biodynamic wines from all over the world. I melted over the La Distesa 2013 ‘Terra Silvate’ Verdicchio and Architects of Wine 2013 Chardonnay. As they do tasting flights, with quite generous pours mind you, it was easy to fall into place here for a few hours.

With so many restaurants to choose from on Gouger Street, primarily deriving from Asian influence, it was hard to choose. Thankfully the staff from Cork Wine recommended the two best places (and most sought after as we couldn’t get a table until 9 pm so book ahead) on the strip including Little NNQ and Concubine.

For a quick weekend of social activities before putting on my work hat we sure managed to cover a lot of ground, including Jamie Oliver’s latest wave to hit Adelaide Jamie’s Italian. But Adelaide, you’re still missing one key element before you can truly reach your cultural trophy and that is – what’s open for breakfast?

Queenstown: A Solo Adventure

I intently stared out of the window, camera in position as we descended out of the cloudbank and into view of the vast snow tipped mountains called the Remarkables. This landscape is absolutely extraordinary.

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The plane began to shake as we entered the windy valley between the incredibly close mountain ranges, then all of the sudden, oomph. My head smacked the side of the window and my tray table unfastened itself from the locked position. Panic. We must have dropped a few feet before leveling out again. “Don’t worry,” said the flight attendant over the intercom. “It’s just the wind between the mountains, nothing to be alarmed about.”

Welcome to Queenstown! A buzzing town of snow bunnies crossed with adventure sports, breathtaking scenery and world-renowned pinot noir sipped against the backdrop of white capped peaks.

“Are you skiing?” “Snowboarding then?” “So, what are you doing here?” My reply was simple, I’m here to eat well and drink wine. In a town where every other backpacker, boys weekend or family vacation seem to hit the slopes or jump off either one of the tallest or oldest bungy’s in the world, is it possible to enjoy yourself as a single traveler not in the slightest interested in the above? Sure is. I’d even rate Queenstown as not only my number one favorite destination in New Zealand but at the top of my books all around. So what’s there to get up to?

The Bars:

I hung with the locals at Atlas Beer Café, deemed Queenstown’s home of craft beer including microbrew Emerson’s (go with the English Porter on the hand pump) along with some guest taps and locally sourced food, like the lick smacking steak with demi-glace and Café de Paris butter, served with a side salad and fries.

The Find, previously known as The World Bar, was a great place to go solo. Maybe it’s just because Queenstown, unlike many Aussie bars, actually have bar stools at the bar. There’s nothing better than saddling up at the bar for a snack staring up at the teapots which house cocktails for the backpackers who trickle in later in the evening.

And lastly, cozy, dimly lit places like The Bunker and Bardauex offer extensive New Zealand wine collections and a soothing, chilled out atmosphere with big comfy sofas around outdoor fire pits or indoor blazes.

This is between all of the countless bars and nightclubs including Cowboy’s, Winnie’s and Searle Social Club amongst many other late night spots where you can find inebriated late teens and early twenty-something’s, and myself on one or two occasions, dancing the night away.

The Wine:

But then let’s not forget it was the wine I came for.

The Winery is a storefront that offers a taste of over 80 different New Zealand wines. Grouped by variety, the philosophy of this place is simple, yet expensive. Insert your “wine card” and choose from a taste, half glass, or full glass of some of the most desired wines in the region. At about an average of $5 a taste, I tried a few high-end Pinots then called it day.

This was after I went on my Queenstown Trail: Original Wine Tour just the day before. Lance, a 20 year wine-guide veteran led us to four different wineries in the Gibbston Valley, Central Otago. I’d rate them as such:

Best Tasting Room: Gibbston Valley Winery – set in New Zealand’s largest wine cave

Best Tasting Host: Waitiri Creek – Jason, the vineyard manager of this family owned winery passionately and simply broke down the chemistry of wine making into terms us normal-folk could understand

Best Wine: Remarkable Wines – only winery where I enjoyed the whole range; walked away with the 2009 Pinot Noir

Best Notoriety: Amisfield – while I can’t afford their both delicate and elegant vintages, Will and Kate famously made a stop here on their recent visit

The Food:

When in New Zealand it’s all about the lamb, oysters and prime cuts of beef.

I felt I was back in Melbourne while dining at Madame Woo, an eclectic modern Asian restaurant with delectable sticky pork belly dishes and thick curry’s set to tune of some of my favorite bands like the Kooks and Cold War Kids.

While Vudu Café is rated the number one brunch spot, you’d be lucky to score a seat. Instead, Bob’s Weigh Café was a smaller, simpler option serving great muesli and rumored the best coffee in town.

The Great Outdoors:

Skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing aside, in town there are still a few options.

While the number one activity is to ride the Skyline Gondola up Bob’s Peak, I decided to take the bolder way up: my two feet. It took an hour from the base to zig zag through the forest up the mountain following the Tiki Trail. I’m not going to say it was easy, but nothing any reasonably fit person couldn’t handle with a few huff and puff’s in between Gatorade guzzling breaks. Even better, the trail was absolutely quiet. Only every so often I’d run into another hiker passing down on the trail. The best part was finally reaching the top and the breathtaking views over Lake Watakipu. Once at the summit there are a few options from dining, bungying, zip-lining, more hiking or the luge. And while the luge came highly recommended from a charming traveler I met, after standing in line for an hour in freezing rain sandwiched between two families with small, irritating children, my ride down the ‘scenic track’ was more of an escape effort if anything. With the rain coming down too heavy to hike back down Bob’s Peak, I coughed up the steep fair of $19 for the Gondola ride back into town. The People:

And none of my above experiences would have been so great if I was truly alone in it all. There were kind, approachable people that I met along the way. From an impromptu pub-crawl to discover the town with a friendly Norwegian, to the American and Aussie girls from my wine tour who invited me along to dinner and the handsome Irish boy who bought me chocolate/chocolate-chip ice cream. It was only on the last day as I sat in a café to escape the cold and rain before flying back to Australia that I had a sense of being alone, but luckily a book and one last English Porter did the trick.

Wine is coming

Wine is coming…and Bottle Shop Concepts hit the nail on the head once again. I entered St. Kilda Town Hall to the loud instrumentals of the Game of Thrones theme song, was handed my Riedel tasting glass and instantaneous evaluated the landscape of the adventure that lay before me. Game of Rhones, a five-hour journey tasting the wine varieties derived from the Rhones Valley in France.

The 50 or so producers divided to conquer their aptly themed regions of Southern Wilds (Geelong, Strathbogie Ranges, Yarra Valley), Central Lands (Bendigo, Heathcote, Central Victoria, Goulburn Valley, Pyrenees, Grampians, Rutherglen), The North (Canberra District, Hunter Valley), Western Plains (Margaret River, Frankland River, Great Southern), The Vales (Adelaide Hills, Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Clare Valley, Coonawarra), and Beyond the Wall (Rhone). There were over 150 wines on tasting from Shiraz, Grenache, Mourvedre, Carignan, Cinsault, Viognier, Marsanne, and Roussanne amongst blends and other surprising varieties.

I sipped from vendors dressed as hedge knights and head-to-toe dire wolf fur, from Elvis the Barossa King to a suit of armor crafted solely from wine boxes, and watched as fans and wine enthusiasts imitated characters Khal Drogo, Daenerys, Jaime Lannister and Robb Stark to name a few.

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Aside from all the eccentrics, the event also allowed me to experiment with new varieties. I had my first Marsanne, Roussanne and GSM, in which the latter I identified as not favorable for my pallet. I learned that Marsanne is classified as the white wine for red wine drinkers, and the Nagambie region is the largest Rhone growing in Australia. My favorite vendor was Michelle from Michelton Wines, who was not only helpful in explaining in great depth about the region and varieties, including their honey toned 2012 Marsanne and 2010 Heathcote Shiraz, but also was the only vendor that I truly enjoyed the whole range from. It was there that I finally recognized that when it comes to Shiraz my preference is heavier, fruit driven and full bodied.

Box Grove Vineyard took quite a unique approach with their Roussanne by offering a range of an aged, Sparking, and Shiraz blend. Although I didn’t love it, they were doing something new in the region and even make verjus, the pressed juice of unfermented grapes. I was kindly informed this is non-alcoholic. Attica, famously the best restaurant in Australia apparently goes through a litre a day. The zesty lime and fruity table additive would make a great salad dressing.

Notable standouts from the day include Thomas Estate Antiquarian Shiraz 2009; Yangarra Estate Vineyard Viognier 2013 and Old Vine Grenache 2012; Mitchell Harris Mataro, Grenache, Shiraz 2011; Fowles Wine The Exception 2013 Late Harvest Viognier and Stone Dweller 2009 Shiraz.

And while last year we drew an affinity to the wine maker from Bay of Fires, this year’s award for cutest vendor goes to the strapping lad from Man O’ War of New Zealand. Luckily for me, I’ll be in town next month to have another try of their Bellerophon 2012 Syrah Viognier.

Simply put the event was clever marketing. From prizes for best costume to entertaining Instagram photos with #wineiscoming hashtags, it took the best from our first Bottle Shop Concepts event Pinot Palooza last September and added a theatrical affair. Despite this being the second year running, we commented on the difference in demographic of the two, with more men and groups of friends creating more of a party-like atmosphere at Game of Rhones over it’s sister event that was very girlfriend oriented. Pinot Palooza is back this October and there’s nothing but a ticket purchase standing in my way!

My Tasmanian Secrets

Tasmania is not in Africa. It’s is not a remote tropical island in Southeast Asia either. If fact, Tasmania is just another state within Australia.

Often the butt of insensitive jokes by many Australians about inbred farmers, backward small town ways and the like, my recent visit was nothing of a joke though. I came purely for the Pinot Noir but left with so much more.

Hobart

A flight from Melbourne to Hobart round-trip cost me less then accommodation for one night in Launceston. It’s cheap and conveniently an hour away. I’m also lucky my friend David has a corporate apartment downtown so that was a gracious offer that made things very easy.

But with less than 48 hours in Hobart we had to narrow down our options and I would highly recommend the below:

Salamanca Place: for a small town, this is where the action happens. An old historic square with cafes, restaurants and bars around the parameter its one of the few areas open late and bound to have some people around, especially when we flew on a Thursday evening. On Saturday mornings the Salamanca Market is one of the most famous in Australia, with over 300 stalls of local crafts, produce, street performers and more. For drink and nosh I recommend Cargo Bar Pizza Lounge and Grape Food and Wine.

Market performers

Salamanca Market

Wood crafts

Made in Tasmania

Criterion salted caramel waffles

Criterion Street Café: was literally the best breakfast I’ve had in my life. After a friends recommendation to try the caramel salted waffles with vanilla mascarpone I was immediately smitten. We also wanted to try to the corn and green chili fritters since after all, it was breakfast. The service was impeccable, anticipating we wanted the fritters to share at the start and the waffles for dessert; they brought out two separate, huge servings and didn’t even charge extra. I don’t know if I’ve ever felt so full, but I would get on a plane right now to eat there again.

Museum of Old and New Art (MONA): This is the place known for being weird. Australians flock to Tasmania to visit the one true modern art gallery in the country. Those who have visited places such as MoMa and the Tate think it’s nothing too different but if you’re in Hobart this is a must visit.

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While you can drive, one of the best parts of the experience is to hop on the Mona Roma, the high-speed ferry that takes about 40 minutes to reach the museum. While not only being an educational ride with commentary about the landscape, the ferry offers decorative artwork, a funky interior of leather stools, a live parrot and even fake sheep as seats (cattle car) in addition to serving Moo Brew and Moorilla Estate wines on board. On the MONA property you could literally spend a whole day in the exhibits alone, everything from a room of TVs singing Madonna acapella to a poo machine, a project simulating the digestive system of the human body. But then there’s the food such as wood fired pizza, local cheese and meat platters and even fine dining; and the drink, like wine tastings from Moorila Estate and beer flights from Boo Brew; and the scenery, overlooking the water, the vineyard and the town in the background. Saturdays they host markets on the lawn, where on occasion are live performers and it’s just a great place to relax in the sun and enjoy chilled out Tasmania.

East Coast

After leaving Hobart we decided to drive up the east coast to make our way north to Launceston. It all happened in just one day and was jam-packed. I definitely recommend spacing it out if you’ve got the time.

Tasmanian Devil Conservation Park: There’s a reason why I love and thoroughly read my in flight magazine. In this instance, without doing so I would not have known to visit and contribute to saving the endangered Tasmanian devils. They’re only found in the wild in Tasmania, so what a once in a lifetime experience. The entrance fee was a bit steep at $33, but knowing the proceeds went toward a good cause made it worth it. The dog like animals, many of which have a contagious facial cancer were interesting to watch, as they are the largest meat-eating marsupial. While in heat they made loud, screeching noises while barring their razor teeth and were quite aggressive during their feeding time, which we got to watch (dead possum, yum). There were some other animals at the park as well such as kangaroos, wallabies, and birds so there is enough wildlife to kill an hour or so to make it worth the visit.

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Port Arthur

Port Arthur: is a historical site about an hour and half southeast of Hobart that used to house convicts. Not just any convicts, but those that had already committed a crime and their first punishment was to be sent to Australia in the first place. If you committed another, Port Arthur was your likely destiny. The admission fee included a 40 minute guided tour, which was enough to help us understand what we were looking at and where we wanted to spend the remainder of our time while exploring the grounds. Unfortunately, because we had such a long drive ahead of us it meant we didn’t discover much, but even dropping by made for a beautiful drive and an educational experience.

Freycinet National Park: is a beautiful national park on the east coast of Tasmania about 3 hours north from Port Arthur. Our sole purpose was to visit Wineglass Bay, an outlet of Cole’s Bay shaped like a wineglass. Our plan was to drive up the coast, have a hike around the national park, watch the water shimmer against Wineglass Bay and then travel on to Launceston. But we arrived too late. Dusk was starting to set and frankly, Wineglass Bay didn’t look like anything special. The park information center was already closed and we didn’t have a permit to park. We went for about a 5-minute hike, or more specifically it was just a walk to the water’s edge, and decided to call it a day. Luckily the Edge Restaurant at the Edge of the Bay Resort was open for dinner. We figured, at the least enjoying a delicious meal overlooking the bay would make the long travel time worth it before we had to head back into the car to make our way further North. I had the local specialty of the blue eye trevalla coupled with the Freycinet Valley’s own, Gala Estate Riesling.

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No one told us in advance not to drive at night though. I will tell you now, do not drive at night! It was another two hours after we left Cole’s Bay to Launceston and we figured easy enough. But once on the road, winding our way away from the coast inland and north the GPS took us through another national park. Pitch black, there was no one else on the slow, curvy road. I put on my glasses because at that point I had one official duty, to watch the side of the road for animals. Carcass after carcass of dead animal bodies lay splattered on the road ahead of us so we decided to slow down even more, going no more then 40 kilometers while the radio blasted Saturday evening techno music. It was going to be a long 2 hours, and despite our best efforts before we knew it, boom. Regrettably, a huge kangaroo ran into the car from the side. Luckily he hopped away and we are still praying he is okay.

Launceston

I recently discovered that Tasmanians from Hobart and Launceston have a city rivalry. With just a short amount of time in both cities, I’d put my money on Launceston.

Tamar Valley: Pronounced tame-er, out of all the wine valleys in Tasmania we chose to tour this one. Their Pinot Noirs can be described as heavy and earthy, similar to those of Oregon in the Northwest of the US. I had high hopes and anticipated shipping home cases and cases, but I left with just one bottle in my suitcase (interestingly from the Coal River Valley outside of Hobart). I’m not sure if my disappointment was because I don’t fully understand my own pallet, or simply because I was more surprised to learn and love their dry Rieslings, interesting Fume Blanc’s and mild Sparkling. I even revisited my old friends Pinot Gris and Pinot Grigio and learnt in more detail the actual difference of the two.

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We booked a tour with Prestige Leisure Tours, and by luck we were actually the only ones booked in for the day. That meant we could customize the tour to our liking and our number one priority was to visit Bay of Fires, one of our top picks from the Pinot Palooza event we attended back in September. But first we made a stop a Josef Chromy, the worldwide winner for their 2011 Chardonnay that was obviously, but unfortunately not available for tasting. I did however purchase the 2013 to hold on to in the hopes it will mature just as nicely as I’m told that Chardonnay is Tasmania’s best kept secret.

The favorite of the day was Dalamere Vineyard, a small family owned winery in the Pipers Brook region. We got to sit with the winemaker Fran and chat in detail about their handpicked fruits and it was pleasant to just be in a casual, non-touristy setting. Despite them being known for their excellent sparkling, I left with the most interesting of them all, the 2013 Fume Blanc.

We had lunch at Piper’s Brook Vineyard, but I was less impressed with their larger scale production and average food. We then moved on to Leaning Church, another small, picturesque vineyard with amazing views, but I found none of the wine too memorable. At the least, our fabulous driver Michael was helpful in providing recommendations on how to spend our last 24 hours in Tasmania.

Dickens Cider: offers amazing, locally produced ciders and the cute bar in downtown Launceston was a clear next stop once we returned from the wine tour. This is real cider too, thick, cloudy and only natural sugars, it was a refreshing alternative to the bottled stuff I usually drink on other occasions.

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The owner recommended and made reservations for us at the Black Cow Bistro, one of the town’s best upmarket restaurants offering Tasmania’s finest steak. Oh my, truffle béarnaise sauce on lean Tasmanian beef, despite us being quite a few drinks deep we still enjoyed the deliciousness of it all. We made one last stop off for the night, despite it being a Sunday and stumbled over to St. John Craft Beer. I was so excited to try some different beers offered on their ten or so taps but left frustrated and disappointed. The two brothers who owned the place were quite rude and unhelpful, assuming I would want just an average lager and didn’t offer tastings. It was like pulling teeth before I got handed over the amazing Kooinda Black IPA.

Coal River Valley

It was only 2 hours south down the middle of the state to the quant town of Richmond before we turned off to visit much acclaimed Frogmore Creek Wines. We had a couple of hours to kill before our flight back to Melbourne and I refused to leave without a Pinot Noir, despite the other 3 bottles of white wine in my suitcase. Unfortunately their restaurant was closed so we had a quick tasting, I bought a bottle of the 2012 42 degrees Pinot Noir and we moved on.

Coal Valley Vineyard

Coal Valley Vineyard was just a kilometer or so down the road so we turned off to enjoy an amazing cheese platter and a glass of pinot in the sunshine overlooking the vines. This was the perfect way to close off the vacation. Shortly afterward we made our way over to Barilla Bay Oyster Farm, literally a five-minute drive from the airport to try some fresh oysters before boarding our flight. The restaurant didn’t open until 5 unfortunately, so we got a plate of 12 fresh oysters from the take out counter and sat and enjoyed them on ice with a squeeze of lemon.

The Qantas Lounge in Hobart’s airport is only open until 4 pm fyi, which was really disappointing. We still had some time until our evening flight departed so sat in the airport enjoying one last pinot, Abel’s Tempest Pinot Noir, the same wine we had on our first night in Salamanca to close out the trip in a very Tassie way.

Melbourne Food & Wine, Oh So Fine

The annual Melbourne Food and Wine Festival is happening now. Should I consider these 17 days my new favorite time of year?

Despite involuntary urges to register myself for nearly every fine dining, wine sipping, foodie-mingling experience, I had to restrain myself. Instead, I opted to dabble lightly in the water-themed festivities by attending one free and one paid event.

Nestled in bustling Queensbridge Square (Southbank) and literally on the Yarra River overlooking the city is the Immersery, festival kitchen, bar and rain garden. In theory, it’s a free event but in reality you won’t leave without being tempted to spend some cash.

The Immersery

The massive pop-up venue has a floating bar featuring live acoustic music, a rainforest and misting rooftop bar serving Victoria’s Seppelt, Coldstream Hills and T’Gallant wine and a tempting menu of dumplings, fine meat selections and vegetarian options crafted by leading chef’s from Melbourne’s top restaurants Silo, Añada & Bomba, Huxtable & Huxtaburger, Borrowed Space, and Tani Eat & Drink. To be honest, after spending $55 on a bottle of Coldstream Hills Chardonnay, $30 on the disappointing meat platter we roamed around to learn a bit more about green living, explored the mist of the rain garden and called it day.

My highlight of the festival however was the King and the Squire five-course degustation held at the Portland Hotel and James Squire Brewhouse last Saturday. I expected pub food and poorly matched beer pairings but left with a stomach full of exquisite deliciousness and ten beers deep.

King Island Tasting Menu

Sat at long tables the event was a mix of family style sharing and individual serves all paired to the likes of James Squire beers around the theme of King Island, a small island off the coast of Tasmania known for beef, cheese and seafood. General Manager Joe kicked things off with an entertaining introduction of how they conceptualized the King Island theme around Cloud Juice and walked us through each course offering educational tips on the differences between lager and ale, the beer making process and how to pour the perfect pint.

The meal started off with a shooter size serve of gazpacho: seaweed, a hint of chili and quite rich, it was the perfect serving size and ended with a large oyster at the finish. Also, a great paring with the Orchard Crush Apple Cider.

Chilled Gazpacho

The next course was worth the money alone. As Joe finished telling us about Cloud Juice, the purest of rainwater collected on King Island and bottled to the likes of marketing influenced tourists I saw the masterpiece out of the corner of my eye being served to the next table. Huge buckets full of a seafood wonderland served on ice. Whole lobsters, razor clams, mussels, raw oysters, oysters shots, and 5 pepper fried prawns. A bucket served four people and that was overly generous. As I expertly removed the lobster meat from the claw like a seasoned professional in one pull, the experience combined with the taste sent me back to summers at the Jersey Shore.

Seafood Bucket

Our next course, and we’re nearly full at this stage, was a large portion of very rare steak, almost too rare but also so tender. Accompanied by crispy carrots covered in cinnamon, a beautifully sweet parsnip puree and oxtail dumplings exploding with flavor. While others commented the oxtail was unnecessary and too much meat on the plate I agree there could have been a green however the bitterness of the cabbage on the dumpling exterior was a nice balance to the rest of the dish. The Nine Tales Amber Ale was the perfect accompaniment to the red meat.

Eye Fillet

Whether you want desert or not when someone puts a warm chocolate fondant in front of you with fresh mint mango sorbet (the one item not from King Island yet there was no shame in admitting it), it’s impossible to say no. Paired with the Jack of Spades Porter it went handsomely with the chocolate.

King Island Cheese Platter

Mango sorbet and choc fondant

To close the day was a platter of King Island roaring 40’s blue, sharp cheddar and a soft Brie with two last beers.

After thanking the top chef Nick, Joe was more than accurate when he said, “ I think we all know the hero of the day is the cow!” I’m overly impressed with the attention to detail, serving sizes and both value and superiority of the food. Will definitely be attending a future event at the Portland Hotel.

To top it off, as I said, attention to detail, we were all given a quick tour of the brewery, sample menus from the day’s servings, and a bottle of Cloud Juice!

Cloud Juice

The Perfect Pour

James Squire Brewhouse

Shedfest 2013: SGS

My notes scribbled into my little green notebook look like chicken scratch. This is the result of another hard day of of wine tasting attending Shedfest, an annual wine festival held along the southern side of the Yarra Valley. You’ll need to keep reading if you want to understand the “SGS” reference to this blog title however the premise of Shedfest is you buy a glass for $10 and visit less then a dozen (eight to be exact) small wine makers for tastings in their shed, perhaps nibble on some local cuisine and listen to live music.

Saturday was the type of day where you just could pull a blanket onto the grass, listen to music and sip wine in the sunshine. A perfect day for Shedfest. Sunday was the type of day to sit by the fire, escape from the rain, and eat hearty food and taste delicious wine. The other principle of Shedfest. We attended on Sunday.

There were some notable highlights to the day however. We began the day at breakfast in Richmond to fill our stomachs before the hour or so journey east. As usual, I had the avocado smash. I was thankful to Brent for driving and we passed the time on our way into the country chatting about obscenities and saying mini prayers the rain would pass (or at least I secretly was).

#1: Whispering Hills

For the first stop of the day we were eager to get our tasting on. This stop coincided with the booze bus for those that didn’t have a chauffer such as we did so there was a bit of a backlog to get to the tasting. In the end, I favored the white cuvee (chardonnay dominant) over the black cuvee (pinot noir dominant) and was engrossed by the 2010 chardonnay, considering 2010 was the best vintage for the variety in the region. Although I learned a great deal from my host, such as the fact that wine labels only need to claim a blend if it contains more than 14% of another variety – which in turn means you can be tricked and aren’t always drinking just one grape when you think you are – he was very, very slow so I snatched up a bottle of the chardonnay and we were out of there.

#2: Seville Estate

Before we go on, Seville is pronounced sev-el, not like the Spanish city.

This estate contained one of the larger sheds and had about ten different wines offered for tasting. This was quite impressive and a treat to taste everything from sauvignon blanc to tempranillo. The set up of live jazz positioned against oak barrels piled high produced a warm aesthetic against the pouring rain outside however I found all of the wines easy drinking but frankly just average. So average in fact that we risked running to the car in the rain instead of sitting it out in order to move on to a vineyard where we’d be more inclined to buy a bottle to relax and share.

#3: Payne’s Rise

The most picturesque property of the day, with cute little farm props positioned over the grounds, cows who posed for us out in the grass, a beautiful lookout over the valley and even a notable dog house for Dash. This was the type of vineyard you could envision a laid-back wedding being held at or just kicking back any day of the week. I’m not a big rose drinker, but I found the rose on tasting inoffensive. In fact, if you closed your eyes you wouldn’t even guess it was a rose on first taste.

At this point we had collected a stamp from each winery for our Shedfest passports and turned them in to win the draw of a case of wine. Cross your fingers!

#4: Brumfield Winery

We sought out this eclectic vineyard specifically for the pies advertised. As one would imagine by winery #4 we were getting fairly hungry. However, before we could divulge in our pies we made our way out to the paddock to greet a big mama cow so large she could have given birth right then, surrounded by a few other calves, either llamas or impalas (no one knew), a crazy sheep/goat thing and one fat chicken (aka chook). Their website claims, “our food shows passion for fresh, seasonal produce, sourced locally where possible.” I guess we know where our pies came from.

Once inside the homely room which contained local artwork collections, a lovely cellist and mandolin duet kept the atmosphere buzzing while we gulped down inside-out meat pies and shared a bottle of the 2012 shiraz – at the time of which I claimed was the best red of the day. The cabernet sauvignon caught my attention as well, in fact my exact notes read, “Cali, what what!”

#5: Five Oaks Vineyard

And lastly we arrived at Five Oaks. I wouldn’t have asked for any better last stop of the day, specifically thanks to Wally.

Wally, a Canadian, shared a story based around what he likes to call a “latency insanity gene” and this is what inspired him to move to Australia and purchase a winery. His criteria included:

Good wine
Good neighborhood/community
Good city for food/wine in close proximity

And so he settled on the Yarra Valley. Now, I would say the wine labels and winery itself could use some more character, but Wally and his good humored nature made up for it. In fact, as we tasted, Wally himself was sipping on what he likes to call “SGS”. Once we finished the tastings and were about to go Wally offered us to try some SGS ourselves. Now, SGS is basically his reserve wine, however in a mock to Jacobs Creek who put ‘reserve’ on just about anything these days, Wally labeled all of his premium wines “SGS” otherwise known as ‘seriously good sh*t’.

How could we all not buy a bottle after that story!

I’m a pinotphile

For just one day only I officially classified myself as a pinotphile. Don’t worry, it’s even better then it sounds. Whilst attending Pinot Palooza 2013 at St. Kilda Town Hall in Melbourne, my bonafide pinotphile status enabled me to sip and mingle with over 50 wine makers and hundreds of pinot devotees from Australia and New Zealand.

Only the second year running overall, but for my first time in attendance I would call the 2013 event as a success. I must admit, it was a bit overwhelming at first, with the masses lining up at each vendor, and some a bit pushy mind you. Australian wineries marked their territory on one side of the great hall, while New Zealand vendors were positioned on the other.

I’m a huge fan of the Central Otago wine region, specifically because of their pinot variety, so we started our adventure on the New Zealand side. Top winners in my book included Yealands ‘Reserve’ 2011, Nanny Goat Vineyard ‘ Super Nanny’ 2012, Jackson Estate ‘Vintage Window’ 2011 and Maude Pinot Noir 2011.

But before my pallet became tainted by the South Island it was a mad dash across the room to Tasmania, known for their cool climate and earthy tones. On my hit list of Tasmanian wineries was Bay of Fires due to their cute wine rep, um, I mean my favorites of the day Eddystone Pinot 2011 and the almighty Hardy’s Eileen 2012. Runners up included Dalrymple Single Site CV90 2011 and Lethrbridge Estate “Mietta’ 2009 and Menage a Noir, although Lethbridge is situated in Victoria close to home.

Five hours straight of pinot tasting can take its toll, and I would suggest the event organizers take note to place some tables and chairs in abundance for future events. I also recommend they offer spit buckets at each vendor or perhaps their absence was strategic. Luckily, the sun was shining and it was easy to take a quick escape to have a rest and a water break out on the front steps watching the world go by.

I may have had an interior motive to bump elbows with single young bachelors’ who equally share a love for the light and fruity blend, but call me dubious for not anticipating the obvious. The event was filled with girlfriend clics and coupled up gay men. Oh well, we still made some new acquaintances once the pinot got flowing.

One of the biggest takeaways from the event was Riedel’s sponsorship. With our ticket purchase, $60 included unlimited tastings, James Halliday’s Wine Companion and a complimentary Riedel tasting glass valued at $30. Even better, we stuck around until the very end to each collect our own personal Riedel glass set from those left behind. Now, let’s just hope they don’t break in the dishwasher.

With a beautiful location at St. Kilda Town Hall, DJ’s, local catering and engaging wine reps, there wasn’t too much not to love. Vocally observing the men representing the wineries towards the end of the event, all with a beer in hand, I quote Stoney Rise from Tasmania in response. “It takes a lot of beer to make wine.”

The event moved on from Melbourne to Sydney then Brisbane and I was envious of those yet to attend but Pinot Palooza 2014 will definitely be on my agenda. My only last regret is that there were no wine sales on site. Luckily I have my trusty Pinot Palooza app with a full shopping cart ready to order all my favorites.

Mornington Peninsula

The Mornington Peninsula is a region southeast of Melbourne known for producing fabulous pinot noirs and chardonnays – two of my favorite varieties. Although small, the fifty or so wineries scattered about it, in addition to cheese farms, strawberry fields, weekend markets and cute B&Bs make for the perfect weekend getaway.

After about an hour’s drive Wes, Gemma, Anne Marie and I found ourselves winding around the steep incline up to the top of Arthur’s Seat, a major tourist attraction overlooking the peninsula, the city of Melbourne in the far distance, and a beautiful view of the ocean 305 meters above sea level. On a cloudy day like yesterday our view of the city was limited unfortunately however the overall lookout was breathtaking. After a quick jaunt around the national park and a photo snap on Arthur’s infamous seat it was time to move on.

T’Gallant winery was our first stop. With picnic tables hugging the vines it was the perfect place for a cheese plate and gourmet pizza, accompanied by a not too oversweet moscato and a bottle of their sparkling. Bringing along Wes’ dachshund Frieda meant we were the posse accompanying his celebrity, as guests couldn’t resists a pat despite his sandy paws leaving dirt prints on their pants. Overdivulging, we didn’t leave before trying their ice cream with honeycomb dessert and at that point the rain had settled and we were eager to move on.

Next door, I thought it was a joke that we arrived at Ten Minutes by Tractor, another fabulous, two-chef winery in the region. This small cozy winery consists of three local farms only ten minutes by tractor from one to another, which inspired the name once they decided to partner up. Already high profile due to their celebratory chef status, they’ve been featured in many magazines, including a favorite of mine Qantas’ The Australian Way. I couldn’t leave without their 10X pinot noir in my hand.

Opting for a something different, we headed another few minutes down the road to Mock Red Hill orchard. A bit desolate we weren’t even sure if they were open, but upon walking into the original cool room built in 1945 we were greeted with friendly smiles by two of the siblings of the family owned business. We learnt quite a bit about the fine details of cider making, and the Mock family pride themselves on their biodynamic, no sugar added ciders. Clearly, how could I resist not walking out with a 6-pack of their fine classic cider.

Not sure what our next stop would be, we took an impromptu left turn as Gemma shouted, “that one,” and found ourselves at the cellar door of Lindeberry at Red Hill. Not realizing at first, this hoity toity wedding reception hall, spa and cellar door has recently won a five star for their pinot noir in the James Halliday 2014 wine competition. The priciest yet of all of our visits, yet well worth the cost of the pinot.

As the day was winding down we traveled another 30 minutes south to the sea to stop in the small village of Portsea. Animals were forbidden in the national park and we didn’t want to discriminate against Frieda so bundled up in Portsea Hotel’s back garden. Relaxing on wooden picnic benches, the view overlooked the ocean and we nibbled on potatoes wedges with sour cream and sweet chili as our last stop of the day before making the sleepy journey back up to Melbourne.

What a beautiful day, and I feel so grateful to Wes for taking me to yet again another beautiful wine region. I leave you with a fine quote of his, “he’s a prawn – you take the head off, and the rest is fine.”

These Two Eyes!

Welcome to These Two Eyes! Follow along for travel, food and experience recommendations across the world!

Wineries

Cycling the Vineyards of Marlborough, New Zealand

Christmas in South Australia

Game On Adelaide: A Weekend of Food and Wine

Wine is coming

My Tasmanian Secrets

Shedfest 2013: SGS

I’m a pinotphile

Mornington Peninsula

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