Wine

Margaret River, and why you should visit

July 12, 2020 by Fran 7 Comments

Heading South from Perth

Less than 3 hours after having breakfast in Perth, we were driving through Yalingup in the Margaret River region. We had a little time before our first wine tasting of the day so we headed west off Caves Road, driving the short distance to the sea and called in at Canal Rocks. Our first glimpse of this beautiful coastline. Passing Cape Lavender cafe on the way we made a mental note to try and check out their famous afternoon tea. Being a sucker for a good scone, and always on the search for the best high tea in Australia, we would strive to call in over the weekend.

Canal Rocks in Margaret River, more than wine — First sight of the sea, at Canal Rocks

Time to taste what Margaret River is all about

Thoughts of scones pushed aside, at 12.30pm we sat down to enjoy what we really came to Margaret River for. Wine. This was our first visit to Domaine Naturaliste and we were booked in for a seated tasting and a charcuterie board. Owned by Bruce Dukes, a contract winemaker in the Margaret River region for over 30 years, Domaine Naturaliste is a relatively new cellar door with a vineyard that was only purchased in 2018.

Margaret River wine and the Domaine Naturaliste cellar door — Domaine Naturaliste

We sampled 6 excellent wines, with me favouring the three whites we had. We didn’t have to wait long before making our first purchase of the weekend, taking a “Sauvage” chardonnay and the “Floris” Sauvignon Blanc. Both fresh, with well balanced acidity, and subtle hints of oak.

Voyager Estate, a hint of South Africa

Next up was Voyager Estate, again for a seated tasting. Voyager is a grand vineyard housed in some beautifully tended gardens. This was our second visit and we had previously been struck by the similarities with the cellar doors we visited in Franschhoek, South Africa. This was explained when we read the information on the original owner who garnered inspiration from his many trips to South Africa.

Margaret River vineyards and cellar doors, this is Voyager Estate. — Margaret River, or Franschhoek?

The tasting at Voyager was for 3 wines, choosing from an extensive list of options. I went for the Chardonnay (becoming a firm favourite), and a Chenin Blanc (here again is the South African influence), and finished with a new release Cabernet Sauvignon.

Ordinarily a self confessed red wine fan, my palate definitely leant to the white grape. The Chenin Blanc was a standout, and I quickly added to our day’s wine collection. Vik was quite taken by one of the Cabernet Sauvignons, which she slipped into the bag, before I realised it was $81 a bottle!

No visit to Voyager Estate is complete without a walk around the magnificently manicured gardens, stopping to take in the delicate aromas of the resplendent roses.

Something a little stronger than Margaret River wine

Margaret River is more than just wine, as good as that wine is. As a premier gourmet destination you will find something for everyone. Tucked away off the main Bussel Highway, a short distance from the Margaret River township, is the Margaret River Distilling Company.

Originally started up in Albany, in the state’s Southern region, the distillery’s outpost in Margaret River provides both food and drink. Before making a purchase, which I consider compulsory each time I visit, try a tasting paddle of either the award winning gin or whisky. My love of a good whisky nightcap is no secret and I couldn’t leave without a bottle of Limeburner’s Port Cask single malt. I was already imagining later that evening, sat silently on the deck, star gazing, sipping a wee dram.

Beerfarm, a must visit

But before then, as the sun started serenely setting to our left, we headed the 20 minutes north, back up the Bussel Highway to somewhere that had been on my “must visit” list for quite some time. Located on 80 acres of farmland, housed in an old dairy farm in Metricup, the Beerfarm comes universally recommended. It was time to find out for ourselves what all the fuss was about.

Beerfarm in the Margaret River — Ready for a pint of craft beer

A large open space, with a bar at one end and a kitchen housed by the old cow sheds, Beerfarm ticks all the boxes. A wide range of craft beers on tap, of which the Pale Ale is a personal favourite, and a kitchen slinging out portions of meat that have to be seen to be believed. Friday is “steak night” up on the ‘Farm and we ordered the tomahawk. Sipping our beers, looking out across the paddock, as the sun slowly turned the skies all colours of red, we were in for a surprise.

And this was the surprise. I was assured that it was cow, and not dinosaur, but good lord, have you ever seen anything like it?

The amazing Tomahawk steak served up at Margaret River’s Beerfarm — The Tomahawk steak at Beerfarm

We will never finish this, we mumbled to the waiter. As the empty plates were cleared away we wondered out loud whether we still had room for desert.

Day 2 dawns in Margaret River

Our second morning started the way many of our mornings away start. With bacon and egg butties at home before heading out on the short drive to Prevelly, a surf spot just up from Gnarabup beach. In Margaret River this is often our morning walk, along the sea, amongst the sand dunes, under bright blue skies and a mild winter breeze.

Gnarabup Beach in Margaret River — Gnarabup Beach

No visit to this area, and specifically to Gnarabup is complete without a visit to the White Elephant cafe for coffee. A local’s favourite, the “Elie” is rammed each day with hardy swimmers warming up with their post swim brew. Hordes of hungry locals feast on the breakfast and lunch dishes whipped up but today we were only here for drinks. One of the joys of life is to get a very good strong latte and sit overlooking the beach and sea, taking in views that stretch all the way up to Prevelly beach.

Coffee with a view, at White Elephant cafe, Gnarabup. — My happy place

Xanadu the vineyard, not the song

Suitably caffeinated it was time to move onto something a little stronger, and to head to our first tasting of the day. Another new vineyard, today we were off to Xanadu, a place we can’t pass without bursting into song. Seriously, it is impossible. Xanadu wines turns out to have the longest drive way of any vineyard I have ever visited. At one point I thought we were going to end up back in Perth. But the drive was worth it, entering a cracking cellar door and sampling some more of the world class wine on offer in this stunning region.

Like our cousins across the Tasman, Australia is now charging for tastings as the Kiwis do. I understand why, and chatting to staff at the cellar doors they explain it is to stop the many tour buses that disperse tourists at cellar doors who then taste a lot of wine, taking up lots of time from the staff, and then leave empty handed. It does make sense. Making wine is an expensive business. With tasting fees negated with any purchase of wine, we are seldom impacted, very rarely leaving a cellar door empty handed. And today was no exception.

One of the best lunches in Margaret River

When in Margaret River, one of the real pleasures, besides trying all the excellent wine, is having lunch at one of the vineyard restaurants. There are lots to choose from but today we were returning to the highly acclaimed “Rustico” at the Hay Shed Hill vineyard.

Originally starting out in Rockingham, the Margaret River outpost of Rustico serves up a 5 course degustation menu. From the Abrolhos Island scallops that are first up, to the best ever (really, and I have had a LOT) roast pork belly, and ending with the desert plate, every mouthful was an absolute delight. Being the skipper for the day I finished on a strong coffee, whilst Vik rounded off a great afternoon with a Lady Marmalade gin cocktail.

Cape Mentelle

With one eye on how much wine we had tasted, and knowing we still had to drive, we decided to return to the cottage and leave the car. Earlier, we had discovered that Cape Mentelle, another vineyard we had yet to visit, was literally across the road from where we were staying.

Strolling back along the eucalyptus perfumed back road, towards Cape Mentelle, we soon discovered that whilst the entrance was across the road, and in sight, what we couldn’t see was the subsequent 1km walk to the cellar door. With not long till closing, we needed to get marching if we were to get a tasting, and get back out before the large iron gates closed at 5pm.

I long ago stopped extolling the virtues of the wine from Margaret River. It is no surprise to me that Margaret River produces over 20 per cent of Australia’s premium wines. Ever since Perth cardiologist, Tom Cullity, planted the first vines at Vasse Felix in 1967, Margaret River has continued to blossom into a world leading wine region. And the drops grown and produced at Cape Mentelle are no exception. Another couple of bottles were added to our collection.

The evening saw us relaxing at the cottage, with a charcuterie board and a bottle of Chenin Blanc, sat on the deck as the sky grew dark. Watching the kangaroos going about their evening rituals, and with us even spotting the odd shooting star. A great end to a great day.

Reflecting on another great Margaret River weekend

It is always with a tinge of sadness that I sip my coffee on the morning of departure from this beautiful region. And it was no different this time. Sat in a silence only broken by birdsong, watching the dozens of kangaroos grazing in the paddock in front of me, I reflected on what makes this area so special. So restorative.

The friendly locals, kangaroos in the paddock at Margaret River — What are you looking at?

It is the slow nature of life. The hardworking locals who produce some of the worlds best food and drink. It is the beautiful scenery. The Indian Ocean on one side, lapping against some of the most picturesque beaches you will ever see, and the acres of forest that separate the sea from the township of Margaret River.

However, the sadness I feel about leaving is balanced against the gratitude I feel to be able to share in some of this magical place, and also happiness that I know it won’t be long before we return to Margaret River.

And we never did get back to Cape Lavender but we did get our home baked scones, calling in at Berry Farm who provided us with a takeaway option to keep us going on the drive home.

The Wonderful World of Wine

May 19, 2019 by Fran Leave a Comment

If you have been reading along with me for some time, you may have noticed I like a glass of wine. Well, I like a few glasses. Sometimes the whole bottle. And if you read my posts on the wine regions of New Zealand, the wineries of the Hunter Valley, or how I spent my days in Margaret River, you will know that I learn about wine through wine tasting.

Sparkling wines of the Hunter Valley — Sparkling wines in the Hunter Valley

But, like me, have you ever been intimidated when handed a wine list in a restaurant? Page after page of wines of every conceivable grape, from every conceivable region. Where do you start? Some restaurants employ a sommelier, which often makes the situation worse. How to not sound ignorant. Or hint that you don’t know what you like, and want. How to pick a wine under the steely gaze of the “expert”? Go for the second most expensive option? Then you have fallen into the most common trap set by restaurants. Knowing that you will probably avoid the most expensive wine on their list, they will stick the wine they want to sell the most of as the next most expensive. You feel like you have got a better deal. The restaurant has sold the wine they originally wanted to sell. Confusing isn’t it?

The wine list of Gemelli estate in the Hunter Valley — Where to start…

For me, this confusion felt very similar when I first started visiting cellar doors. Walk through the large, old, brown wooden doors, into a cool space, greeted with a smile, and a “how can I help you?”. A sense of panic grips you as you are faced with racks and racks of expensive looking wine. You feel like you are in the wrong place. You are not ready for this. You are not experienced enough. You feel inadequate.

Well, you are wrong. You just want to try some new wines. Have some fun. Learn a little more about the wonderful world of wine. Maybe even buy a bottle to go with tonight’s BBQ. Or you need a good bottle to take to the BYO restaurant (bring your own, a very popular concept here in Australia) you have dinner reservations for at 8.30pm. But which wines should you try? Do you have to try them in order? Do you swirl your glass around? (apparently yes, with everything expect sparkling wines). And should you smell the wine, or drink it? (it turns out that it is both).

Chandon Estate in the Yarra Valley, Melbourne. — The House of Chandon, Yarra Valley, Melbourne

What are the big open receptacles on the counter for? Well, these are for spitting out the wine, not drinking wine out of. Don’t copy Paul Giamatti in the hilarious film “Sideways”, where a couple of mates spend a weekend in the hills near Napa Valley drinking Merlot, amongst others.

Paul Giamatti in Sideways, wine tasting. — Taking wine tasting a little too far – “Sideways”

You may have seen those well versed in wine tasting do a little swirl of the stuff in their mouths. Making a little inhale of air as they do it. It is harder than it looks, and takes some practice. If you don’t want to choke on your Cabernet, I wouldn’t suggest you try it for the first time at the cellar door.

Wine tasting can be daunting if you try and follow any rules. My advice is, don’t. Relax. Look at the tasting list, which will be order from the lighter wines, bubbles and white, through the reds, and often onto the dessert wines, and port style drinks. Often called “stickies” in Australia. And decide what you want to try. If you are not driving, and preferably you won’t be, having availed yourself of an organised tour, I would suggest you try a bit of everything. Work through the list, top to bottom. Don’t be shy. And don’t be afraid. It is what most people do. This allows you to really test your palette, and work out what wines you like.

Wine tasting in the Swan Valley, Perth, Western Australia. — Enjoying a bottle in the Swan Valley, Perth

Like a lot of things, wine tasting is subject to personal preference and taste. One man’s sensational Semillon, will be another woman’s bitter Barolo. We all like different flavour profiles, and trying lots of different wines will allow you to find yours. Wine has hundreds of flavour profiles, but don’t let this daunt you. All you need to know is which ones taste nice in your mouth, and after you have swallowed. Which leaves a good “finish”? And which will you empty in to the spittoon?

Go on, get tasting. Dive into the wonderful world of wine, and leave me a comment below on what wines you prefer. I am always on the lookout for a new drop, or a new region to try.

Salud!

11 (and a ½) Magic Moments in Margaret River

April 28, 2019 by Fran 2 Comments

Day 1

Get Breakfast – No day starts properly without a great breakfast. And they don’t come much better than the ones served up at the White Elephant café in Gnarabup. Mingle with the locals who are drying off after their early morning dip in the ocean, grab a table, and enjoy scrambled eggs whilst being mesmerised by the huge waves crashing on to the beach. Have a post brekkie stroll, along the beach path towards Surfers Point at Prevelly.

White Elephant cafe, Gnarabup, Margaret River — White Elephant cafe, overlooking the sea

2. Get Underground – The parts of Margaret River that you can see are beautiful. What I didn’t realise is that there is as much beauty beneath your feet. There are over 200 limestone caves in the region, some of which you can explore. An opportunity to learn your stalactite from your stalagmite. On the rather aptly named Caves Road, there are a number that you can enter, choosing to visit either just one, or a combination of all of them. We visited two, both of which were enchanting.

Lake Cave with a guided tour for $22.50, bookings essential
Mammoth Cave with a self guided audio tour, no booking required

Cave entrance — Somewhere down there is the entrance

3. Get supplies for your picnic – If it is a Saturday morning, get along to the excellent Margaret River Farmers Market, just south of town on the main road. Very much a community event, there are many stalls selling everything from wood fired bread, artisan cheeses, fruit, vegetables, coffee, and anything else you could need. Most of the stalls do have card facilities but it is worth taking some actual, old fashioned cash to cater for the few that don’t. If like me, cash is something you are not familiar with, there is an ATM conveniently located in the service station just across the road.

4. Get amongst the vines – Let’s get this straight. Nobody comes to Margaret River without planning to try a few of the world class wines produced in the region. And, what fun is there in being amongst all this quality wine, but then having to worry about driving? None. So, spend the afternoon exploring one of the many vineyards with an organised wine tour. We went with Margaret River tours. An excellent tour visiting 4 very different vineyards, and with the opportunity to taste chocolate, and cheese in between. Are you sold? What is not to like. Margaret River has over 215 wineries, over more than 5000 hectares, and produces some of Australia’s most premium wines, over 20%, despite only producing 3% of Australia’s wine. The wine tours can book up early. Another option to check out, which I can also highly recommend, is Grape Escape for either a private, or group tour. Having only relatively recently escaped the rat race of the big city, these guys are now making quite a name for themselves in the tourism scene.

5. Get Settled – After a long day, you probably need a big feed. There are many options for dinner in town. We went traditional, and chose the iconic Settlers Tavern, which has its own meat smoker on the deck. That sold it for me. I certainly took advantage, having the very succulent lamb ribs, 8 of the beauties. If you want something lighter, there is a very extensive menu from you to choose from, together with, as you would expect, a very comprehensive wine list. Being in Western Australia, I opted for a beer, not being able to resist a pint of Little Creatures, brewed just up the road in Fremantle.

6. Get your single malt on – Limeburners whisky may be better associated with Albany, on the southern coast, but there is an outlet of the Great Southern Distilling Company in Margaret River. As well as some of the best whisky you will taste, this distillery also produces excellent gin. A whole selection of them. And you don’t have to spend too much time deliberating which one to try. Pop in for a tasting flight of either the whisky, or the gin, and you can try four, with matching garnish for the gins. Rather predictably, I found myself leaving with a bottle of single malt safely tucked under my arm.

7. Get soothed – The day started early, and was filled with some great activities. Following a nightcap of my newly purchased whisky, I was ready to turn in. As my head hit the pillow I drifted off to sleep, very content, and soothed by the sounds of the waves crashing on nearby Gnarabup beach. Dreaming of what tomorrow has in store.

Day 2

8. Catch some waves – Early to bed, early to rise. Start with a walk on the beach, stopping briefly to watch the surfers, before heading to Sea View Garden café for great coffee and better seaside vibes. Oh, and the food is first rate too. Whether you pick a classic, as I did, of eggs Benedict with crispy bacon, or take the more adventurous option of Nasi Goreng, the Indonesian breakfast of champions. Find the surf boards and you will know that you have found Sea Garden café.

Surf Boards, Sea Garden Cafe, Prevelly — Surf boards of Sea Garden cafe

9. Catch the local sealife – Don’t make the mistake that I had made on previous visits to Margaret River. Don’t miss Hamelin Bay. Not only is it another incredible example of the amazing beaches and coastline of this part of Australia, but you also get to spend the morning gazing in wonder at the very sizeable, stately stingrays that come right in to shore. Join the throngs in the shallow water getting up close and personal with these amazing creatures. Just a word of warning. Don’t get too close to the tails of these beautiful rays, as a sharp whip can be painful, as I can testify. Hamelin Bay is a truly beautiful spot and should be high on anyone’s list when in Margaret River.

10. Catch some of Australia’s best produce – Not just producing some of the best wine you will ever taste, many of the vineyards also have restaurants serving lunch to hungry visitors. I would highly recommend Amelia Park on Caves Road. You may have noticed by now that much of the best of the region is on, or around Caves Road. Amelia Park has a dedicated restaurant, across the car park from the cellar door. Sat in the large, busy restaurant, with sweeping views out across the vines, I was treat to one of the best lunches I’ve had in in recent memory. And I have had some good ones. Following a glass of bubbles, I moved on to the Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, oh my word, produced right on site. The wood grilled Fremantle octopus was perfectly complemented with avocado and nduja, adding the perfect level of spice. For main the strip loin and rosemary salted hand cut chips were delightful. With no room for desert I finished on a Pedro Ximenez sherry that was the colour of butterscotch, and tasted even better. I can also recommend the scallops entree, followed by the duck breast, yes, with delicious crispy skin.

11. Catch the last rays of the day – Another full day, and now time to unwind. And on the west coast, what better way than to marvel at the sunset anywhere along the coastline that hugs Margaret River. My choice this weekend was the lookout point on a slight elevation above the iconic White Elephant café, or Ellie to locals. A short 5 minute walk from our charming little accommodation, booked via AirBnB. With a couple of cold beers in the bag, we slowly wandered up to a prime spot to watch the sun set on another day in paradise.

Sunset over Gnarabup Beach. Margaret River. — No words required

11½ Catch the world’s second longest jetty – Only getting half, as not strictly in Margaret River, but worth a mention. Start the easy drive back to Perth, but call in at the beautiful Busselton and check out the magnificent, monumental jetty. At 1841 metres long, it is the second longest wooden jetty in the world. Explore on foot, the whole length, or for those that are tired, jump on the little tourist train that runs back and forth, carrying weary travellers. If you find all this thirsty work, and have not had enough libation over the last couple of days, step into The Goose for a coldie and a window seat view of the jetty.

7 Must Visit Vineyards in New Zealand

April 23, 2019 by Fran Leave a Comment

Wine tasting in New Zealand

Classified as a “New World” wine region, New Zealand has an abundance of great wine growing regions, and the climate is perfect for creating some world class Pinot Noir. Yeah, you probably know this already. It is a good drop. There are also bold Bordeaux style reds. Big, robust cabernet grapes. And we couldn’t talk about the wines of New Zealand without mentioning the ubiquitous Sauvignon Blanc of the Marlborough region. The cooler climate helping to create the apple crisp, zesty savs from the South Island that are now found everywhere, with bottle shops and supermarkets worldwide saturated with it. A good wine, but it wasn’t the focus of this trip.

Unlike many wine tasting regions I have visited around the world, wineries in New Zealand tend to charge a “tasting fee”, almost without exception. Some even still insisted on collecting the fee even when we made a purchase at the cellar door, which is something that will not help encourage future, thirsty oenophiles.

New Zealand is a great country to travel around. Small. Outrageously scenic. And whilst you are there, point your campervan, or car in the direction of the following vineyards.*

*I use “winery” and “vineyard” interchangeably. However, they have different meanings. A winery is somewhere that wine is made. A vineyard is somewhere that grapes are grown.

Waiheke Island – Auckland

Known as “wine island”, Waiheke Island is only 40 minutes from Auckland on the Fullers Ferry service, leaving from the downtown ferry terminal. To get in the mood for a day amongst the vines, why not start the journey with a glass of bubbles on the way over. Arriving at the island, the Explorer Hop on-Hop off bus meets you, to transport you around the island. The consistently high temperatures means that the island produces some great red wines.

Batch – our first port of call and where we also had a very good lunch, avoiding the showers that had started to threaten the day. When the skies cleared, we had the best vantage point on the island, with uninterrupted views across to Auckland. For a $12 tasting fee we had the Thomas’s Bach wines tasting flight. It wasn’t until I had been in New Zealand for almost a week that I learnt that “Bach” (pronounced batch) means a small crib, or beach house. Not often the standard way of doing a tasting, the flight is a good idea as it allows you to try your wines side by side, comparing the flavour profiles

Wines of New Zealand, including an excellent Pinot Noir. — Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Rose

https://www.batchwinery.com/our-wine.html

Te Motu – Named for the original Maori name of Waiheke, “island of long shelter”, Te Motu serves up Bordeux style wines, sat overlooking the verdant Onetangi Valley. For a $20 tasting fee (yes, it was getting more expensive) we got a tasting of the premium selection, the Te Motu Heritage Flight. The Dunleavy “The Shed” rose, Merlot based and made in the Provence style. A 2016 Syrah, “The Grafter”, and a 2015 Cabernet Merlot, “The Strip”, named after the old airport runway, preceded our final wine, which was the Te Motu 2009. Good for cellaring up to 2025, this was one that I enjoyed there and then.

Our Wines

Stonyridge Vineyard – Specialising in premium red wine, Stonyridge has been described as :

“The vineyard that caused the wine world to wake up to Waiheke” – Lonely Planet 2015.

Stonyridge is a short 5 minute walk across the fields, and through the vines, from neighbouring Te Motu. So we HAD to visit, didn’t we? Following a brief tasting at the cellar door, we purchased a full glass and took it to sit amongst olive trees, drinking our wine in the courtyard that has a distinctly French flavour. Great wine, great views, and great company. Do days get any better?

The vines of New Zealand, enjoying the glorious sunshine.

http://www.stonyridge.com/

Hawkes Bay – North Island

Nestled on the east coast, and by the city of Hastings, Hawkes Bay is fast becoming a must visit wine destination. The “Bridge Pa triangle”, which is a cluster of conveniently located vineyards and cellar doors, Hawkes Bay is set up to satisfy all your wine needs, whether you want to visit in your campervan, or if you prefer to pick up a bike locally and pedal your way around.

Ngatawara – easier to find, than to pronounce, we had our first tasting here, in the old stables. We had an unstructured tasting, which means there isn’t a set list, but you get to taste whatever takes your fancy. After a rather uninspiring sauvignon blanc, then a Pinot Gris that failed to match the heights of earlier vineyards we decided to move on rather than work further through the wine list. It can be a tough job, this wine tasting lark. Wine is a very subjective thing, and the beauty is that all our palates are different. Good wine, whatever the price, won’t always be to your liking.

Ngatarawa. New Zealand. Hawkes Bay. — Easier to find than pronounce.

http://www.ngatarawa.co.nz/wine/

Oak Estate – conveniently located just next door to Ngatawara, we were back to a structured tasting, for a $5 charge per person. This tasting fee was refunded when we left with a bottle of wine. We needed something to go with our fish and chip dinner later that evening. The wines in the tasting included a Chardonnay, spoilt for many due to the proliferation of mass made, over oaky variations in the 90s. However, this wine is currently undergoing a renaissance in the New World. The one served at Oak Estate was another great example of how good Chardonnay is fighting back. At cellar doors, when asked if I want to try a chardie, no longer do I reply with a screwed up face.

Through the rustic, red cellar door, the courtyard, in amongst the vines, was a perfect spot for us to fill our hungry bellies. The wine tasting was complemented with a very good lunch platter. The Oak Platter, which was more than enough for two. Now, I just needed to find somewhere for an afternoon nap.

The Oak Platter. Oak Estate. Bridge Pa. Hawkes Bay. — Lunch is served. The Oak Platter.

http://oakestatewines.co.nz/

Marlborough – South Island

We travelled through the Marlborough Sounds by ferry across to Picton in the South Island. Despite our earlier decision to bypass the Marlborough region, and head straight down the west coast, the blue sky and the sun glistening on the vines as we drove through proved too strong a temptation. And so we found ourselves swinging the campervan into the car park of the nearest vineyard.

Giesen Wines – Giesen is a wine brand that I am sure I have heard of, but for the life of me can’t remember why. It is a name that I now won’t forget due to the excellent Pinot Gris I tasted. Paired up with another family for the tasting, paying the standard $5 tasting fee, we were taken through the history of the vineyard, which I always find fascinating, and through a structured tasting, sparkling, to white, through to red, and ending on sweet wines if you so wished. I did so wish.

https://giesen.co.nzP

Peregrine Wines, Central Otago – leaving Queenstown was always going to be hard. The ultimate destination, whatever time of year, I am afraid that our 3 days did not do it justice. Mountains. Lakes. Great restaurants. Oh, take me back. What better way to perk ourselves up, as we headed north in the campervan, than to call at the renowned Peregrine Wines vineyard. An architectural wonder that catches the eye as you walk to the cellar door. And the wonders don’t stop there. The wines produced here are nothing short of excellent. Cue, more bottles purchased.

Peregrine Wines. Central Otago. New Zealand. — Central Otago, simply stunning

http://www.peregrinewines.co.nz/

Come to New Zealand for the scenery, and stay for the wine. I challenge you to visit the above vineyards, and not leave with a boot full of wine. What are you waiting for?

Let me know what your favourite vineyards in New Zealand are. What are your go to grapes? What vineyards should I check out on my next visit?

2 Perfect Days in the Hunter Valley

February 2, 2019 by Fran Leave a Comment

Day 1

Taking my freshly brewed coffee, I went and sat outside on the deck. The early mist was rising over the low mountain range, and the birds were deep in conversation. Strong wafts of eucalyptus were mingling with my coffee aromas. The very vocal kookaburras all seemed to find everything hilarious as the two grazing kangaroos took off into the distance.

Goosewing Cottage, Mount View, Hunter Valley.

This is why I come to the Hunter as often as I do. And is why I love it so much. The peace. The serenity. The complete removal of all the audible sensory overload I get living in the city. Each morning in the valley starts this way. Up early. Slowly sip the first coffee of the day, just sitting, and watching. And I breathe intentionally. Slow breath in. Hold it. Slow exhale. Hold it. And repeat. Something so simple, and so effective, keeping me in the moment. I am only 2 hours from home, and yet at Goosewing Cottage I could be a world away.

Not owning a car, having one for the weekend, on quiet roads, with no traffic lights, is a pleasure. The Hunter is a large place, made up of a few small towns, and without a car it would be difficult to get around. First stop this morning was the Sabor Dessert bar in Pokolbin. As we weren’t hungry, really not hungry, I thought we were just getting drinks. Imagine my surprise when a tasting plate of 6 cheesecakes was brought to our table. Well, now that they are in front of me, it would be rude not to try some. At least it would be a little lining in my stomach, as our next stop was a number (quite a high number) of vineyards. As you would expect from someone who has a burger spreadsheet, I also have one documenting all the wineries we have visited around the world. A quick check had me planning out the route for the day, ensuring we sampled some new wines, from some new wineries.

Following trips to Pepper Tree, Constable Estate, and Mount View, we finished up at Briar Ridge. It was here that we had a voucher to “be a member for a day”, meaning we got a private tasting, 20% off any wines we bought, and a half price antipasto platter. One of the conversations we had on the way up from the city was to not buy too many wines. The problem with this? It’s a very vague objective. I don’t do well with vague. How many is too many? By the end of the day we were up to around 24 bottles. You be the judge.

Yes people, I present lamb’s brains to you.

Brains. Let’s get straight into this. Specifically, lambs brains. You ever had them? Ever wanted them? Yeah, me either. Yet this is what I chose as my entree at dinner that evening. Bistro Molines specialises in French food, done with a Gallic flair. Enter the brains. Deep fried, basking in a river of garlic butter, and served with a sharp caper salad cutting through. I am always wanting to try new experiences, and push myself in all aspects of my life. This was a great opportunity to push my culinary boundaries. And what I had read turned out to be true. Quite a squishy consistency. Tofu like. And quite large portions. Perhaps I shouldn’t have kept cutting them in half, whereby they actually looked like brains. This only reminded me what it was that I was chewing. Yes, chewing. Was I eating the thoughts of the lamb? It’s memories? Good lord, it doesn’t bear thinking about.

Following a glass of local sparkling wine, erroneously called prosecco (since 2010 Prosecco is no longer the name of the grape, which is now called glera, but is geographical indication, in much the same way as Champagne) , we moved onto the main wine of the evening. The Majella Cabernet Sauvignon was an excellent choice and went terribly well with the whole meal. Not wishing to join me with the brains entree, Victoria chose linguine with pippies, not puppies as my autocorrect suggested, which was excellent. The puppies would have been one up, or would that have been down, from the lambs brains.

The evening at Molines was excellent, and somewhere I would highly recommend. Sweeping views out over the vines. Watching the day slowly morph into night. Multiple shades of green becoming a singular black. The service and the food is what you would expect from a restaurant that has had a chefs hat since 2010. We will definitely return, but I think I’ve had my fill of offal.

Day 2

Driving around the Hunter, visiting vineyards, we don’t get much exercise, let alone get anywhere near the daily target of 10000 steps. For this reason we took another early morning stroll around the gorgeous Mount View area. Sweeping fields of grazing cattle. Nervous kangaroos always on high alert. And this morning, a slate grey, very squat, very muscular, Staffordshire Bull terrier charging down the road at me. This raised the heart rate.
The heat was taken out of the situation when the owner shouted “he will kill you with kindness”. It turns out he just wanted to play. So we did. Our walk was only about 4kms, but enough to work up our appetites for breakfast.

Deciding to eat out for breakfast, for maybe the first time in the Hunter, we headed to Cafe Enzo at Peppers Creek which we had read good things about. Taking the last available table in the courtyard, sheltering from the blazing sun under a large parasol, we had a wonderful breakfast of free range scrambled eggs on perfect sour dough toast. Just the right amount of saltiness in the crust. The coffee was outstanding, and I followed up my double shot latte with a piccolo.

Quite remarkably, the heat continued to rise making even just walking tough. So we chose to stay in the car a while, driving around the Hunter, making a plan for later in the day. Following a stop for extra bottles of water at the general store in Pokolbin Village, we headed on to our first tasting of the day. Leogate was another new vineyard, but much the same story at all the others. Great wines.

Equally good tastings followed at Piggs Peake, Tintilla, and Mistletoe Wines on Hermitage Road, with us concluding our day at Mount Pleasant. We had planned to cycle around these vineyards, an activity that we usually see lots of people enjoying. For some reason, we hadn’t seen anybody “enjoying” it today. This was because at 42° you would have to be a masochist to want to pedal anywhere. So we decided to call off the planned ride. The easiest decision of the day.

The evening was spent avoiding offal. We had our traditional BBQ of easy to recognise meats, complemented by some of the excellent wine we had bought. How many bottles were we up to now? Was anybody counting? Let’s just say that we won’t be running out any time soon.

Sat, late into the evening, with a nightcap of Sullivan’s Cover single malt, from Tasmania, I was left reflecting on another excellent weekend, in the glorious Hunter Valley.

Long Weekend in The Hunter Valley – October 2018

October 27, 2018 by Fran Leave a Comment

As I was sitting on the large wooden deck, sipping the strong coffee that I hoped would slowly start breathing life into my tired body, I came face to face with them. Skipping through the paddock, down through the eucalyptus trees that fringed the creek, and abruptly stopping on spotting me. Ears twitching. Alert at all times. And fast. Very fast.

Kangaroos in the wild — The locals are friendly

Indigenous to Australia, estimates put the number of kangaroos here at 34 million. This morning’s visitors were a doe, and her joey, of the Eastern Grey variety. It is one of the highlights of our trips to the country, be it the Hunter Valley, or inland to Mudgee, that we get to see so much wildlife, including the roos, in their natural environment.

This trip was to the Hunter, and was our first there this year, in what has become an annual pilgrimage. As well as the wildlife, the wide open spaces, the lack of traffic, and the solitude, there is also the little matter of some of the world’s best wines to sample. And inevitably buy. Although, due to the number of bottles of wine stockpiling at home, we had told ourselves we would be very restrained on this trip.

Suitably fuelled up, both the hire car, and ourselves, and after a great breakfast at Cafe Mosman, we hit the road around 10.30am. Being a public holiday weekend, what we would call a Bank Holiday in the UK, we knew the traffic leaving the city would be bad. We didn’t expect it to be quite so bad. Coming up through the suburbs of St Leonards, Wahroonga, and everywhere in between, it took us 1 hour before we even hit the motorway. At least from here it was plain sailing.

Pulling off at Calga, and bypassing the Australian Wildlife Centre for once, we took the tourist route, up through the valley, and towards the charming little town of Wollombi. A place that I would definitely recommend for a coffee, sandwich, and a browse of the little arts and crafts shops. But today, we were just passing through. We had other things on our minds, and soon we were sat in the courtyard of the delightful Krinklewood winery, nibbling locally made cheeses, and working our way down the wine tasting menu.

It had taken us two and half hours, door to cellar door. I had expected the journey to be slightly quicker, but then I never expect the sheer volume of traffic that we encounter. But now, I had exhaled, took some deep breaths of the fresh country air, and was in chill mode. A mode I would not be exiting until around lunchtime on Monday.

What does take me slightly longer is regaining my sense of perspective. You see, on arrival at Krinklewood, I shuddered at how busy it was. Good lord, there were maybe 4, or 5 small tables occupied. Yes, only a handful of people in reality. That said, I was much happier after approximately 20 minutes, when we had the whole courtyard to ourselves.

Remember the promise we made ourselves about showing restraint with wine purchases? Cue us walking out the cellar door with the first 6 bottles. Krinklewood is one of our favourite vineyards, and knowing they rarely sell to bottle shops in Australia, we knew we had to take our opportunity to stock up the wine cellar. At least that was our excuse.

On the recommendation of Ruth in the cellar door, we then drove next door (which in the Hunter is quite a drive), and visited Ann of Greenway Wines. A vineyard we hadn’t visited before. How exciting. A new addition to the “wine tasting our way around the world” spreadsheet. Greenway is what you would call a boutique winery. Very small. But as with a lot of the boutique wineries we search out, it was quiet. In fact, we were the only ones at the cellar door, so we got a very good tasting, of some very good wines. The Pinot Gris was excellent but the stand out for me was “The Architect” shiraz. And yes, we walked away with more bottles of wine.

Experience told me that mobile phone reception is patchy in the Hunter. Some places non-existent. The same with wi-fi in a lot of the accommodation. This is one of the things that appeals about our trips up here. But, we do have to find our accommodation. Easier said than done with no phone reception. Google is our friend here, with the offline map download option. Driving back from Broke, along Hermitage Road, and into Belford, along several country roads, some just dirt tracks, had us feeling we were completely lost. Without the offline map on my phone we would never have found our accommodation.

Block Eight villa — Our accommodation for the weekend

Block Eight vineyard has one large house for rent, and 3 self-contained villas. We were in one of the villas. Very spacious. Wooden floors throughout. A double set of twin doors, opening out onto the balcony, with views down to the water. Taking pride of place, in the centre of the room, staunchly sat between the two sets of doors, was a squat, black wood burner. Not that we will be need it, based on the temperature, but I know that I won’t be able to resist throwing a few logs on tonight.

Dropping off our bags, we went for a walk around the very large grounds of Block Eight, saying hello to the resident pig, goats, chickens and peacocks, whilst each of us (Vik and I, not the animals) were secretly deliberating if it was too soon to start on the new purchases, (spoiler alert: the answer is always NO, in the Hunter), and which of them would be first.

Getting around the Hunter is easy when you are driving. Not quite as easy when you have been drinking, and want to drink more. One bottle in, and knowing we had a dinner reservation, we pre-booked a taxi. Later that evening, walking to the entrance of Block Eight in pitch darkness, the stars were amazing. Breathtaking. The lack of light pollution once you leave the city allows you to appreciate the world above us. The fun of determining what is a satellite, against a shooting star. We were brought back to earth with headlights, the only headlights, in the distance, signalling to us that our taxi was approaching.

Botanica Restaurant is in the grounds of Spicers Retreat, and only about 15 minutes drive from our villa. The food was good, but I somehow felt it was lacking the wow factor. Maybe because I had decided to have a meat free night, something that I very rarely do. The spanner crab and bisque starter were very good, as was the fish I had for main course. But, it just didn’t hit the spot in the same way that the pork knuckle did that I had recently at Riley Street Garage in Sydney.

Sunday morning dawned with my meeting the kangaroos. The early mornings are one of my ultimate highlights of our weekends in the country. Taking my coffee outside onto the deck. Watching the mist slowly rise over the water. Ducks splashing about. Kangaroos coming down for a drink. The unmistakable smell of the eucalypt trees. Life slows right down in these moments. Moments to cherish, and be thankful for.

One of the perks of staying in the country is often a breakfast hamper that you get. The eggs literally could not be fresher, as free range as they come, from the chucks here on the property. Bacon, fresh sourdough bread, and some black pudding I had brought up specially from our local butcher, and I was set up for the day.

When I tell you about lunch, you may feel that all I do on these weekends is eat and drink. You would be right. 100%. Lunch was at the Verandah Restaurant, on the Calais Estate vineyard. Tapas style. And very good. Complemented with a glass of their very own semillon. The Hunter is renowned for excellent semillons. And excellent I am sure they are. However, over the years I have realised I only really enjoy very young semillons. Anything that has been in the bottle over 2 years just develops into a “classic” semillon. Deep golden, nutty, with notes of honey. It sounds delicious. But the distinctive taste is not to my liking, in the same way that the disappointing, highly oaked chardonnays that used to dominate the supermarket shelves years ago.

Across the road was Gemelli Estate, a vineyard we last visited a few years ago. A brief tasting, and one bottle of wine purchased, we headed back towards the villa, stopping off at a place that had caught my eye earlier in the day.

Black Creek Farm has a fabulous cellar door, with a deck that sits out over the vineyard. Ably guarded from birds by Wilson the collie dog, Black Creek is run by husband and wife team, Jean and Nadine. Originally from France, but living the last 20 years in Australia, the couple decided to make the big change in the pace of their life by moving up to the Hunter once their children had grown up. They were now doing an excellent job running Black Creek, producing some very quaffable wines under the “Thélème” banner. I even got the whole back story to the name. Clearly very passionate about the wines they produce, we had an excellent, very informative tasting. Jean took us through the wine list, tasting wines side by side to better compare, whilst Nadine supplied us with cheese and crackers to help the palate. Yes, we walked away with yet more bottles of wine.

Monday morning brought October with it. The second month of spring. Slowly waking, and turning over, I tentatively gave the head a little shake to see if I was suffering from the excesses of yesterday. I should have been. We drank a lot of wine. What with the tastings. And the bottle of champagne we brought with us to celebrate being away, which we drank watching the sunset. And then the local wines we subsequently drank. I should have been, and expected to be, very dusty. I usually am on weekends in the Hunter. However, I felt great. So much that I jumped up, made a coffee, and lit up the BBQ to cook breakfast.

We reluctantly packed up, and checked out, and made our way to the vineyard with quite possibly the best views in the Hunter. Audrey Wilkinson produce some very good wines, but so early in the day we were only here for the views, and a little stretch of the legs. The fresh air did us good. So much so that after a short drive we were once again crossing the Hunter, on our way to taste wine. This time at Iron Gate estate. Our first visit. A new one for the spreadsheet. As with the boutique wineries, a quiet cellar door always allows for a more personal service. Once again we were given the opportunity to taste the same wines, of different vintages, side by side. Need I tell you that we left with more bottles in the boot?

I am always left with a feeling of sadness leaving the Hunter. But at the same time happy, and very grateful that we get the opportunity to spend time in a world-class wine region, almost on our doorstep. The sadness is the realisation we have to leave the tranquillity behind and return to the madness that is city life in Sydney. Horrendous traffic, a 3 hour drive, and we were once again back to reality. Packing our wine away, and checking our calendars for the next free weekend.