Paradigm Hill

26 Merricks Rd, Merricks, Victoria
Visited 1st January 2010
A mate of mine had been raving about the Paradigm Hill Pinot Gris recently and when we passed the sign for their cellar door at Merricks Joey and I thought we'd drop in for a look. We were actually lucky that it was New Years day as they only open the first weekend of every month and public holidays. Entering the stylish, open building we were greeted by the proprietors of this family run business; George and Ruth Mihaly. This husband and wife team have 10 acres of north facing vineyard and, with aims of sustainability, the winery is carbon neutral. Firmly believing that they make 'food wines' you are not just poured a glass, but rather presented with a freshly cooked sampling plate to accompany each wine.

Matched with a white bean puree the Paradigm Riesling 2009 was lovely with attractive floral nose, great length and even a hint of minerality on the palate. Next stop was the Pinot Noir 'L'ami Sage' 2007 with a tasty local turkey and cranberry sausage. The fresh Pinot was all about cherries and spice, but was also extremely focused and structured. Well matched with a spiced lentil and carrot soup was the Shiraz 'Col's Block' 2007. This velvety, cool climate Shiraz was absolutely delicious and packed with pepper, spice, plums, cherry and a whole lot of seductiveness. To finish was the Finir 2009 accompanied by chocolate dipped pineapple. This spritzy Moscato was awash with citrus and pear flavours, had beautifully balanced sweetness and just screamed yum. Our visit to Paradigm Hill impressed me. The Mihaly's were extremely hospitable and it was great to chat to them about their wine, vineyards and life on the Mornington Peninsula. The food pairing was a relaxed and enjoyable way to try the wines; which were all excellent. Joey wasn't particularly fussed about drinking, but had a very pleasant time playing with Jemima their beautiful Golden Retriever. I certainly recommend a visit to Paradigm Hill or even just trying their wines. Visit winery website.

Petar Lekovic Vineyard

Lake Skadar, Montenegro
After a few relaxing days on Montenegro's Bay of Kotor we moved to the beach resort of Sveti Stefan. While the crystal clear water and forest setting were lovely, the masses of leopard print clad Russian package tourists were a tad less appealing. Montenegro isn't a big country and when we decided to spent a day exploring inland we found ourselves in the surrounds of Lake Skadar. The massive lake is a delightful place packed with millions of tiny fish and a massive variety of waterfowl. Its inherent natural beauty is enhanced by a peacefulness and tranquillity of its setting; a setting that stands in stark contrast to the overt tackiness of the coast.

A drive around Lake Skadar isn't so much a drive around the lake, but a winding journey through the steep hills above. While the road is made, it's a single lane and the chances of bumping into a cow, goat or donkey are high. Passing through tiny, isolated farming hamlets we decided to stop for fresh produce and chanced upon the cellar door of the Petar Lekovic Vineyard. Cellar door in this case is a term that is both accurate and misleading. Misleading because their setup is nothing like the highly polished, professional operations one encounters at Australian wineries and accurate because their small roadside stall is literally setup at the door of their home (and cellar) under a bounterful kiwi fruit vine.

Petar and his wife were both manning the stall, and as well as selling us a bottle proudly labelled 'fine wine of Montenegro' we also brought tomatoes, chillies, onions, parsley and apples. Their array of produce was fresh and fragrant, while the jars on display were a temptation for a man who loves preserving as much as I do. We also sampled a shot of delicious, but fiery home-made cherry brandy. I loved the down to earth honesty of the Lekovics and visiting their roadside cellar door was a highlight of my trip to the Balkans. Whether or not you can manage to find the Petar Lekovic Vineyard, a drive through the hills surrounding Lake Skadar is still a highly recommended adventure.

Hillcrest Open Day

31 Phillip Road, Woori Yallock, Victoria, Australia
Visited 19th July 2008
Sometimes life just tumbles into place. Friday night dinner with mates at the Healesville Hotel meant I was in the perfect location to swing past Woori Yallock and Hillcrest Saturday morning. Run by David and Tanya Bryant, Hillcrest is a small winery that has gained a big reputation for producing top quality Yarra Valley wines. Only open to the public once a year they put on an annual retrospective tasting where every past vintage of every wine is opened.

Chardonnay
This was perhaps the series of wines I found most interesting. Ranging from 2002 to 2007 all the wines showed excellent elegance, finesse and class. I was particularly with both the 2005 and 2006 Premium Chardonnays and the 2003 Estate Chardonnay. I suppose what impressed me the most was the ability of these wines to age gracefully; retaining their elegance and complexity, yet remaining clean and drinkable.
Pinot Noir
The range of Pinot Noir at Hillcrest stretch back to 2001 and it was interesting to try them side-by-side. Perhaps with the exception of the 2002 all the wines were holding up well, with the intensity of the fruit and tannins suggesting long futures. The Estate Pinot Noir 2003 won me over with its rich fruit, but my favourite was the delicious herbs, cherry and game flavours of the awesome Estate Pinot Noir 2006 (which I preferred to the higher priced 'Premium' and 'Reserve' wines). Structured, rich and multi-layered Hillcrest makes Pinot Noir as it should be.

Cabernet Sauvignon
I'm not sure if I prefer Yarra Valley Pinot or Cabernet, but the region does both bloody well. The first realise of Hillcrest Cabernet was 2003 and all five vintages were still fresh and vibrant. My favourite was the Premium Cabernet 2005. Though it had plenty of delicious dark fruit flavour, it wasn't a massive over-bearing monster, but more a thing of beauty and balance; it was a classic wine where acid, fruit and tannin met in harmonious bliss. Yet again an impressive line-up of wine.

The Hillcrest Open Day was a fantastic opportunity; being able to see how top quality Yarra Valley wines age was a fascinating and informative experience. The wines themselves were outstanding and the chance to chat to the enthusiastic David Bryant put the whole experience into perspective. Though it's only open one day a year the Hillcrest winery is certainly worth a visit.
Visit winery website.

The Claire Valley Day Two

Touring the Clare Valley
15th July 2007

Thankfully breakfast options in Clare are slightly better than what's available of an evening. We started the day with a good selection of fried treats and decent coffee at the Epic Cafe and after a quick browse of the local Op Shop it was again time for a little sip and sample.
Sevenhill Cellars (website)
First stop was Sevenhill Cellars. Founded by Jesuit monks in 1851 Sevenhill Cellars is the one of Australia's iconic wineries and the Clare's oldest. The beautiful grounds come complete with chapel, crypt, cellar and an interesting museum of early wine making in the Clare. They grow a lot of Pedro Ximenez for making alter wine of which they are Australia's main supplier. Of their more secular offerings I enjoyed the floral nose of the Inigo Riesling 2007, but thought their reserve St Aloysius Riesling 2007 didn't live up to expectations. Both the Gewurztraminer 2006 and Inigo Semillon 2007 were OK wines, but nothing particularly special. The Grenache 2006 was soft and fruity with plenty of pepper, while the Indigo Shiraz 2005 had a smoky gaminess about it. I enjoyed the Indigo Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 which had more complex aromas, rich plum flavours and excellent texture. Sevenhill is worth a visit for its historic grounds and beautiful setting, but to be honest the wines didn't particularly offer inspiration.

Tim Adams (website)
When I met Tim recently at a tasting in Hong Kong he encouraged me to drop in and visit his cellar door. We stuck our heads in and he proved just as friendly and informative as he was in Hong Kong; stopping work for a chat and a bit of banter. He's a genuine guy and I can say I really like Tim Adams and his wines. My notes for many of the wines are similar to the last tasting, though I was impressed by the reserve range that I hadn't had before. The Reserve Riesling 2007 was a lovely drop with balanced acidity, minerality and citrus flavours. I liked the elegantly structured Reserve Merlot 2004 and loved the excellent Reserve Tempranillo 2006. The back vintage Aberfeldy Shiraz 2001 was an awesome wine; still fresh and youthful it had a good dash of intriguing pepper while the excellent Botrytis Riesling 2006 was a deliciously sweet finish.
Paulett Wines (website)
Named after settlers from Poland who arrived in the 1850s, the Polish Hill River sub-region has some of the most renowned terroir in The Clare and the balcony at Paulett's cellar door offers a great perspective of the valley. They're a small family owned company and I was impressed by the quality of their wines. The Paulett's Polish Hill River Riesling 2008 was fresh and crisp with lovely citrus flavours and good length, while their Sauvignon Blanc 2008 was refreshingly fruity, nicely balanced and not over the top. The Cabernet Merlot 2004 had a delicious aroma of raspberries, good structure and nice herbal notes on the palate. I liked the Shiraz 2004, but their reserve release The Andreas Shiraz 2004 was a superior wine; dark, rich and tannic, it was packed with loads of intense black fruit.

Pikes (website)
Pikes could be responsible for my love of Riesling. Years ago their version was my knock off drink of choice while working in Chinese restaurant in Darwin. The Pike family started off as brewers back in 1886, but today they're all about their wine. I though both the 'Traditionale' Riesling 2007 and the semi-sweet 'Olga Emmie' Riesling 2007 were excellent. The 'Gills Farm' Viognier 2006 was a good example of a variety I'm not overly enthusiastic about; it wasn't 'oily' or 'flabby', but a fresh and intense drop with a lovely nutty flavour. The reds were all of a high standard, but my favourites were the 'Dog Walk' Cabernet Merlot 2006, the 'Premio' Sangiovese 2004 and the outstanding 'Eastside' Shiraz 2005, all of which had powerful noses, impressive length and beautiful texture.

A pie stop at the South Gawler Bakery and we were on our way back to Adelaide after an absolute cracking couple of days in the Clare. The Rieslings I tried were all fantastic, but for me the surprise was how good Clare Cabernet was. I was also impressed with the Semillon, Grenache and Tempranillo I tasted; varieties that I think have a real future in this fantastic part of the world.

The Claire Valley Day One

Touring the Claire Valley
14th July 2008
Australian Riesling is awesome, yet sadly it doesn't get the recognition it deserves here in Hong Kong. Even in Australia it's undervalued and the large number of bottles I've got stashed under my parents' house testify to the ridiculous prices it can often be had for. The Claire Valley, along with nearby Eden Valley, are the traditional homes of the variety in Australian and surprisingly were two areas I'd never previously visited. My mate didn't take much convincing and pretty quick my couple of days in Adelaide had become a couple of days exploring The Claire. It was a quick pie at the Gawler South Bakery before onwards to Riesling ...

Neagles Rock (website)
The first two places I wanted to visit - Grosset and Mt Horrocks - were both shut so we ended up at Neagles Rock. Established in 1997 they are a relatively new winery that's done a good job marketing their wines with some very cool labels. They had two vintages of Riesling on tasting though I preferred the fresh acidly and citrus flavours of 2007 to the 2006. Their Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2007 was round and full with nice nutty characteristics; a pleasant wine. I liked the soft, bright Grenache Shiraz 2005 that had all the required red fruit and pepper, while the Sangiovese 2006 was a nice wine with a performed nose, good length and beautifully balanced fruit. I wasn't particularly taken with the Shiraz 2005, but I liked the Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 which was packed with varietal richness.
Mitchells (website)
Our next stop was Mitchell Wines; a producer that I reckon unfairly slips through the net of popularity. The winery was established in 1975, but the cellar door is housed in a rustic old sandstone apple shed. There Riesling 2007 had sold out, but the Riesling 2004 they had open was a lovely aged release that was still vibrant, with a lovely long finish. The Mitchell Semillon 2006 was complex, yet good value and had a lovely herbal nose. Their GSM blend used Sangiovese instead of the usual Shiraz and had lush berries on the palate, a peppery nose and was soft and drinkable. The Cabernet was the highlight and Mitchells 2003 release had an awesome nose, rich flavour and good tannin structure. The Peppertree Vineyard Shiraz 2005 was a dark and intense wine, though I preferred the more complex and better integrated McNicol Shiraz 2000.

Kilikanoon (website)
Kilikanoon is a Cornish word that travelled to South Australia with the immigrant tin miners who worked at nearby Burra a hundred and fifty years ago. While Cornwell's famous for exporting tin miners, pasties and my mother, Kilikanoon's renowned for it's Oracle Shiraz that was recently awarded the title of 'World's Best Shiraz' at the London International Wine Challenge. I enjoyed the citrusy Mort's Block Riesling 2007, but though the Mort's Reserve Riesling 2007 was a better balanced, more flinty and subtle wine. The tasty Barrel Fermented Semillon 2007 was all about pineapple and toasty oak, while the Prodigal Grenache 2005 had flavours of cherry and pepper with an herbal edge and lovely length and texture. My favourite wine at Kilikanoon was the Blocks Road Cabernet Sauvignon 2005; a big, well structured wine with a delicious nose and plenty of lovely fruit. The Covenant Shiraz 2005 was also a tasty tipple with an intense, spicy nose, silky tannins and a real moreish quality.

Knappstein (website)
Located in the Claire township, Knappstein started life as a brewery. The cellar door is still located in the original stone brewery and they have recently re-released the fruity Enterprise Ale. I actually found the Hand Picked Riesling 2007 a little disappointing, though I did enjoy soft, sweet pear and apple flavours of the Late Harvest Riesling 2006. Half their selection required a fee to taste (something I'm not keen on paying), but of the wines I did try I enjoyed the Shiraz 2005 and the intense, sweet cherry flavoured Fortified Shiraz 2002. My mate was a big rap for their sparkling Shiraz, but by this stage I'd lost patience with a rude cellar door manager and had called it an afternoon.

For a wine region quality dinning options are relatively sparse in The Clare. We managed to get a nice coffee in Wild Saffron as they were shutting and then decided a bit of reconnaissance was in order. It only took a drink in each pub to decide that Bentley's Hotel was the option for dinner and settled for a reasonable counter meal. After a packed day and an early night was in order and it only took a brief reminder of how terrible Australian reality TV is to send me straight to sleep.

Penfolds Magill Estate

78 Penfold Road, Magill, Adelaide, Australia
Visited 13th July 2008 Summer holidays day one and I'm back in Australia. Instead of heading straight to Melbourne I've decided to first spend a few days in Adelaide visiting mates (and wineries). After a delicious breakfast, that only Australian cafes do so well, we were looking to fill in a little time until it was deemed acceptable to visit the great Wheat Sheaf Hotel. The suburban winery of Magill Estate provided a very workable solution.

One of the World's few city vineyards Penfolds Magill Estate was planted in 1844, just eight years after Adelaide's foundation. Dr Christopher Rawson Penfold and his wife Mary established the vineyard for medicinal wine around their cottage; 'The Grange', from which, of course, sprung the Penfolds empire. Over the years Adelaide has (slowly) grown, land has been sold off and the current 12.94 acres of vines is piddly compared with the 296 acres the estate had at its height in 1949. It's now all Shiraz; the best of which goes into the premium, single vineyard Magill Estate wine and on occasions Grange. The estate still works as a functioning winery producing many of Penfolds premium and ultra premium labels, while their huge Barossa winery churns out their commercial ranges.

The small cellar-door was honestly a bit of a disappointment. There were only four wines open for tasting and it seemed more set up to sell souvenir t-shirts and corkscrews than introducing visitors to the Penfolds wine range. I did however enjoy their Eden Valley Riesling that was on tasting; fragrant, citrusy and acidic, it was a nice wine from a producer famous for reds. The limited realise Penfolds Koonunga Hill “Seventy Six” Shiraz Cabernet 2006 was nearly worth the asking price for it's funky retro label alone; though it was also a nicely balanced wine with plenty of dark berries and spice.

For us the highlight came when my mate clicked he knew one of the wine makers and we were off on a tour of the cellars before you could say "show use your barrels of St Henri my good man". For an Australian wine lover descending into the old brick tunnels to see barrel after barrel of Grange, RWT and St Henri is something akin to looking at the Federal Bank's gold reserves. Whether you love or hate Penfolds, the renown of their wines, especially Grange, has done much to show the world the potential of Australian fine wine. We walked out of out Magill Estate with smiles on our faces, but decided we'd had enough of history and wanted a beer.
Visit winery website.

Balgownie Estate

Hermitage Rd, Maiden Gully, Bendigo, Victoria
Visited 16th August

Bendigo is a place of legends; tales of a goldmining past, the home of Banjo Paterson's fictional Mulga Bill, but also the stories and myths from my uni days. I spent four cracker years as a student in Bendigo and have nothing but fondness for a place that is bursting with memories of past adventures and people. I swung through town to catch up with a mate who's pretending to be respectable (owning both a house and a job) and next morning - after coffee at the magnificent Green Olive Delicatessen - headed out to Balgownie Estate.
The Bendigo wine region has a scattering of excellent wineries and Balgownie Estate, which was established in 1969, is definitely one. I arrived on a quite Thursday and received fantastic welcome from the lovely lady at the cellardoor. Balgownie produces great wines from Bendigo and the Yarra Valley. First up I tried the Gold Label blends; the aromatic Shiraz Viognier 2005 was good, while the Cabernet Merlot 2005 was all about green pepper and capsicum on the nose, replaced by lovely dark berries on the palate. I was also impressed by their slick drinkability of both these wines; it was about 10.30am and I could have quite easily have continued sucking on these little numbers all day. Next was the delicious Yarra Valley Pinot Noir 2006; it hints of bacon aromas, while the palate was bursting with bright, fresh cherries. The Estate Pinot Noir 2005 comes from the warmer climate of Bendigo and had awesome, intense flavours and a big slap of spice. Next was the Estate Shiraz 2004, another intense wine, but one with definite structure and classy tannins. The Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 was again about structured class and I'll even say sophistication, the tannins here were good and obviously built for the long haul, as was proved by the final tasting; a museum release Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 1998. This wine - with nearly ten years of age - still had good fruit flavours, but also lots of delicious spices coming through, especially cinnamon; the tannins were still there suggesting possibilities of an even longer future.

Balgownie always blows me away; for a winery to be making such fantastic wines at such reasonable prices is impressive. The big Estate reds are age-worthy for decades and offer classic Australian drinking, while the Yarra Valley Pinot Noir and the Gold Label wines are of the dangerous drinkable type. Bendigo really has a lot to offer; whether as a place to study or a place to make wine.

Visit winery website or checkout the Bendigo wine region.

A Big Birthday at Lazzar Winery

60th Birthday at Lazzar Winery
4th August

You don't turn thirty every day and by the time the 4th August came around I'd already turned thirty a couple of days ago; we had a party anyway. I hooked up with a mate - who's a whole twenty-four hours younger and noticeably immature and less sophisticated - for a combined 60th. The crowd was select: a few close friends, a few family and a one questionable bloke who seems to get invited to everything.
Lazzar Winery was selected as the venue, more for its intimate nature and handy location on the edge of the thriving metropolis of Balnarring, rather than for any culinary or vino delights. The small restaurant was basically ours; a wood fireplace blazed, wattle decorated the tables and the staff were friendly. Being a winery the tasting bench got a look in before dinner; the whites seemed pleasant enough, with the Arneis probably being the highlight. The reds were a mixed selection; the Pinot Noir did absolutely nothing for me, while the Cabernet Merlot blend was pleasantly drinkable, the Cabernet was good, but the favourite for the night was the Tempranillo; of which the team tucked into quite a few bottles.

When we arrived I saw fresh lettuce being gathered from the garden so I had high hopes for the menu. There was a choice of four or five mains from which I picked the stuffed squid; it was disappointingly dry and rubbery, while on the other hand Naomi's generous serve of osso bucco was delightful. The desserts were again a bit of a mixed bag, some where positive, some weren't. I thought the food was pretty good, but certainly not overly exciting, though on a night like this what has food got to do with anything? I was with friends and family having a party, Nana was there tearing it up, I was an old bugger amd it was all happening in Australia. Thanks to everyone for making it such a fantastic night. Visit winery website.

Surfing and Sipping; The Mornington Peninsula

A Day Cruising the Mornington Peninsula
3rd August

The Mornington Peninsula is one of my favourite places. Though parts of it are full of people who have misplaced their heads, the Westernport Bay side is still nice and sleepy. A few days down the beach staying with mates was an opportunity to enjoy some great food, bottles of home brew, walks on the beach, a touch of surfing and of course a couple of wineries. Putting the surfboards on the roof, a mate (who is also a bit famous brewer) and I headed out for a surf and sip.

Stonier
Frankston-Flinders Rd, Merricks (website)
First stop was Stonier, an establishment I've always been a fan of. I'm not sure if they make me so happy because it's just down the road from my mates' house or because the people at the cellardoor are always so friendly or because once I got a big box of their wine very cheap or because they just make great plonk. Anyway looking at their snappy website I'm impressed that their location map features Antarctica, before zooming in to Victoria and the Mornington Peninsula. Talking to the boss at the cellardoor I can understand why; apart from being a super friendly bloke he was a man with a soft spot for the ocean. He chatted, gave us a taste, then nodded towards our surfboards and told us to piss-off and catch a wave.

Stonier specialised in Chardonnay and Pinot Noir; the varieties the Peninsula is renowned for. First up was the Sparkling Pinot Noir Chardonnay 2004; a refreshing drop that was all about crisp, green apples. The Chardonnay 2005 was a nice wine, it had a good nose, tiny hints of oak, was well balanced with a full and textured feel in the mouth. The Reserve Chardonnay 2005 was a bit more nutty and honeyed, but clean and drinkable. Produced from the vines around the winery the KBS Vineyard Chardonnay 2005 was more restrained with a toasted nose and a lovely minerally palate. The pretty and very drinkable Pinot Noir 2005 was a fruity delight; raspberries, strawberries and cherries all wrapped up in a package of subtle spice. The Reserve Pinot Noir 2005 had the lovely fruit flavours, but also had savoury herbs, spice and a hint of lively acidity. All up a great selection of drinkable wines and though I use to think they were expensive, by today's standards they offer pretty good value.

Paringa Estate
44 Paringa Rd, Red Hill (website)
Taking the advice from the bloke at Stonier we headed for a surf. I'm a bumbling novice so when I saw the approaching black clouds I implemented the emergency plan and turned tail towards a second winery. Dropping my brave mate and his board at Pt Leo I headed to Paringa Estate and its awesome views across Westernport Bay. On arriving I was encouraged to take my tasting glass of Riesling outside and inspect the view of the vineyard, but unfortunately the black clouds finally arrived and forced another retreat. The cellardoor is well setup, with the views, friendly staff, a restaurant with a tidy looking menu and a gaggle of geese that seemed to be enjoying all the rain.

Paringa Estate has a reputation for producing excellent Pinot and interesting cool climate Shiraz. They produce three levels of wine; the Peninsula, Estate and Reserve ranges. The price tags on their reserve wines almost match their million dollar views, but many argue they are well worth the coin. Paringa as I understand is one of the very few producers of Riesling on the Peninsula; for $15 I thought their crisp Riesling 2005 wasn't a bad attempt. The Estate Viognier 2006 was a rich, opulent and intense offering, but the alcohol seemed a little unbalanced and confrontational. The two Chardonnays, the Peninsula 2005 and the Estate 2005, I thought were pretty good. The Peninsula Chardonnay was clean with a hint of acidity and lots of citrus flavours, while the Estate had stone fruits, walnuts, almonds and a hint of oak on the nose; while the palate melted with honey and caramel. The Peninsula Pinot Noir 2006 was a bright, vibrant wine with fruit all over the shop; cherry, plum and red current dominating, with a little green pepper ground on the palate. I really enjoyed the Estate Pinot Noir 2006; it had the fruit flavours of the Peninsula but was more restrained and complex; the nose whiffed spice and pepper and the palate had a pleasant, savoury, green herbal thing going on. The Peninsula Shiraz 2004 had sniffs of earthiness under the initial fruit smells; the tannins and structure seemed pretty good, though the pepper and dry sour notes on the palate were a little bit full on. The Estate Shiraz 2005 was a lot more rounded, soft and classy; yes there was a bit of pepper on the palate, but there were also seductive hints of dark berries, chocolate and a little milky coffee - a good wine. Unfortunately I didn't get to sample the Reserve Pinot and Shiraz and was encouraged to call back on the weekend when they are opened and it was promised I'd be impressed.

I picked my brave mate up from Pt Leo beach; he was raving about the surf and I was raving about the wines. We headed home for a coffee before driving to Melbourne to catch a little Friday night footy.

Visit the Mornington Peninsula website.

Passing through the Yarra Valley

Visit to the Yarra Valley
1st August
Driving north-east from Melbourne you pass through the Yarra Valley; a fantastic area packed with some of Australia's best wineries. On our way to visit friends we stopped to checkout a couple of wineries and snuck in a pizza for lunch.

Giant Steps / Innocent Bystander
336 Maroondah Highway, Healesville (website)
This new winery/cellardoor is less than a year old. The huge building is pretty hard to miss situated on the main street of Healesville. The team behind these two wine labels are also responsible for the Fremantle brewing project Little Creatures; at the cellardoor they offer food, coffee, a bakery, cheese room and wine tastings, and also host regular music nights and speciality dinners.
The restaurant is an open space, with huge wooden tables and views through to the winery's vats and barrels. We were served by a friendly and knowledgeable lady and decided upon a 'Calabresse' pizza topped with spicy salami, gooey cheese and fresh oregano. For $18 the pizza wasn't cheap, but it was tasty, Naomi however did comment that the base was a little thin for her tastes. I accompanied lunch with a cafe latte and Naomi had a chai; any winery that serves pizza is onto a winner, but when they also make such good coffee they go a long way towards impressing me.

After lunch I walked the ten odd steps to the well setup tasting area for a little sample. The first sip had Naomi very excited; light, sweet and with slight, tickling bubbles the Innocent Bystander Pink Moscato was a refreshingly moreish. At only 6.5% alcohol and topped with a crownseal it was a pretty cool package, but $12 for 375ml seemed a bit much. Next I tried the Giant Steps range of Chardonnays; the Chardonnay 2004, as well as a two single vineyard realises - the 'Sexton Vineyard' and the 'Tarraford Vineyard' - and the premium Sexton Bernard Clones Chardonnay 2004. Though I enjoyed all the wines, I thought the winner was the rich and complex 'Tarraford Vineyard'. The easier drinking Innocent Bystander reds offered excellent value; my favourites were the light, fruity Pinot Noir 2005 and the dry, herbal Sangiovese Merlot 2005. My favourites from the Giant Steps reds were the 'Tarraford Vineyard' Pinot Noir 2005, which exploded with sour cherries and an intriguing little shake of pepper and the Sexton Harry's Monster 2004, a Cabernet blend that oozed class with impressive tannins and a smooth soft palate. All up a large, but good selection with some interesting comparisons possible between their different single vineyards wines.

Dominique Portet
870 Maroondah Highway, Coldstream, Victoria (website)
A little bit back towards Melbourne, the Dominique Portet winery is set in a lovely location amongst aches of vines. The cellardoor has an outside seating area that would be lovely in summer, but we contented ourselves with the log fireplace inside. The man Dominique Portet has been in Australia making wine since 1976 and comes from a family entrenched in the French wine industry.

We tried an excellent selection of wines. The sparkling rose we started with was fantastically fresh and refreshing. The Yarra Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2006 I thought was lovely, a richer texture in the mouth than expected and a nose awash with crisp pears and peaches. Dry, spicy and crisp the Fontaine Rose 2006 was a good wine that would go very well with breakfast or lunch. The Fontaine Red 2005 was an accessible blend of Cabernet, Shiraz and Merlot with plenty of sweet fruit on the nose and soft smooth palate. The Yarra Valley Merlot 2005 was an absolute cracker of a wine; elegant and stylish with refined tannins, a very high quality interpretation of Merlot. Sourced from Heathcote, the Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 and Shiraz 2005 were both outstanding wines, though getting a little pricey at over $40 each. I was very impressed with Dominique Portet.
Visit Yarra Valley tourist website

Camel Valley Vineyard

Nanstallon, Bodmin, Cornwall, UK
Visited 20th July 2007

The idea of English wine has always been a bit of a joke, but it's scattered producers are beginning to get a reputation for decent sparkling. One such winery is Cornwell's Camel Valley Vineyard situated on a south facing slope above the Camel River. The cellar door is in a lovely stone building with fantastic views over the vines and across the valley. Granny, my Aunt and I dropped by for a mid-morning tasting.

There were two whites, a rose, a red and a rose sparkling on tasting and to try the Sparkling Brut I had to purchase a glass. The first wine was a Bacchus 2006, which had a mineraly nose; clean, crisp palate with citrus flavours and bubbly acidity, but also a little off putting alcohol. This was the first time I had tried the Bacchus grape and it certainly looked like it would go pretty well alongside seafood. Next was the Atlantic Dry 2006, a blend of Reichentseiner and Schoenberger. Its nose had an appealing honey smell and a little "petroly" stuff going on, the palate had subtle hints of sea-shells, lemon zest, but again suggestions of unbalanced alcohol. The Rose 2005 was OK, with floral and lime flavours, rather than big obvious fruit. The Red 2006 was pretty average; withdrawn fruit and a sour palate. The definite highlight of the morning was the Sparkling Brut 2005, a lovely wine with a lemon, apple blossom and yeast on the nose and a mouthful of refreshing, citrus flavours.

Though the wines were an interesting selection, they weren't cheap and at £17.99 the Sparkling Brut is competing with some pretty decent Champagne. One thing I did notice across the range was a sense of terroir, a pleasant citrus and crushed sea-shell theme. The wines were OK, the views fantastic, but my visit was really let down by the woman on the cellar door. She was uninterested, unhelpful, unknowledgeable and poured out tiny sniffs of wine (and refused to pour a second tiny sniff, when the first evaporated before it could be drunk). A bit of a shame really as I visited the Camel Valley Vineyard wanting to be inspired by British wine and left disenchanted because of how we were treated.

Visit winery website