Ivan the Kozak

46-48 Cochrane St, Central
Visited 21st September

Heading up the Central Escalator to SoHo I've often wondered about Ivan the Kazak; that strange looking Russian restaurant with its pot plants and statue with the well endowed moustache. Naomi and I were heading to Aberdeen for an exotic weekend on a friends junk so we figured we may as well keep the sense of adventure alive and try some Russian and Ukrainian food. I've never eaten at a Russian restaurant before, but Ivan the Kozak certainly makes you feel as if you're in a Russian restaurant. The place is shrouded in heavy wooden timber, murals adorn the walls, the cutlery and crockery is old-school and the big, blond headed staff look the part, they even have an 'ice room' where you can drink vodka in freezing temperatures.

The menu looked good and to my untrained eye pretty authentic, or a least the Russian names sounded authentic. I had 'Solynka'; a tasty salmon, lemon and olive soup as an entree, while Naomi enjoyed her 'Gorohoviy' or split pea and bacon soup. Though both soups were good, the serves were rather small and would have benefited from a bit of bread on the side. The range of mains looked fantastic but the lack of decent bangers in Hong Kong pushed me towards the 'Kolbasa Domasnaya' or homemade sausages. The huge sausage was accompanied by steamed broccoli, cabbage and a little tomato sauce, the serve was generous, but the sausage was disappointingly dry. Naomi claimed she was "sick of not having room for dessert" so while I gorged on meat and veg she had a dainty entree serve of 'Pelmeni'; tasty little dumplings stuffed with pork. For her much anticipated dessert Naomi ordered an adequate strawberry 'blini' or crepe.

Ivan the Kozak is certainly an experience. The food is honest and simple, but to pull this off the quality must be good; the soups were, but my main wasn't. The service was friendly and efficient, while the drinks menu featured a huge range of vodkas and some good Eastern European beers. Our bill was $357 which seems pretty fair for a meal in Central. When all's said and done the real strength of Ivan the Kozak is, as the good people at Monty Pythons once said "and now for something completely different".

Visit restaurant website.

Is This Really Wine Writing?

'Uncorked', Sunday Morning Post, 16th Sep 2007

Every Sunday I read the Post Magazine from Sunday's South China Morning Post. Though I'm entertained I'm never really 100% satisfied as the amount of food and drinks coverage is really pretty disappointing for a city of Hong Kong size. Hidden between double page spreads advertising obnoxious clothing I'd never be seen dead in is the wine column 'Uncorked'.

’Uncorked’ doesn't review wines, but offers wine education related comment; it often talks about a grape variety, region or wine style. This week the column started with "Call me crazy, but I think Hong Kong is a lot like Napa Valley California". What follows is an article that is, I assume, meant to be amusing but ends up being the opposite. The loose similarities drawn between the Napa Valley and Hong Kong range from the occasional person having a mud-bath; to Ocean Park and the Stirling Winery both having Gondolas; to the observation that both locations have local indigenous inhabitants. What’s also ignored is the fact that the supposed similarities are based upon the behaviours of an elite minority and that they are far out weighted by the differences. "Call me crazy" but it really wasn't much of a wine article.

Bahce Turkish Restaurant

3 Ngan Wan Rd, Mui Wo, Lantau Island
Visited 15th September
Mui Wo or Silvermine Bay on the back side of Lantau Island is one of Hong Kong's under-rated gems. Unlike the neat Singapore-like fakeness of Discovery Bay just up the coast, Mui Wo offers a glimpse of real, old-school Island life. There's a clean beach for swimming, outdoor bars scattered along the promenade, trails into the hills for a run, walk or cycle and a handful of great restaurants. Tasty Turkish food and a relaxed atmosphere make Bahce a favourite for a filling lunch after a swim or run.

Saturday afternoon at the beach always warrants a drink and I knocked back a couple of reasonably priced half-pints, while Naomi raved about her banana milkshake "made with real fresh bananas". The huge serves of mains at Bache are accompanied by giant grilled vegetable skewers, bread and dips; too much for us, instead we decided to graze from the great selection of meze. Eventually difficult choices were made and we ordered a Greek salad, meze platter and a side of Baba Ghanoush with 'Turkish Bread'. The Greek salad was just like it should be; big chunks of creamy feta, olives and a delicious herb dressing. Bahce offers a warm or cold meze platter as well as a selection of individual serves, we chose the warm platter and it was more than enough for us both. Severed with a choice of three dips and side salad the array of feta stuffed peppers, falafel, calamari, stuffed filo-pastry cigars and meatballs were excellent. The only downside of the meal was the 'Turkish bread' severed with the Baba Ghanoush; it certainly didn't resemble any Turkish bread I'd ever seen and was just an average loaf of reheated white bread.

Bache Turkish Restaurant is cool; while it doesn't have a sea view or even much outdoor seating, it does have a relaxed atmosphere and a beach bar kind-of-feel. The staff are welcoming and helpful, the food is authentic and tasty and the prices are good. Our meal was just over $200 for the both of us, and though it included a couple of drinks it thankfully didn't include any service charge. Bache Turkish Restaurant is definitely worth a stop as part of a day out at Mui Wo.

Med Stars

Ground Floor, Gold Coast Shopping Mall, Tuen Mun
Visited 14th September

The first week back to work after the holidays is always a struggle; but five days later Friday night seems to make everything OK again. Naomi and I met a mate for dinner and drinks at the Gold Coast. Though the Gold Coast is a bit of a hike from the Tuen Mun town centre and KCR station it's worth trudging across to be able to sit by the water and watch the setting sun traverse Lantau Island. Med Stars is one of the restaurants in the small shopping arcade; inside it's an ugly industrial pub dominated by a huge TV; outside is a total contrast with tables, umbrellas and views of the water.

Drinks at Med Stars are reasonably priced and the couple of cold Tiger beers I drunk were refreshingly good value at only $22. The menu has a pretty large selection; mainly basic Western dishes, but there's also a BBQ char-grilling meaty treats. I started by giving the barbecue a workout and ordered a grilled sardine; the little charcoaled critter was delicious, and an absolute steal for only $13. For a main I ordered grilled tuna fillets which were served with a wasabi based sauce and vegetables. For a $138 the two chunky bits of tuna were a very generous serve and were pretty tasty despite being well over-cooked. Naomi enjoyed her fat club sandwich which was simply served with chips and my mate loved his lamb chops (though he always loves lamb chops so I'm not sure if that's saying much). We shared a bottle of Dona Paula Merlot 2005; a wine I liked, though Naomi thought was over priced and dominated by off putting sour, green flavours.

Yuen Long seems a long way from the beach and when I crave a view of the ocean I often find myself at Med Stars. The beers are cheap, the food's basic, but good and the service is efficient. It's the sort of place were you can waste a whole day or just drop in for dessert and a nightcap. I've got a quite a few friends who live at the Gold Coast and many of them are well over Med Stars as it's the only decent pub in the vicinity, yet I like it and recommend it for a beer or casual meal if you're in the area.

Sushi Tei

6/F Yuen Long Landmark, 123 Castle Peak Rd, YL
Visited 13th September

Naomi and I visited the Yuen Long branch of this international chain for dinner Thursday night. Hidden on the 6th floor of a building off Castle Peak Rd Sushi Tei can be a bit difficult to find, but is worth the effort. The atmosphere is good, with comfortable, modern decor, a great open kitchen and some interesting views of Castle Peak Rd out the window. The only downsides were unflattering short-skirts worn as uniforms by the waitresses and the unashamedly disgusting belching by the woman on the next table.

We ordered an assortment of dishes: tuna, salmon and rolled pork chop sushi accompanied by a serve of grilled prawn and tofu balls for me, while Naomi chose fried chicken and an omelette stuffed with noodles. I was impressed with the sushi; the fish hunks were thick, fresh and tasty, while the pork chop sushi was rolled with crisp iceberg lettuce which was a great combination of textures. Naomi was less impressed with her meal. Though hot and crispy the chicken was a little fatty for her liking and I'd agree that the sauce dribbled over the noodle omelette was just plain weird and off putting. Another positive for Sushi Tei is that it seems to be the only Japanese restaurant in the New Territories which sells wine, though I was happy with a cold can of Asahi. Our bill came to $209 which isn't bad value.

Our experience of Sushi Tei was a positive one. The service was fine, the food decent and the atmosphere good (minus the belching woman); if you're looking for a feed of Japanese in Yuen Long Sushi Tei probably isn't a bad option.
Visit restaurant website

Walking out of Peccato

Peccato, 37 Elgin St, Soho, Central
Attempted to visit 7th September 2007

Wondering up to SoHo from the D. Milhade wine tasting Naomi and I decided a serve of Italian was in order. I'd heard good things about Peccato and was keen to try this intimate Italian restaurant on Elgin St. We were seated at a small table on the street and the ambiance was fantastic. Though not extensive the menu looked good and I decided upon fried mixed seafood followed by green pea risotto topped with pan-fried scallops, while Naomi had eyed up lamb filled cannelloni. Wine proved a bit more hazardous as everything I knew on the list seemed excessively over-priced (Peter Lehmann Shiraz for $580 and Browns Brothers Everton Red for $380, which retail for about $180 and $107). I decided upon a glass of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo and Naomi just wanted a glass of water to freshen up after the wine tasting; this was when the trouble started ...

Oh, but sorry, we were informed by our waitress, they didn't serve tap water because apparently "some costumers have complained". This was one of the worst excuses know to humanity and when questioned she failed to give a satisfactory explanation and responded by telling us not to worry as we could have a bottle of complementary mineral water; for me this missed the whole point. Drinking water is undeniably good for you and is a necessary accompaniment to any meal and, despite what the majority of the expat community thinks, tap water is perfectly safe to drink in Hong Kong (see here). I avoid drinking bottled water not because of the financial cost, but because of the environmental cost. Limited fossil fuels are used and carbon emissions created in producing, bottling and transporting bottled water, not to say the huge amounts of waste created by all those empty bottles (which even if recycled still create more emissions in the process). As much as I was looking forward to my meal we walked out the door in protest and I doubt I will ever get to try Peccato; hundreds, potentially thousands of dollars in business lost just because they wouldn't let us have a glass of water.

We finished up along the road at our old favourite Olive where I enjoyed a fantastic seasoned rack of tender lamb and Naomi had her favourite chicken shish kebabs. The wine was better priced, the service was natural and friendly and whithout us having to ask glasses of iced tap water were placed on our table and constantly refilled throughout our meal!

D. Milhade Wine Tasting

D. Milhade Wine Tasting, Ponti Wine Cellars, Central
7th September

A wine tasting is a great was to start a Friday night. This was put on by Ponti Cellars and the plan was for a little sip in Central then to move up the hill for dinner in SoHo; an offer so tempting that Naomi even decided to came along! The event was hosted by Gerard Milhade the President of the D. Milhade wine group whose wines we were trying. Gerard was friendly and courteous and, despite the fact he was exhausted after two weeks travelling China, was happy to chat. We discussed the international wine market, the buying power of the US, the relationship between the Euro and US dollar and the emergence of the Chinese market. He is also interestingly mentioned his frustrations with the French application system and his desire to experiment with different grape varieties (especially Pinot Noir!) in Boudreaux.
Now comes the hard bit. I've unfortunately lost my notes on the nine wines from the D. Milhade portfolio that were offered for tasting and going off memory isn't the best idea. My favourite wine of the night was Chateau Lyonnat 2004 Lussac St Emilion; a wine was produced at Gerard's home (wouldn't it be nice to live in a Chateau!). Both the Grand Crus came from Chateau Boutisse in St Emillion; the Chateau Boutisse 2004 and Baron de Boutisse 2004 were both good wines, well structured and refined, but the price that we being asked was perhaps a little too much. I can't remember anything else from the range jumping out, but again I thought all the wines were pretty good. The D. Milhade Wine Tasting was a worthwhile event which offered a chance to try some nice St Emilion wines and the opportunity to chat with the president of the company producing them.

Visit the D. Milhade website.

Furano Wine Muller-Thurgau 2005

Furano Wine Muller-Thurgau 2005
Furano, Hokkaido, Japan, ¥8000 for 375ml

I found this cute little half bottle hidden at home. I've previously reviewed a red wine from this producer, though I think this single varietal release is meant to be a step up their quality ladder.

It has a soft gentle nose with whiffs of sherbet, honey and sweetly perfumed flowers (perhaps honeysuckle or the like?). On the palate there are delicious, yet subtle lime, pear and stewed apricot flavours. Furano Muller-Thurgau 2005 is well balanced, only just off dry with well integrated alcohol and very little acidity. This is extremely easy to drink, though perhaps it lacks a bit of 'wow factor', Furano Muller-Thurgau 2005 is still a very pleasant experience.

Visit winery website.

The Holiday's Over

Return to Hong Kong

All good things come to an end and, well, I'm back. The pollution is high, the weathers disgustingly hot and life is suddenly very busy. Despite what a mate is saying this blog is called 'Eating HK', not 'Eating Australia' and I'm looking forward to keeping the posts coming on all things food and wine in Hong Kong.

Eating Australia - The Rumblings of a Fat Stomach

Trip To Australia
26th July to 22nd August

Though my stomach is about to explode, it must be pointed out Australia is not just about eating and drinking. During my three weeks back home I did a whole host of fantastic things. Skiing, surfing, runs with my father, sea-kayaking, rock-climbing, walks in the bush and visits to my Granny's were all highlights alongside all the great food and wine. Pies, Pies, Pies
The meat pie is more Australian than kola's and kangaroos, and I ate a lot of meat pies. Driving anywhere in Australia - whether its breakfast, lunch or afternoon tea time - the temptation is always there to pull into a bakery and indulge in a sly pie. While on the road with mates I seemed to be munching on them non-stop: some good, some average and some superb. The Malmsbury Bakery in Central Victoria was a favourite when I was at uni. Today its prices have polarised my mates, many of whom reckon $5 for a pie's a rip-off, but the tasty, steak filled pies I think are still the second best in the World.

Cafes
Sitting, sipping coffee and watching the World is meant to be very European, but it's all I seemed to do. Australia's cafe scene is alive and well, perhaps unlike Italy - where a friend was complaining the other day of being unable to find a decent coffee!

For cafes, Melbourne's where the magic happens. When ever Mum wasn't working we seemed to be having constant coffees at Via Verona in Kew or Hahndorf's Chocolates in North Balwyn. Another favourite was the Red Star Cafe at the South Melbourne Market. On Sunday morning this place was pumping, but the delicious breakfast they served up certainly got me started after a very big day at the footy. An unexpected find was Kofi Beans in Croydon. This great little spot served up delicious organic coffee and great breakfasts amongst a tumbling bazaar of Moroccan homewares.

It's remarkably easy to get a decent coffee in country Australia these days. I enjoyed a couple of fantastic lattés at the Green Olive Deli in Bendigo, where their range of tasty food and local produce had me salivating. The tiny town of Mortlake offered up a surprise with Jackies Coffee and Wine Bar. We were literally miles from anywhere, but Jackie did a great job serving up good coffee, tasty sandwiches and an impressive range of cakes. A favourite in Adelaide is Zuma Caffe at the Central Market were you can get a bargain priced breakfast and great coffee before browsing the market's tasty produce. The only place I couldn't find a decent coffee was in Port Adelaide, but that didn't surprise me as it's a very, very average place.

Pubs
Australians love pubs as much as they love beer and as you can imagine I visited a fair few. While all pubs manage to serve cold beer, in all honesty, many are pretty average. Luckily this is not always the case and there are venues that take food, beer, wine and music very seriously. I've discussed the Healesville Hotel in a previous post, but I also enjoyed visiting a few old favourites in Richmond. Drinks in the London Tavern, Public House and Richmond Club helped prove that Melbourne's pub scene is definitely alive and kicking.

The Wheatsheaf Hotel in Torrensville, Adelaide is a ripper of a venue. I love this place as it takes it beer so seriously. Not only can you by Mountain Goat, Coopers and Little Creatures on tap, but they also have an English style hand pump and an amazing range of international bottled beers. The friendly Wheatsheaf crew love booze as is shown by their impressive line-up of single malts and excellent winelist.
Restaurants
Australia is a multicultural country, where every imaginable style of food seems to be on offer. Carmenuccios in East Kew is my local Italian; it's the kind of place were you walk into after a year away and they know your name, were you get huge serves of tasty pasta and the BYO option makes it a bargain. Another local favourite is Satguru's where they serve up a fantastic fusion of curry, tandoori and pizza. When I was in primary school Satguru's was a pizza joint, the new owners kept the pizza oven which they use to dish up an interesting selection of Indian style pizzas and delicious tandoori. Satguru's is definitely one of the best value restaurants in Melbourne. Victoria Street Richmond is know for it's Vietnamese food, yet somehow we ended up eating Thai and I enjoyed a great, but extremely spicy meal with old friends at Ying Thai. The list of great meals could go on - pizza in Adelaide, Thai in Horsham, pub lunches everywhere.
Wineries
I've written up most of the wineries I visited, but a couple that slipped through the radar are definitely worth a mention. Bremerton in the Langhorne Creek area of South Australia was getting a lot of positive press while I was back; James Halliday in his Companion to Australian wine rated their Old Adam Shiraz 2004 a massive 97 points, the same as Australia's iconic Penfolds Grange. This visit was my second to Bremerton and it reconfirmed the opinion I formed on my first visit; their wines are good, but nothing special and that there are better producers in Langhorne Creek.

Another area I passed through was the Pyrenees in Victoria's Gold Fields Region. I visited the Dalwhinnie, Taltarni and Sally's Paddock wineries. I loved Dalwhinnie's impressive range of premium wines; what stood out was the intensity of their noses and the huge, opulence of their palates. Just down the road was Taltarni where I treied a large selection of tasty wines, including offerings from their sister label Clover Hill in Tasmania. Highlights here were the Clover Hill Sparkling 2003, Taltarni Cabernet Sauvignon 2002, Cephas 2001 and the Heathcote Shiraz 2004. Sally's Paddock was again all about the intense Pyrenees reds; my favourite alongside the Sally's Paddock 2005 was the Cabernet Franc 2005, both truly lovely wines. The Pyrenees has some fantastic wineries hidden amongst the beautiful, rugged box-ironbark forest and is well worthwhile.
Home Cooked Meals
What can be said; nothing is better than Friends around a table, good food and maybe a bottle of wine. BBQs with old mates in Melbourne, Lasagne down the beach with the boys, an awesome salad in Malvern, steak and kidney pie in Port Fairy, home-made wonton soup in Adelaide, kangaroo pie in Horsham, vegetarian delights in Bendigo, and a thrown together feast in Ripponlea. This really is what life is all about!

Healesville Hotel

256 Maroondah Highway, Healesville, Victoria
Visited 16th August

I'd nearly come to the end of a fantastic trip to Australia and I was full. Full of beers with friends, full of cooked breakfasts at cafes, full of coffee after coffee, full of bottles of great Aussie wine and full of what seemed like one huge never ending restaurant meal. I could write a hundred posts about all the interesting places were I'd eaten and drunk, yet amongst all these meals I wanted to mention dinner at the Healesville Hotel as it stood out as what 'eating Australia' should be all about.

The Healesville Hotel is a refurbished 1910 hotel in the town of Healesville about an hour from the centre of Melbourne, and conveniently near a mate's new house. The hotel is redecorated, refurbished and ready for business with a highly awarded restaurant out the back, accommodation upstairs and a produce store next door. We ignored all these, and like good Aussie lads went straight to the front bar ordered a couple of draft ales from local brewer Hargreaves Hill. The restaurant is pretty stylish, but the bistro/bar area is a comfortable collection of big rustic tables, and we found a seat near the roaring wood fireplace.

What did I like so much about the Healesville Hotel? Was it the fantastic, friendly staff who made us feel so welcome? Was it the great local brewed beer? Was it the superb bottles of Cabernet Sauvignon and Ridgeline Shiraz that we drunk all too quickly after the beers? Was it the delicious salad, huge thick steak and chips that I ate? Was it the hugely impressive winelist? Was it the relaxed setting, friendly atmosphere and lack of any sort of pretentiousness? Was it my mate's poor girlfriend who sat their totally confessed as we told tales in the almost indecipherable code of our shared histories? Was it the couple of beers we drank in the car on the way home which made me feel like I was sixteen again? Of course it was all these things that contributed to our little dinner at the Healesville Hotel being such an absolute cracking good night.

Visit restaurant 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.

Samuel's Gorge Grenache 2004

Samuel's Gorge Grenache 2004
McLaren Vale, South Australia, Aus $35, cork seal

This bottle was given to us as we walked out of the Samuel's Gorge winery in the McLaren Vale yesterday. The winemaker Justin McNamee was apologetic that he had to leave (it was 5.30pm!) and offered us a bottle to "take home for dinner". Not only is Justin a fantastic bloke, he is a wine maker full of energy, enthusiasm and passion. Of all the wineries we visited yesterday he was certainly the person least able to afford to be handing out free bottles, yet he was extremely generous in doing so. We drank this alongside an tasty dried kangaroo, sundried tomato and pinenut pasta, while watching The Incredibles on TV. Justin actually reminded us a little of the evil red-headed villain in the film, but I'm just glad he uses his powers for the good of wine rather than evil.

The nose has an initial burst of vanilla oakiness, but it settled down and was replaced by a parade of savoury flavours. There are magnificent aromas of crumbly dried herbs, accompanied by tobacco, spice and alluring red cherries, raspberries and plum. On the palate there's a fair bit of sexy sweet fruit; black cherries, red currents and cranberries, but this is balanced by lingering savoury flavours. The wine maker, Justin McNamee, talks about the texture of his wines and I definitely appreciated the thick, creaminess of Samuel's Gorge 2004 Grenache. The palate was smooth and integrated; a couple of times there were hints of alcohol sneaking through, but it was reined in. Samuel's Gorge 2004 Grenache is a big thumbs up from LB and a big thumbs up from me; a superb, sensual drinking experience.

If you can't visit the magnificent cellar door then checkout the website.

Drinking Western Victoria

Visit to Port Fairy
7th August
I was in Australia and I was on the road. Two blokes, a car, an ipod full of Paul Kelly songs and a couple of spare weeks; it was going to be good. First stop was Port Fairy to visit friends. This tiny seaside town has a rich historical past and was one of Victoria's first settlements. Though there is still a large fishing fleet, today the whaling has been replaced by tourism and Port Fairy is well known for its annual Folk Festival. It's a long way from Melbourne and while there's a couple of streets of antique shops, cafes and B & Bs Port Fairy keeps its charm and is one of my favourite places in Victoria.

The friends we stayed with offered us amazing hospitality. Not only did we get a comfortable room, an awesome meal, a guided tour of Griffiths Island, but we got involved in some seriously delicious local booze. When we were offered a local wine I was thinking of maybe something from the Grampians, but oh no they were all from the Henty region. Bottle after bottle was pulled out and we were told to take our pick. Located close to the nearby the town of Hamilton, Henty seems to offer some extremely good cool climate wines.

First we had a couple of glasses of local beer from the Red Duck Brewery in Purrumbete; it was good, perhaps better even than Fat Nick's homebrew. The enjoyable Amber Ale was a flavoursome, honest ale, while the special release Golden Dragon was a superb beverage. It was rich and complex, but an absolute nightmare to pour; it just seemed to keep foaming and frothing. A bottle of delicious Henty Estate Riesling followed and disappeared quickly after the beer; this aromatic, well-balanced white was a perfect aperitif. Looking at the pile of reds we went with the Hochkirch Maximus Pinot Noir 2004, a good drop with tantalising red fruits and an accompanying warm fuzzy feeling from knowing it was made following organic and biodynamic principals. Alongside dinner we tucked into another wine from the Henty Estate stable, this time it was the Cabernet Sauvignon 2004. This was a cracker of a wine; complex and well structured it went perfectly with dinner and was just plain tasty. To finish we had a little sip of Chambers Old Wine Muscadelle, and though not local, it was definitely very good.
Heading for Adelaide the next day - via Langhorne Creek of course - we were grateful for a fantastic night in Port Fairy, a chance to catch up with friends and an opportunely to try some great wines from the area.

Visit Henty wine region website

Merricks General Store

3458 Frankston-Flinders Rd, Merricks, Victoria
Visited 5th August

After every big party there should be a big breakfast, and our big breakfast venue of choice was Merricks General Store. Back in the day Merricks General Store really was a general store selling papers, milkshakes, pies and mixed lollies. These days it's gone all posh and Port Philip Bay side, with a cafe and cellardoor. It's located next door to Stonier winery in the tiny settlement of Merricks.

They have expanded the original building and opened the back into an airy dinning area, which was streaming with winter sun. Our group plonked itself around a big wooden table and quickly ordered a round of big breakfasts and coffees. My plate was packed with mushrooms, tomatoes, sausages, bacon and some lovely fat toast topped with a couple of poached eggs. The food was good, though I thought the sausages were a little under cooked and the mushrooms were average. A couple of excellent coffees, alongside this feast certainly made facing the World a little easier.

Merricks General Store is perhaps a little too big and as a result isn't a particularly intimate; it's also a disgrace that complimentary newspapers aren't provided to read with your breakfast. The wine at the 'cellardoor' / retail outlet is OK and a sip of something after breakfast is certainly better than a sip of nothing ... Despite the lack of newspapers Merricks General Store is a good spot for breakfast, offering tasty substance and good coffee, which goes down even better with a group of hung-over mates.

Visit cafe website

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

Hahndorf's Chocolate

149 Bulleen Rd, North Balwyn, Victoria
Visited 31st July

I really just wanted to review this great little cafe as it's North Balwyn; the place where I grew up, where Mum and Dad still live and the perfect example of the sweet dream of Australian suburban 'bliss'. Hahndorf's began in the town of Coleraine in Victoria's Western District in 1986. Founded by German immigrants, they make exceptional chocolates. Expanding into Melbourne they now have a scattering of cafes that offer not just chocolates, but coffee and cake. When I'm staying with my parents this is a favourite spot for a coffee after a walk along the Yarra.
Hahndorf's is comfortably laid out with tantalising displays of tasty chocolates along the walls. Mum and I stopped by for morning coffee and it seemed the rest of North Balwyn had too; the place was crammed. Within only a minor delay I was served a decent cafe latte, which was accompanied by the usual complementary truffle, I chose a chocolate coated, coffee filled delight. While the coffee was good, the chocolate was outstanding; life suddenly seemed very worthwhile.

Visit website