Wine Travel Time

Wednesday

It was time to move on from McLaren Vale and head for the Barossa where many exciting adventures awaited. We decided to take the long way around via Hugo Wines in McLaren Vale – a spur of the moment decision and made only because Liz Hugo had been into my work to host a tasting before we left on the trip. Remembering I liked them I wanted to take Steph in for a tasting; they do a few wines but are best known for their Shiraz and their Cabernet which are both sensational value and good examples of the region for about $25.

We also wanted to revisit Langhorne Creek to see Marty one of the Viticultralists at Bleasdale, a friend of Steph’s cousin Mark. Marty took us for a wonder through the winery where we saw the original red gum press which was even used last year for a special release – it’s enormous! After our tour we went to the cellar door for a tasting, they are the first cellar door we have been to where all the wines are laid out for you where pour your own. There are about 18 wines on tasting plus a handful of fortified wines. I could sit here for hours and tell you about all the wines but I’ll just pick a couple of favourites. The “Second Innings” Malbec $18 is a great BBQ wine loads of dark fruits with big tannins; just what you need with a big rib eye straight from the grill. The “Generations” Shiraz $38; a moorish wine that has you reaching for more after every sip one of those wines that you have in your and you just can’t put it down.

We cruised up the highway about 2hrs to the Barossa not really having anytime to go for a tasting we just pitched the tent in the Nuriootpa Caravan Park and went for a little drive through the main street of Tanunda to get our bearings for the days ahead.

Thursday
We had arranged to meet up with a wine guru friend Dave Brookes (vino_freakism) at around lunch time so after a lazy breakfast we decided to squeeze in a tasting beforehand.

Kaesler was just close by so we decided to make that our first stop, it was only 11am and there was already people swarming the place so we crept up to the bench for our tasting. We showed some patience and before we knew it most of the other people we gone and we were able to properly meet taking us through our tasting. I (Matthew) have tried a few of the Kaesler wines before so I was keen to take Steph and see what she thought. There are many wines to taste and we did our best to try the whole line up. As I was driving I just pick and choose from the unusual and the premium wines. Just what we expected from the wines, they are big full-bodied reds that are high in alcohol; a popular style of late, though I think people are looking for a more refined style – though there is still a market for the big bold reds. The wines that I like; the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon it is a big red and would be easy to pick in a regional line up and also a good introduction for non-Cabernet drinkers at $25 it’s an easy sell. “The Bogan” Shiraz is more expensive though you see why when you try it, more length and integrated oak flavours and even though it’s high in alcohol you don’t notice it as much as you do in cheap Barossa Shiraz. We can’t leave out “The Old Bastard” Shiraz, the flagship wine and out of a lot of our budgets ($160) it is a cut above the other wines, full soft tannins, cedar oak flavours, sweet red berries and an underlying spice with long length and a full body – it’s a delight.

Now it was time to catch up with our friend, and after a short trip back to his place we headed to Rockford Estate. We got to walk through the winery, where they guys were busy shoveling grapes into the crusher, and through to the tasting room. The lovely Sarah was on hand to show us the wines. I had expected everything to be way out of our price range having seen the basket press Shiraz for about $150 in most retail stores, but this was not the case. Riesling for $20, Semillon $18.50 and a Moppa Springs GMS for $24 are just some of the great wines at cellar door you even get to taste the famous Basket Press Shiraz at a cellar door price of $54 (about three time cheaper than in stores – but there is a bottle limit. The fact that we couldn’t get the wines easily elsewhere, or at this price, we grabbed a mixed case, and are looking forward to enjoying those when we get home – but keen also putting some away for our cellar.

We couldn’t stay there all day (even though we wanted to) so Dave took us down the road to Charles Melton Wines. Another very warm welcome at this cellar door, this time from Sally and Sam and again more delicious wines; from the well known “Rose of Virginia” Rosé and the Father In Law Shiraz both $21.90 through to the “Nine Popes” for $58.90. We also had a bite to eat – just something simple for us but they do offer a full menu and a stunning verandah where you can while away the hours like we did with a glass of your favourite. So after sitting and chatting for an hour or so we made our way slowly home to get ready for our big dinner at fermentAsian.

fermentAsian is an exquisite asian-inspired restaurant in Tanunda, a local dinner haunt for some of the winemakers in the area. Apparently Thursday is the night the wine industry folk like to dine there   Although they have an extensive wine list, especially local drops, it is also BYO and if you look around you see quite a bit of plonk sharing and ‘bottle swaps’ taking place. The food is outstanding Fresh betel leaves with sticky caramelised pork, Hanoi spring rolls, Penang peanut curry of Barossa Black Angus beef ribs, Berkshire pork belly with ginger and orange sauce just some of the specialties…and don’t get me started on the chocolate and lemongrass mousse!

Friday
We slowly made our way out of bed to another magical day, we have been so lucky weather wise I can’t even tell you but I probably don’t have too when you see our photos. We were planning on just taking it easy from here on in but as you will see we manage to make it to a fair few places. Our first stop for the day was Chateau Barosa in Lyndoch which we had heard had some exquisite antiques collected over hundreds of years. I (Steph) was floored by the amount of stunning pieces from Europe and Asia and the phenomenal wine glass collection. I also tasted some of the wines that were represented at the Chateau which were approachable enough.

Then we went to a few places on our way back towards Tanunda with the first being Rick Burge Wines who has some very good wine and I will say it’s a must visit, beautiful scenery with the vines that seem to run to the foot of the hills. The must-try wines are the “Olive Hill” Semillon- while it is good now, best to give it some time to age for full benefit “Garnacha” old vine Grenache – sweet fruit, spice and juicy tannins and the “Draycott” Shiraz – full bodied , plums, red berries, earthy with layers of flavours and all these are under $32. All the other wines are great, these were just a few that stood out. There is also a great range of older vintages and fortified wines. Libbi at the cellar door was a delight to talk to and really gives you a feel for what the wines are all about and what they are looking to achieve.

Still moving towards town we stopped in at Jenke on Libbi’s recommendation. A small cellar door with loads of charm and character worth a stop for the straight Cabernet Franc but none of the other wines suited my palate not to say they weren’t good just not the type of wine I was looking for in the Barossa.

Time for another big producer in St Hallett’s; they have a diverse range on wines but I was there to try the Blackwell $38 and the Old  Block Shiraz $100. The range offers good value for money, the Old Block is the star but you have to pay a bit more to get it. There is also a range of cellar door only wines which are always good, they can often be the reason that people will sign up to mailing lists and try to get something different on a regular basis. With that said I liked the Old Vine Grenache and the Mattschoss Shiraz and they were cellar door only so I signed up to the mailing list which we have done with a lot of the places we liked… and intend to buy from when we get home.

One last stop for the day was Artisans of the Barossa, they are a cellar door for winemakers that don’t have cellar doors, with the wines on tasting changing monthly there is always something different to try. There are a couple of more wellknown producers on tasting here such as Teusner and John Duval but it’s the small surprises that make this place worth the visit. Schwarz wine company have the inexpensive (under $20) “Dust Kicker” label that really packs a punch for the money, Sons of Eden have a sexy, elegant and plump Shiraz called “Romulus” that is fantastic and still good value for $60 and one of the biggest surprises coming from a dessert wine called “Lucette” from Spinifex; a Cordon Cut Semillon – floral, candied tropical fruits and would be great with a range of desserts and or cheeses – definitely worth a look. You will find in most wine regions there is a shop like this that will have wines from smaller producers that don’t have a cellar door, so hunt them down they could have your next favourite wine. This was us done for the day it was time to go and have dinner and drinks with Dave and his lovely partner Jen and inevitably drink some more tasty wine.

Dave and Jen live off a dirt road not too far away from the Eden Valley, just near a small town called Angaston. This is the village where the Barossa Markets are held each Saturday morning. So that’s where we are headed to tomorrow morning!

Cheers,
Matthew & Steph x

Days 47 & 48 were spent hanging in Adelaide and, without too much to report, we have moved onto day’s 49 & 50. Saturday was however spent at Mark’s house in Adelaide with his wife Jen and his sons Brayden and Rhys where it was home-cooked pizza night and we had their awesome spare bed to sleep in for the night. Thanks guys!

Sunday
Our last day in Adelaide was to be an unexpected one beginning with watching Mark’s son Brayden in his game of soccer. These boys had skills and a 4-1 win was enjoyed, a crushing win! Leaving Mark and the family we headed for McLaren Vale, only 40 mins from Adelaide. We had no real expectations of McLaren Vale as a wine region other than some nice reds and had only planned for a couple of days. But as we drove in all we could see were signs on the side of the road for wineries, and boy there are heaps, no plans have changed yet but I’m sure we’re going to need another day. After a quick stop at the information centre we headed for the McLaren Vale Caravan Park which is about 1 min drive from the main street and we flicked up the tent. We decided to take a drive down the Fleurieu Peninsula for something to do; a stunning drive with gorgeous beaches and stunning coastline. We stopped in at Rapid Bay which has a camping ground right on the beach, great views back up the coast and a long jetty that is popular among divers and fisherman on the hunt for squid – we even saw one lucky bloke pull in a big one. Back in the car and heading around toward Cape Jervis; this is where the ferry for Kangaroo Island leaves. We decided not to go to the island because it costs an arm and a leg to get there and our budget is already stretched a little thin. So, after a few pics from the lookout we headed across to Victor Harbour a quiet place with lots of things to see and do but we were just flying through on a sight-seeing tour and it was getting late so we just headed back up to our campsite where we settled in with some local Chinese food and a beer.

Thinking of the beer I will take the opportunity to thank the nice guys in Adelaide that offered us their three bags of groceries and grog as they were leaving the country and were just going to throw it away. Winning! I saw them offer it to a few people in campervans but they turned it down I couldn’t believe it and snapped it up at first offer, a six pack of beers, a few swigs of Johnny Black and a bottle of Annie’s Lane red, yes please!

Monday
We were a little intimidated by the amount of wines we had to tackle today but being the champion tasters we are, we were ready for any challenge the Vale had for us. After a quick bite at Blessed Cheese (the local cheese shop) we went to Alpha Box ‘n’ Dice. The cellar door was closed but we found Emma in the office of this quirky little winery. This place is very Madam Fling Flong (Newtown local’s reference) in its décor and is well set out with its long tasting table and eclectic vintage couches. They have a great range of wines but unfortunately due to them technically being closed we sadly only four:

Then to our second stop Chapel Hill they have a large range of wines and were testing us early in the day but we were very determined and we got through them all with no problem. Some of the highlights were the 2009 Chardonnay $25, 2010 McLaren Vale Mourvedré $35, 2009 Chosen Block (single vineyard) Cab Sauv, House Block and Road Block Shiraz $55, and of course, the 2007 Vicar Shiraz $65, their flagship wine that is as slick as they come, intense deep colour, full body, ripe red berries with savoury hints of black olive and liquorice with full tannins that will soften with time. Definitely one for the cellar! While Sandy was taking us through our tasting we got to chat to Bodhi who was the Customer Relationship Manager who we chatted to about our blog and ways we could improve it and also about the direction that Chapel Hill were taking for the future – and it all looks very positive.

The third winery of the day was Coriole. I (Matthew) had tried a few of the wines before but there were a few I was keen to sample at this very beautiful cellar door. We met the lovely Liz who not only took us for the tasting but gave us some tips for our upcoming trip to the Clare Valley. Coriole have it all from the easy-drinking qwaffers to the premium cellar dwellers and everything in between. I’ll give you examples of each; 2011 Chenin Blanc – fresh acidity, pear, green apple with some tropical hints a great dry white for $16; 2010 Soloist Reserve Shiraz – cherries, plums, dried herbs, spice and full firm tannins $45 and the 2008 Lloyd Reserve Shiraz – black cherries, spice, cassis, leather and pepper with soft mouth filling tannins $85. There are many more wines in these ranges on offer you’ll have to source them yourselves or wait till we get back and can source them for you.

Stop four was also our lunch stop for the day at d’Arenberg we were in much need of some sustenance so we went straight into the Veranda Restaurant and after ordering our Entrée of mixed oysters and Main of pork belly we popped in next door to taste some of the whites on offer. Just after lunch we were greeted Rachael (we had tweeted that we were there and she came out to say hello) and then we popped back next door to complete our tasting. There are 46 wines on the tasting list and a couple that are not so needless to say we were there for a while. Steph tried a little over half and I had somewhere between 15-20, there are the usual varieties like Chardonnay, Cabernet and Shiraz but they also have Roussanne, Viognier, Grenache, Mourvedré and that is just a few of what they have. They are all spread out over various price points from $15-$99 there are so many to talk about and I will fill in the gaps when we have more time at home. I’ll pick one from each price point as I did above; 2010 Hermit Crab Viognier Marsanne $15 – ripe stone fruits, integrated acidity and textural, 2004 Twentyeight Road Mourvedré $40 – black forest fruits, earthy, dry, grippy tannins and full bodied. Then there are the two single block Grenache’s both 2009 and $99 the Blewitt Springs Grenache a much more earthy, spicy savoury style and the Beautiful View Grenache much more fragrant, perfumed with confectionary hints and sweet berries. After a solid hour and a bit of tastings it was time to move on to our final destination of the day.

Samuel’s Gorge wasn’t on our radar of places to visit, but every place we had already visited had suggested we get there. So of course we did and so should you if you’re ever in the Vale! Just around the corner from Chapel Hill pulling into the car park you are virtually in the vineyard surrounded by barrels, tanks and machinery. The view over looking a valley and up the rolling hills on the other side is majestic, we wondered up to the cellar door where the guys were busy tasting the new Easter release wines and busily writing tasting notes. Justin McNamee the winemaker is a bohemian and eclectic character who was straight down the line and called it how he saw it which was great; not too dissimilar to me. Three wines on tasting 2010 Tempranillo, Grenache and Shiraz all $35 and all very high quality all very different, classy and attractive for different reasons we were also given a sample of the 2011 Mourvedré which looked to be a cracker with – dark black forest fruits, vanilla, dried flowers and firm grippy tannins with a tight structure that will soften and bend with time. Again a lengthy chat followed (with Justin and the gorgeous Alex) and we left with the potential of returning for their Easter release where by four local chefs are challenged to make a pies – one chef to a wine so you end up with four different pie combos and only $5 each….and we do love a good pie.

Now it was time to get some snags for the bbq and retire for the evening and plan our next day in McLaren Vale.

Tuesday
Beginning the day with a healthy breakfast of cereal and toast we were ready for another huge day of sight seeing and divine tastings (hoping so anyway). It was time to head to McLaren Flat which is on the south side and our first stop was Wirra Wirra. Most people know the winery for their famous Church Block blend which is a delicious wine and one of the best qwaffing blends for just under $20. But there is so much more to the winery and the wines that are crafted here. Driving into the entrance there are a couple of things that you notice; one is the fence made from trees from the Flinders Ranges. Now this is the coolest fence we have seen by far. Then there is the giant Church Block bottle that sits at the entrance to the cellar door covered entirely of wine corks. There is also a bell in the winery that Steph was able to ring but pulling hard on a big rope and a catapult which you can see footage of being used to fling watermelons out of on the iPad inside the cellar door. There are many stories and a lot of history behind the Wirra Wirra wines and you’ll have to go for a visit to get all the details. Time for a tasting (it was after 10am after all). The Lost Watch Riesling had two vintages on tasting; 2008 & 2011. The ‘11 was fresh and zippy with tangy mouth tingling acidity and the ‘08 had softened a bit with some petrol notes over the citrus more subdued acidity. The 2010 Woodhenge Shiraz – full-bodied, pepper, brown spices, well balanced and smooth a bargain for $30. The 2010 The Absconder Grenache – lifted floral perfume, spiced red berries with white pepper and full tannins with some bite $65 – a great wine and Grenache is one of those things to surprise your friends when you have them over for dinner, especially if served with some kind of pheasant.

Everything in McLaren Vale is really close by, most of the vineyards are within 10 mins of each other and you can hire bikes to ride for the day. This would be a great way to take in some of the scenery; we really wanted to do this but are a bit pushed for time to see as many wineries as possible.

On a recommendation from Steph’s brother we went to Hugh Hamilton wines, a stunning cellar door that used to be an old water tower and as such is elevated and looks right out over the vineyard. Such a stunning view and quite a few wines all with a cheeky reference to him being the black sheep of the family such as the Loose Cannon Viognier, the Floosie Rose and the Rascal Shiraz to give you just an idea. Good value wines with most priced between $18-$25 and everything from Sauv Blanc through to Shiraz. It was unfortunate that to buy the Premium wines you have to join the Black Sheep Club. Joining the club (at the cost of two dozen per year) was the only way to taste the $45 Saperavi (which is something that you don’t see much of) and being on the hunt for unusual wines and something a bit different I would have definitely bought one of those (if we were allowed). But, not to be so we were off to the next stop.

Pertaringa was next another place that has a lot of wines on tasting and our guide through them Ben was very knowledgeable about Pertaringa wines; and just wines in general. A few of my favourites are: 2009 Handcrafted Chardonnay, 2008 Pertaringa Two Gentleman’s Grenache, a much more jammy style due to the heat wave of ‘08 but still very tasty with a little sweetness a good introduction for people that have not tried Grenache before. The 2009 Pertaringa Tannat, not a variety that is seen all that much (though it is creeping its way into the market and with good reason), has big bold flavours of dark berries and currants with robust juicy tannins and well integrated oak. This wine will only going to get better with time; cellar 7yrs and beyond to get the full benefits – also the vines are young and I think as the vines get some age the wines made from them will also improve so this is one to look out for in the future! There are many more varieties such as the Teroldego, Lagrein, Primitivo plus many more to be tried here and a must visit when coming past to see what is on offer.

Stop four for the day (still before lunch time) was Penny’s Hill/Mr Riggs they share the cellar door as part of a joint venture, so with that being the case, there are over 20 wines on tasting here. The Black Chook range (cute name) is their entry level wines with the highlights here the NV (non-vintage) Sparkling Cuvee, a great drop at $17 with it’s easy-drinking bubbly style. Another highlight in the Black Chook range was the 2011 Pinot Grigio with pear and citrus on the palate. All of the ranges here were made by winemaker Ben Riggs but as well as the Penny’s Hill range there was also Ben’s own label, Mr Riggs. Both ranges were great representations of McLaren Vale wines with the highlights in the Penny’s Hill range, the 2009 ‘The Experiment’ Grenache ($30), 2010 ‘Edwards Road’ Cab Sauv ($24) which was savoury with leafy and minty characteristics, the easy-drinking 2010 ‘Cracking Black’ Shiraz ($22) with its peppery, menthol and blackcurrant flavours, 2009 ‘Skeleton Key’ Shiraz ($35) with its earthy dried fruits and leaves and soft tannins and velvety finish. Another great drop in this collection is the NV ‘Veteran’ Very Old Fortified with its tasty coffee and toffee mouth.

Moving onto the Mr Riggs we were impressed with the range on offer especially the Rieslings; 2011 ‘Watervale’ Riesling ($22) with its lemon, lime and lychee and the 2011 ‘Ein Riese’($22), an off-dry style with honey and lime – perfect with spicy food with its 26 grs (grams of residual sugar). I (Steph) was also very taken with the buttery, creamy goodness of the 2009 Viognier ($19) – great value. The 2009 Shiraz ($50) deserves a mention with its soft fruit, vanilla oak and plum characters but for a cheaper drop, try ‘The Gaffer’ 2010 for $22. We were also both fans of the 2010 ‘Sticky End’ Viognier ($22) to end your night. Yum.

Next we headed to Gemtree cellar door, located right in the main street in McLaren Vale. Gemtree since 2008 have been farmed biodynamically and are fully certified organic and are doing some interesting things with their winemaking with a Savagnin, Tempranillo and Petit Verdot. Thanks to Judi for looking after us.

Running out of time for the day we wanted to get one more in so headed to Paxton where we met Jackie. Luckily we were the only people in the cellar door so we had her expertise all to ourselves. This is another vineyard farming biodynamically and has been certified since 2011. Their 2009 Chardonnay was great as were all of their Shiraz  - of which they have five plus one blend. A highlight was the 2009 Jones Block Shiraz ($37) with its moorish black berries and bright fruit. Another great drop was the 2009 Cracker Barrels Shiraz ‘Scarce Earth’. Scarce Earth is a McLaren Vale initiative exploring and celebrating the geological climatic and soil diversity of the region. All wines come from a single block, a small plot of land with a unique flavour profile and personality. This drop was Paxton’s contribution and it showed up with Vale well. Other honourable mentions were the 2010 AAA Shiraz Grenache and the 2010 ‘The Guesser’ Cabernet Shiraz, both under $20.

With six cellar doors under our belts it was time for and early night.

Cheers

Steph and Matthew x

Today was the day we were due to revisit Nepenthe. Mark had been telling us about a fandangle harvesting machine he had purchased in France the last time he was there. It is a machine that is now hired out to several vineyards in and around the hills. It does what most other harvesting machines don’t do – it can not only harvest the grapes (by shaking the vines at some ungodly velocity like 400 times/min) but it can de-stem them and sort the grapes by their size so that any crappy, current like grapes or leaves or petioles get discarded and thrown to the ground to help fertilize the soil. = awesome piece of technology. It also had this crazy on board hydraulic system to lower and raise the blades in order to get directly to the right part of the vine on any slope or terrain and can turn on one wheel so that it can go up and down one row at a time if need be. It was great to see this type of thing in action.

Farewelling Mark for the day – after learning lots about harvesting grapes and cool machinery – we thought we would get some tastings in.

Golding was another recommendation from our contact Nicole. Again a stunning winery and not surprising they host weddings and have taken that to a more serious level employing an event coordinator to deal with the many enquiries they get every week. A more boutique winery still with a decent range of wines, all the things you would expect to find in the Hills – Sparkling, Chardonnay, Shiraz and Pinot Noir the highlight is the Francis John Pinot Noir not to take away from the other wines this was just the stand out for both of us – aromas of cloves and redcurrants jump out of the glass with a complex and layered palate showing a more savoury, gamey flavours up front but there is still fruit that comes through a good balance of rich fruit and savoury characters. This was the 2010 and I think will look even better in 3-6yrs and the price is right on the money at $38.

Heading home for the eve we had much to plan for the coming days.

Cheers

Steph and Matthew x

Today we decided to stay local and not stray to far from the paths of Adelaide.

After a gentle morning blogging we headed to Penfolds Magill who has one of its cellar doors right in the heart of Adelaide.

As most people are aware Penfolds have a huge range of wines and personally I find the Bin numbers somewhat confusing. But those in the know (aka Matthew) seemed able to request a tasting of the best Bin ranges without too much effort at all.

We didn’t taste everything, rather chose wines that were slightly unusual, cellar door only releases or one we don’t see as frequently (or buy as frequently) in the bottle shops..

Fist was the Koonunga Hill Autumn Riesling, a cellar door only wine. Penfolds make most varietals well and this Riesling was no exception. We moved our way through some Shiraz Cabernets, Pinor Noir, Cab Sauv and some Shiraz with our favourites being the 2010 Bin 128 ($38), aged in 3^rd use Grange barrels a very easy drinking Shiraz with little faulting it and the 2009 Bin 150 Marananga Shiraz ($75) with its full fruit, plums, red and black currents, spice and leather which is aged in 2^nd use Grange barrels. The 2010 Adelaide Hills Chardonnay was impressive with its toasted nuts and lemon palate and the 2011 Barossa Valley Viognier was a favourite with its tinned pineapple and full apricot flavours. We both also got a kick out of trying the Grandfather Tawny ($84) with its delicious burnt toffee, treacle and coffee flavours. Yum all round.

After a local pie (always a must) at Wattle Park Bakery (worth a visit) we headed to Haighs Chocolate Visitor’s Centre. Unbeknownst to Matthew I have a slight obsession with Haighs Chocolate, developed working in the Sydney Festival office for over seven years. As the festival folk will tell you, the Marketing team have a ritual of sacrificing a large Haighs choc frog when either a significant marketing milestone has been reached or a marketing staff member has had a particularly challenging week (with an unfavourable outcome). The Haighs visitor centre visit was therefore almost a rite of passage whilst I was in Adelaide. Needless to say, the significance of this visit was desperately lost on poor Matthew who proclaimed ‘geez, it’s just chocolate’. Oh how I pity the uninitiated (although probably better for his waistline in the long term).

One thing visitors should be aware of is that if you do not book to take the free tour of the chocolate factory then there is no helping you when you show up unannounced; you would have thought I was asking for a private tour of Buckingham Palace! It’s also a place where people have obviously taken advantage of free tastings because until you buy something, you don’t get a tasting (which consists of a few slivers). Needless to say we had been experiencing free pours of the most delicious wine (and the Campbells Merchant Prince at $120 in Rutherglen) so getting upset about not getting free chocolate seemed a waste of time.

Wednesday was spent with my friend from New York, Paul who we took up to Shaw and Smith in the Hills, Udder Delights (the delicious Hills cheese shop) and the Beerenberg Jam shop (where Paul certainly put a dint into his credit card buying rose petal jam).

Tomorrow most Adelaide Hills!

Cheers

Steph and Matthew x

We once again woke to sensational sunshine; though now we are not jumping out of bed to rush to the next winery because nothing is too far away. Having made a contact at Shaw and Smith we were due to meet David LeMire, an MW (Master of Wine) at 2pm, so we had plenty of time to ourselves for the morning. We headed out to pick up some essentials at the shops and whilst having our mid morning coffee we decided to go to Bird in Hand, so up to the hills we went.

Only about 20 mins or so from Adelaide and we had arrived at Bird in Hand, a distinct label that takes its name from an old gold mine that was close by. They have three different ranges of wine all with names of shafts from the old mine.  Two in the Bush – their entry level range containing Semillon/Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet/Merlot and Shiraz all very drinkable, true to the varieties and affordable. Next level up is the Bird in Hand wines – Sparkling Pinot Noir, Honeysuckle Riesling, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Rose, Merlot, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon again all very drinkable but have more depth of flavours and added length but not extreme prices ranging for $20-$35.

Their premium range is called the Nest Egg wines, an appropriate name as you would really want to sit on these for a few years to get the best out of them – “Joy” Sparkling Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon, this is in the premium range ($65-$85 more for older vintages) but if you ever have the chance you should try them and you will see why. It was time to say goodbye to Pam after a chat and a tasting we were off to our appointment at Shaw and Smith.

Shaw and Smith’s reputation is built on their Sauvignon Blanc the most popular in Australia by far, but there is so much more on offer and you don’t have to dip too far into the savings account to get it. On arrival we were greeted by the cellar door operator who was expecting us and went off to get David, after a quick meet and greet we were off for a walk around the winery that included the barrel room, a tasting of the soon to be picked Shiraz grapes, the bottling shed and a taste of the 2012 Sauvignon Blanc that has net finished fermenting yet (the signs are good from what we could see) where we able to see the slick operation that is Shaw and Smith. We were taken to sit on the balcony and we were lucky enough to have David join us and talk us through the wines.

• 2011 Sauvignon Blanc – In a very difficult vintage they have managed to produce a very refined and elegant wine, aromas of fresh limes and a grassy herbaceous lift have your mouth salivating, then zippy zesty lime juice and tropical hints awaken the palate and leaves you with a fresh clean mouth feel ready for the next sip.
• 2010 M3 Chardonnay – a good vintage that has produced one of my favourites, finesse, elegance and class all come to mind when I think about this wine. Beautiful white peach, mild cashew flavours some oak tannins present that help give the wine extra length, the fruit and acid are in balance and the oak provides the structure.
• 2010 Pinot Noir – Taking their time and getting the wine to the way they wanted it to be has made this worth the wait. A delicate nose of strawberries, raspberries with an earthy undertone flowing through to the palate and enhanced by some light oak spice and mild fungi notes, these all combine to make a complex delicate wine that is made to impress friends on any dinner table.
• 2010 Shiraz – A cool climate Shiraz always makes you question any other Shiraz from any other climate, you can’t compare the two but you always find yourself doing it. Vibrant red berries with a leathery complexity, hints of white pepper flowing to oaky cigar box spiciness on the back palate; it’s one of those wines that make you think about region, climate and soils and what they mean to wine.

Just two for today as I said we had kind of taken the pressure of ourselves and wanted to enjoy what we were doing and not get back from this all and feel like we needed another holiday.

Cheers

Steph and Matthew x

Saturday

When in Adelaide the one thing people suggest you do is visit Central Market on a Saturday, so y’know what they say….

We headed there for a delicious brekkie and then wandered around town for a while, checking out the Adelaide Arts and Festival Centre and surrounds before heading to a pub for a St Patrick’s Day beer.

I (Steph) was booked in to see a theatre show in the afternoon while Matthew stayed at the pub. We reconvened later and headed to the fringe garden via Universal Bar on Rundle Street. Here we tried an excellent Primitivo by Pertaringa, a Riesling and an Italian Pinot Grigio. Yum!

In the garden later that night we were again very grateful to have got in to see a few shows: East End Cabaret and Chopper’s F**king Late Show.

Sunday

We got up and welcomed in another amazingly warm day and, after a bit of blogging, strolled to the National Wine Centre, a 15min walk from the camp ground.

We had a nice lunch there opting to share pasta and try two different wines. You can take yourself off on a self-guided tour of the centre where the displays teach visitors all about the different wine varieties grown in Australia and where each wine region is etc etc. It’s a nice building with lots to learn about (if you didn’t know much about Australian wine). We did however find it odd that when we went to ask the receptionist a question about the centre and about suggested wine regions we should visit she replied ‘I don’t know really know anything about wine, I don’t like it, like, I don’t drink it’. Hmmm, good job choice.

We took in a few more fringe shows at the garden, the sold-out Soap and I saw a few comedians while Matthew met an old mate for dinner. Mike Wilmot, a crass but funny Canadian and Wil Anderson who was fairly philosophical for the last night of the fringe

Thanking Rowan for the lovely fringe festival experience we headed back to camp. Monday was time for more wine adventures.

Cheers

Steph and Matthew x

Having done an assignment on Langhorne Creek I was keen to see a couple of the places I had researched. So with that in mind we headed south of Adelaide to a winery called Lake Breeze. Robyn Follett the wife of winemaker Greg was on hand to show us their multi-award winning wines and then we were lucky enough to be shown around the winery. The winery was in full swing with grapes being bought in and tanks being filled. We very luckily even managed to get 5 mins of Greg’s time with Robyn noting that it was the most she had spoken to him in a week, which gives you an indication of how busy this time of year is for winemakers!

The tasting was a great introduction to the Langhorne Creek region especially the reds, though the whites are good too. There are plenty of wines to try here which was unexpected for me as I usually only see the Lake Breeze Cabernet and the Bernoota (Shiraz/Cabernet blend) in the local shops. Lake Breeze have eight wines under the Lake Breeze label, five under the False Cape and three under Bullant. As usual the Bernoota and the Cabernet were outstanding wines especially at $19/$21; then you move up to the next level that contains a Reserve Chardonnay, Arthur’s Reserve Cabernet/Malbec and the winemakers selection Shiraz again great value wines at $24,$32 and $35 respectively all very good examples of what Langhorne Creek has to offer, wines of a distinct style and flavour and Lake Breeze tick all the boxes for wine lovers.

Time for another one of our Nicole contacts – Bremerton another Langhorne Creek classic. We met Nick on arrival and we had a lengthy chat that involved the history of Bremerton, some information on vintages of the past and current, the new varieties that Bremerton are experimenting with, a tasting plate (they also do a good pizza) and a coffee at the end and we ended up spending 2.5hrs tasting and chatting. The fact that we had this time with Nick and Janine, food and chatter certainly enhanced our cellar door experience but the wines speak for themselves.

There were 15 wines on tasting, from “Racy Rose” $16 through to the “Best of Vintage” Shiraz/Cabernet $75 which is a wine where they take the best barrels of Shiraz and Cabernet and make a classy wine. These are the start and finish prices but there is plenty so satisfy everyone’s needs and budgets. We were also huge fans of the “Old Adam” Shiraz – Vanilla, plums, leather, spice and rich but elegant, and the “Coulthard” Cabernet Sauvignon – minty, black currant, cedar and some tobacco leaf flavours; a bargain at $22. There were many more you will have to look out for these at your local bottle shop or go online www.bremerton.com and join the Bremerton wine society that gives you a large discount.

We only made it to two wineries today but they were both quality visits and we also had to rush off to the swimming that we had won tickets to. We saw Thorpe flop out of the 100m, but the success of Libby Trickett and other Olympic hopefuls and had a great night in the process, Thanks again to SA Tourism for the tickets!

Cheers

Steph and Matthew x

Last night we decided to splash out and get a motel room as the forecast was for belting rain that night and by George did it bucket down. There were flash floods all over Adelaide. Good move – we were happy with that decision. We woke early to put up the tent and found the only caravan park that had gravel tent sites, not grass. About 20 bent pegs later (Matthew cursing all the way) we got the tent up and headed off adventuring.

We were ready for our first full day in Adelaide and seeing as though Adelaide Hills is only a little over 30mins away from the centre of town it was the obvious first choice in exploring the region. Having plenty of time in Adelaide we didn’t feel the pressure to have a plan and having someone ‘in the know’ (aka Nicole) tell us a few places to visit we headed for a vineyard and winery called The Lane.

The Lane is one of the prettiest wineries we have been, very modern and fresh with a deck that has an outlook down over the vines across to the surrounding hills. Entering the cellar door/restaurant we met with our contact Christian who talked us through the history of The Lane. It was time for our first taste of the Adelaide Hills and with the extensive range for tasting it was a good introduction. Christian kindly took us through the whole range. We certainly noticed the difference in from the whites from region to region. Of the none whites we tasted at The Lane (including a Sparkling, Sauv Blanc, Pinot Gris 3 x Chardonnays, Sauv Semillon and a Viognier) the favs for us were the Lois Sparkling Blanc de Blancs, the 2010 Pinot Grigio which was herbal and floral with traditional pear flavours and moderate acidity and the 2009 Block 3 Chardonnay. The reds were very French in style, light, peppery with consistently balanced fruit. The highlights were the 2010 Block 14 Basket Press Shiraz ($39) and the 2008 Reunion Shiraz ($65) and the 2010 19^th Meeting Cab Sauv ($65) with these wines the most expensive we had tried in the region.

Steph’s cousin Mark works at Nepenthe so this was the first of a couple of visits to this great vineyard. This visit was initially just to touch base with him as it is vintage time and the busiest time for anyone working in a vineyard. Unable to catch Mark we decide to have a taste of the wines while we were there. I had tried a few of the wines before but it was a first for Steph so away she went through the whole range with Brett and I waited for her and went through the black label wines. The Classic range (entry level wines) were very approachable, easy-drinking wines with the 2010 Sparkling Sauv Blanc and the 2011 Sauv Blanc the highlights and the wines Nepenthe are best known for. The six wines in this range are a bargain being all priced under $20 and are ready to drink now at a BBQ or just to quoff any night of the week.

The Pinnacle label (premium range) are wines that after having tasted them you would expect to  over $40 for but the Nepenthe Pinnacle label wines are sensational value for under $32. The Petraea, Sauvingnon Blanc spends 6mths in oak which gives the wine some more complexity and depth of flavour, the Ithaca Chardonnay (and the stand out for us)\ has toasty oak, cashews, peach flavours – just the way we like our Chardonnays – a full-bodied white which would be great with chicken and cashews!. The Good Doctor Pinot Noir – ripe red berries with savoury oak, under tones and hints of gamey fungi notes combine with soft elegant tannins for added length and complexity. All of those wines were 2010 and this last wine is 2009, The Gate Block Shiraz – mocha, spice, leather, cassis, hints of liquorice and firm full tannins, a wine that will improve with age but is more than approachable now and unbelievable value at only $32. Thanks again to Brett for the tasting he is a great guy to have on the door and enhances the tasting experience with his charm and enthusiasm! The best wine is made in the vineyard isn’t Mark?

That night was the first night down at the Adelaide Fringe (as the night before had bucketed down) and my gorgeous festival fried Rowan was able to get us into some shows at the Garden of Unearthly Delights for free. What a Champion! We saw three back-to-back shows being Kaput!, Sammy J and Randy and last, but not least, Heath Franklin vs Chopper (a personal favourite character of Matthew’s). We had a great night and laughed the tent down in all three shows. Gold! After a few drinks with Steph’s mate from New York, Paul, in a carnie-run double-decker bus we headed back to the caravan park.

Guess what? – more wine adventures tomorrow!

Cheers
Steph and Matthew x

Today we were heading to Adelaide but not before tasting some of the delights on offer from the Mount Benson wine region. Only having time for a few places, and not wanting to taste too much before the 3.5hr drive to Adelaide, we picked a couple and straight after brekkie we headed for Wehls Mount Benson.

Pulling into the driveway the first thing we noticed was the emu walking around; this was unusual to say the least and just a little scary. When he followed the car and decided to hang out in front of us for a while we were both looking at each other wondering if he was going to chase us down if we tried to get to the cellar door. At that moment Patrick appeared who is the Brand Manager and also looks after the tastings.

It turns out Eddie (the emu) was rescued and is now looked after by the owners (along with a few other friendly critters including Morton the magpie). A tiny cellar door which is all that is needed as there isn’t a lot of through traffic through this region. Before I tell you about the wines I have to tell you that looking at the prices (nothing over $20) I wasn’t expecting a lot. This expectation and these prices really can go either way; sometimes you’re right and don’t like the wine and other times (like this time) you get wines that are full of flavour and it’s just because they’re a small operation it allows them to keep their cost down and they are able to sell for a reasonable price.

Moving onto the five wines we tasted – No. 1 2011 Sauvignon Blanc; fresh aromas and flavours of tropical fruits with hints of lime, fresh and crisp on the palate finishing clean and dry. No2. 2009 Shiraz Cabernet blend; big punchy Cabernet favours are softened out with the Shiraz making a balanced wine that is great for everyday drinking – at $16.50 who can say ‘no’ to that. No3. 2009 Cabernet Merlot; ripe plums, black cherries and cassis (blackcurrent) aromas fill the glass and greet senses at first whiff (the same flavours greet your palate), along with French oak and brown spices and structured tannins all combines for the ful- flavoured easy drinking red. No4. 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon and No5. 2009 Shiraz are great wines and I’m not going to show you my tasting notes, instead you have to go out and find them for yourselves or buy them online as they are such good value you can’t not get some, www.wehlsmtbensonvineyards.com.au.

Heading further along the Coorong Rd towards Adelaide we came across Wangolina Station and the lovely Kristen. These wines are all good and represent such amazing value for money. They have two levels of wines the Wangolina Station, their entry level wines from $14-$18 and include a 2011 Sparkling, Sauv Blanc, Pinot Gris, 2010 Sauv Blanc Semillon and a 2009 Station Hand Cabernet Shiraz. All of these wines were notable and stayed loyal to their particular styles. Choose any of these whites to take to a party as quaffable, easy-drinking now wines. The Cab Shiraz blend was so approachable; you convert any non-red drinker into liking this wine.

Next in the tasting range at Wangolina were the finest wines from the Mount Benson property – the Section 67 range. These included the 2010 Sauvignon, 2009 Semillon, 2010 30RS Riesling, 2009 Shiraz and were such great value at $22-$28. If you have never tried these wines and you ever get your hands on a bottle we urge you to give it a try. If you are passing by Mount Benson, drop in to see Kristen (who moved to the region for love) and has a great knowledge of wines (esp S.A drops) and might even point out a local kangaroo if they are around. Thanks Kristen; looking forward to ordering some wines when we get home.

The last on the list for the day before we headed to Adelaide was Cape Jaffa. These guys are doing some interesting things with biodynamic winemaking and Anne was great to speak to about the winemakers’ interest in the environment, local produce and surfing! Making up the wines on the line up were “The Set” range; Cape Jaffa’s entry level range, the Cape Jaffa and La Lune ranges (both biodynamically certified). The La Lune bottles all contain Australia’s first unbleached 100% cotton twill weave label.

Oh, but before we got to Adelaide we of course stopped into take a pic at the Big Lobster – clearly an Aussie icon.

As Thursday, Friday, Sat and Sunday will be spent in Adelaide catching up with friends at the Adelaide Fringe Festival the post for these days will more than likely be short and not overly wine-related!

Stay tuned for more.

Cheers

Steph and Matthew x

I think today was our biggest day yet getting to a record-breaking seven cellar doors…and the Coonawarra region is certainly not disappointing.

We woke early in order to fit in as much as possible. We had been tweeting earlier in the week about visiting the region and Karen from Zema Estate (aka CoonawarraK) had suggested we pop into to Zema for a tasting. Already on our list of vineyards to visit we headed there first thing.

Meeting Karen was a delight and she talked us through the family history of the vineyard (a very quaint love story of two immigrants from Calbria), the winery’s establishment, where the vine cuttings had come from and special events they host. throughout the year. One such event is where Mrs Zema, Francessca makes her renowned wood-fired pizzas at the regions April event Coonawarra After Dark. We even had the pleasure of meeting Demetrio, the founder, who was wondering through the cellar door. The wines were a real treat, full of flavour and the warmth the family had poured into making them. A highlight was the 2006 Family Reserve Shiraz ($40). After tasting Karen kindly showed us around the winery. With the heat of the day beating down we fondly bid farewell to Karen, promising to be back for Francesca’s pizza in April.

Next on our list for the day (and almost opposite Zema) was Brand’s Laira. Matthew had tried a few of their wines before but this was a new tipple for me. Inside the cellar door we met Lisa (and Madeleine) who took us through the range of wines. Well known for their delicious Blockers Cab Sav we also enjoyed the 2008 Two Rows Merlot ($27), the 2009 Cabernet Merlot ($22) which was very approachable easy drinking now and 2006 The Patron Cab Sav which has seen 24 mths in new french oak ($74) which was a highlight for Matthew. Lisa also told us about the Coonawarra Roadshow which heads to Sydney in August – a great time of year to drink full bodied reds. We are booked into that event for sure.

Next on the list for the day was Leconfield where we had the pleasure to meet the very jovial, Kerrie. Leconfield had a huge range of wines with the standout for us being the 2011 Old Vines Riesling ($24.95), 2010 Merlot ($24.95), Matthew liked the 2010 Petit Verdot ($29.95), 2010 McLaren Lake Shiraz ($24.95) with its black pepper and firm tannins. Yummo all round.

One of the wineries high on our must-visit list was Hollick. Walking into the welcoming cellar door was the very friendly and sociable, Marion. There were 12 wines on tasting. 2010 Sav Blanc, Savagnin, Semillon blend which is just a delightfully approachable white with a lovely clean finish (great value at $21), an easy drinking Fizzante which Marion suggested was perfect for a day playing beach Finska (ball game like boules). 2009 Shiraz ($25) and  2002 Wilgha Shiraz, a  museum release ($68). Another one to buy when you can is the Sparkling Merlot $30 – delicious, great for Christmas.

Balnaves was next on our list for the day and we were greeted by Louise who was very knowledgable about the wines on tasting and was very excited to hear about our trip. The stand outs for us were the 2010 Chardonnay with its nougat, almondy oak ($28) and the 2008 Shiraz with its big berry, especially blackberry fruit, ($24). Another fun one to mention is the Cheeky Red, an easy-drinking drop not dissimilar to a rose ($16). Another stand out (and one for a special occasion) was the 2009 The Tally Cabernet ($90) and the very palatable 2009 NV Sparkling Cabernet (yum) – $28. All of these wines provideded exceptional value for money and we know what we will be ordering when we get back home.

People throughout the Coonawarra region had told us to drop into the Coonawarra Wine Gallery as they had a whole assortment of wines from wineries in the area without cellar doors. We arrive at the gallery to meet gregarious Rebecca. We tried a few different wines from some of the big guns who had fruit growing in the area. We tasted a mix of Lindemans, Jamieson’s Run, Mildara, Greg Norman, Seppelts and Penfolds.

Some of those we tried and liked were: 2008 St George, 2011 Jamieson’s Run Sav Blanc Semillon; very drinkable. The 2004 Winemakers Reserve Cabernet Malbec ($49), 2007 Seppelts Sparkling Shiraz and the Penfolds Bluestone Tawny (so tasty).

Last but certainly not least for the day was Raidïs Estate where we met husband and wife team Emma and Steve. Emma took us through the four wines on tasting; 2011 The Kelpie Sav Blanc, 2011 Cheeky Goat Pinot Gris, 2011 The Kid Riesling, their most popular wine (we had been told to go and try it by nearly every one in Coonawarra). This for us was the top Riesling of the region – and only $17 – UNBELIEVABLE!  The 2009 Billy, Cab Sav ($23). These wines were all such amazing value for money, all approachable and ready to drink now or cellar. It was a real pleasure meeting Emma and Steve; they even asked us to be in their support crew for the annual Coonawarra After Dark grape stomp!

Great day of tasting! Tomorrow we head for Adelaide via Mount Benson.

Cheers

Steph and Matthew x