Up for a few tastings???
Mhairi and I kicked Ian and Casey to the back of the van.
Our first stop at De Bortoli include a cheese platter. I was shocked to actually really enjoy the goat's cheese and aged cheddar. I didn't expect to like any of it.
Our second stop at Coombes Farm included a greeting by the family owners who were visiting from France for the weekend (out on the deck behind guide Brian, Mhairi, Ian and Casey)
Mhairi stopped for a quick pose in front of the Chandon vineyards.
The view from Outlook Hill was beautiful. There's a combination of fog and smoke in the background there.
Ian and I were the hard hitters. Casey and Mhairi are white wine drinkers, so dropped out after the rose or first red. Ian and I continued to sample our way through each wine variety, skipping only the very sweet wines, while Casey and Mhairi tended to really enjoy those.
Mhairi and I kicked Ian and Casey to the back of the van.
Our first stop at De Bortoli include a cheese platter. I was shocked to actually really enjoy the goat's cheese and aged cheddar. I didn't expect to like any of it.
Our second stop at Coombes Farm included a greeting by the family owners who were visiting from France for the weekend (out on the deck behind guide Brian, Mhairi, Ian and Casey)
We were feeling a little toasty by the time we made our third stop at Punt Road.
Stop #4 at Domaine Chandon left a little to be desired. The person serving us was rather snobbish, though our stop for a glass of bubbly was rather enjoyable. We shared a brut, a sparking red, and a rose champagne amongst Mhairi, Ian, and I. Casey gave this stop a miss with his distaste for carbonation.
Mhairi stopped for a quick pose in front of the Chandon vineyards.
Then me...
Casey and Ian mocked our fun in the fields. Joke's on them!!
We were anxious to refuel so we welcomed our lunch stop at Tokar Estate. The roses lining the entry path were lovely, as was the food. The wine was not as lovely as many of the others we tasted earlier in the day, which was somewhat disappointing given the inclusion of a glass of wine with lunch.
The view from Outlook Hill was beautiful. There's a combination of fog and smoke in the background there.
Ian and I were the hard hitters. Casey and Mhairi are white wine drinkers, so dropped out after the rose or first red. Ian and I continued to sample our way through each wine variety, skipping only the very sweet wines, while Casey and Mhairi tended to really enjoy those.
Casey and Mhairi once again on standby at Yileena Park while Ian and I tasted the reds.
One last stop at Crooner's on Lygon St (down the street from my house) for dinner and drinks.
Casey, Mhairi (pronounced Vahree), Ian and I went on a private tour of the Yarra Valley wine region. Mhairi (Scotland) and Ian (England) arrived in Melbourne in October and are on a similar mission to see all of Australian, so they'll be great traveling compadres. A British guy Brian taxi'd us around in a minivan/SUV and provided commentary and plenty of food and wine throughout the day. We departed from and returned to my house, as it is minimally closer to the wine region than anyone else's home.
We started tasting at 10AM - what a bunch of lushes. We visited seven wineries throughout the day including (1) De Bortoli, (2) Coombes Farm, (3) Punt Road, (4) Domaine Chandon, (5) Tokar Estate for lunch, (6) Outlook Hill, and (7) Yileena Park. It was a good mix of large and small, commercial and homey, business and family geared wineries. Outlook Hill included two dogs Chewy and Dash, and we spotted two kangaroos at Yileena Park. We returned to my house around 7:30PM and headed down the street for dinner at Crooner's and... you guessed it, more drinks!
I discovered my tastes have developed a little. I now prefer some of the fuller bodied wines, while I used to prefer the lighter varieties. I'm still dry all the way. The slightest taste of sweet turns me right off! The following are my recommendations if you're ever looking for a good Yarra Valley wine:
(1) De Bortoli: Yarra Valley Estate Grown Viognier 2007 (white wine), Yarra Valley Estate Grown Shiraz Viongnier 2006, Yarra Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2006, Emeri Sparkling Shiraz
(2) Coombe Farm: Pinot Noir 2006, Merlot 2006** (really smooth)
(3) Punt Road: Punt Road 2006 Chardonnay, Little Rebel Chardonnay (half the price but still tasty), Punt Road 2006 Pinot Noir
(4) Chandon: Green Point Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2006
(5) Tokar Esate: none really but the most drinkable was the 2004 Tempranillo
(6) Outlook Hill: 2006 Chardonnay, 2007 Pinot Noir*, 2005 Rock Garden Merlot
(7) Yileena Park: MicroMasters Sparkling Pinot Noir Chardonnay, 2003 Merlot, 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon
