Hunter Valley fun

Hunter Valley fun - part 1

Back in January we purchased a new car. Back in January there was a public holiday that week. Back in January it was raining. What do to you do when you have a new car, the weather is average, and you have a public holiday? Road trip! We decided to take a day trip with some friends up to the Hunter Valley. Despite it being so close to Sydney we really don't spend much time there, and tend to spend our long weekends on wine buying trips around Adelaide. Never the less, with a list of different wineries to visit, and a new car to break in, we headed up for the day.

Our first stop was a winery called RidgeView. We arrived a little early, in fact we arrived very early just as the staff were opening up. We had the place to ourselves and had a great time trying their wines. I particularly enjoyed the sparkling Pinot Noir (pictured below), and the gorgeous setting they have for the vineyard. After we tasted all they had on offer I wandered around and grabbed a few snaps (below). I'm particularly taken with the name of the field where the Shiraz vines are ;-) You can't see it - but there is a BIG hill!

Cheers

Sally

Comments

#winewednesday - d'Arenberg High Trellis Cabernet Sauvignon

I've reviewed wines from d'Arenberg or Darries before . They are a bit of a go to staple in our house hold at times. Easy drink, accessible, good prices, and consistent in taste. What's not to love. Today I'm drinking The High Trellis Cabernet Sauvignon . Darries has several ranges of wine - The Stump Jump at the value end (under $15 a bottle and a great drink) all the way through to the premium single vineyard drops at around $100 a bottle. If you can't find a wine to suit both your taste and budget you may as will stop drinking wine. I've actually tried a lot of their wine and really value both the premium wines and the value wines. It's rare for me to feel that way about a winery, but I don't think they've compromised on quality with any thing they are producing - which is great. The High Trellis Cab Sauv is a good drop. The nose is quite fruity with lots of blackberry. The colour is rich cherry with lots of purple hu

#winewednesday - Ridgeview Cabernet Sauvignon

Today I'm talking about another local Cab Sauv.... well local to me that is. RidgeView is in the Hunter Valley just a little over 1.5 hours north of Sydney. I've got to admit I don't get up there very often, but it's always fun to get to visit somewhere new when you do. I've written about my visit to RidgeView before . One of the things I enjoyed about our visit was how relaxed and casual the staff were. They were friendly and relaxed - which is not something you always get at every Hunter Valley cellar door. They also don't take themselves too seriously as you can see by the way they've brought humour to their day to day & their labels. (Love that "Effen Hill") So on to the wine.... Well as the label says above the colour is a very deep purple red. There is definitely lots of berry fruit reflected in both the colour and the nose. Taste wise its a good robust wine. Berries as you would expect, but not too over powering.

#winewednesday - David Hook de novo bianco

I don't get up to the Hunter Valley very often but when I do I take it as an opportunity to try some different cellar doors and wines that I usually drink. Last year I made it to David Hook Wines cellar door in Pokolbin. We tried a few wines and brought a few more back. One of those is the de novo bianco 2011 which we just cracked open tonight to eat with our grilled barramundi. The de novo biano is a blend of 4 grapes - Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Riesling. The nose is very delicate - at least is was for me tonight - with just a few hints of orange blossom. The palate is light but more robust and rich than a Sauvignon Blanc. The taste is smooth, maybe a hint of apricot or similar stone fruit. A hint of spice, but nothing overwhelming and nothing too strong to overpower any food you're eating. All in all a good choice for our fish tonight. At around $30 a bottle it might not be you're every day quaffer but it's something to bring around

a girl and a glass

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