a girl and a glass

After a long week at work and in anticipation of my husband cooking something lovely for dinner (yes I'm a very lucky woman - I know) I opened this little surprise from my fridge.  I honestly can't remember where I got it from, but I suspect it might have been from a Vinomofo deal. If you're not on that - check it out - ridiculously good wine deals - and all a good drop - FREE to join.  And if you need more of an incentive use this link and get a $25 credit - you're welcome! Anyway.... back to the matter at hand.... The wine. It comes from the Yarra Valley (duh!) - Little Yarra Wines .  Now I haven't visited the cellar door so I can't tell you much about the experience but if the photo on the label is indicative of the location - then it's awesome and you should probably go there.  Apparently (according to the back of the label) they have an emphasis on natural farming techniques also.  Not sure what that entails but ok - awesome.  They only make t...

Quintessa is in the heart of Nappa Valley, in Rutherford.  It's a very pretty part of the world, not one I get to frequent often but I always enjoy it when I do.  On this occasion it was purely luck that brought me to their vineyard for tasting and a visit.  It was back in 2007 and I was with a colleague driving around Nappa.  We saw the sign and just drove up.  Typically they don't allow walk ins - you have to book in advance for a tasting experience.  Very different to most Australian vineyards.  We got lucky and were able to have a modified experience with just a tasting.  Still nothing there is 'just a tasting'.  It's a full on seated experience with decanted wines & cheeses. They really go all out to make it enjoyable.   Quintessa is unusual.  They have 5 varietals that grow on the estate - Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Carmenere. The wine is a blend that can include all or some of ...

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 so...

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...

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 ove...

To kick of the month of Cab Sauv I thought I'd start with something close to home - from the Hunter Valley - de iuliis Winery .  This is a winery I'd never been too before last year, but I really enjoyed my visit and have enjoyed all the wines I've tasted there.  We only tasted 3 or 4 wines on our visit but we came home with the Cab Sauv and the Chardonnay. The Cab Sauv is a beautiful cherry colour in the glass.  It's smells like black currents and red berries but isn't overwhelming with fruit.  The taste was smooth - but I'd like to try it again in a few years and see how it goes after laying it down for a little longer.  Right now it's drinking well - plenty of red berry flavours that you would expect from both the smell and colour, and lots of tanins.  It's got a long smooth finish which is enjoyable.  At only $18 a bottle it's a pretty good deal and I'd be happy coming home to a glass of it any night this winter.  In fact I might po...

A new month calls for a new flavour of the month.  In honour of the colder weather and the fact that I just want to curl up on the couch with a glass of red I've decided that July is the month for Cabernet Sauvignon.  Or as us Aussies like to say Cab Sauv. Cheers Sally

Last time I wrote about a wine from Ashton Hills I was talking about their chardonnay .  Today I want to tell you a little bit more about their winery and their Pinot Noir.  I mentioned how much I enjoyed my first visit to Ashton Hills in my last post, but I forgot to mention how pretty the winery is and the fantastic artwork Stephen has displayed at the cellar door (and just outside in the case of the image above).  Perched on the side of a hill you arrive to sweeping views of the valley and vines.  The cellar door is small and cosy.  We arrived just as the previous tasters were wrapping up so we didn't have to wait too long and had the place to ourselves.  It's always fun when that happens because you really get to find out a little bit more about the wines, and the winemaker. Anyway on to the Pinot Noir.  Actually there are 3 - the Estate, the Piccadilly and the Reserve.  All equally wonderful and deserving of their own reviews. ...

Do you ever pull out a wine from your wine rack and wonder where did that come from?  I'm usually pretty good at remembering what I've bought and where I've bought it from, but occasionally I'll pull something randomly from the rack (it's kind of like pot luck night) and my memory will completely fail me.  That's definitely the case this today's wine - although I won't forget it now :-) Tim Knappstein has been making wine for a long time. In fact it's in his blood. He's a third generation vigneron (that's the fancy word for wine maker), based in the Adelaide Hills.  They make a good range of wines, but I think they are really known for the pinot.  The Sabre (what I drank & pictured above) is particularly well awarded.   As you can see from the picture, the colour is a lovely crimson - with lots of berry red.  To smell it is just what you would expect from it's hue - fresh, berries and a hint of spice.  To taste it's ...

Today I'm going to tell you about one of my favourite Pinot Noir.  And it comes from just across the pond in New Zealand - Ata Rangi's Pinot Noir.  Now I can't tell you a lovely story about how I've visited the cellar door - because I haven't.  Yet!  From what I hear though it's a wonderful experience.  What I can tell you is the wine is awesome.  That's the technical wine tasters word for wine's that rock ;-) The colour is sublime - dark cherry with tinges of purple if you tilt your glass just so in the light.  (Trust me you'll do this by the time you open your second bottle - it's a stunning colour gradation in the glass).    The smell is all cherry and spice, with some floral notes and vanilla.  It's very very easy to drink.  Smooth with just the right amount of tanin.  The thing about it is, the more you sip the more you discover in it's subtle taste.  It delivers some spice - but not too much.  Some plum a...

I'm excited that the weather is getting colder... not because I like the cold.  I don't.  I hate it. The thing I like about the cold weather is we make a lot of slow cooked hearty food.  Food that goes well with red wine.  Everything from lighter reds all the way through to my favourite big, bold shiraz.  So for the next few months I think I'll be in red heaven sharing with you some of my favourite reds. This month is kicking off with Pinot Noir.  Later today I'll be back with a post telling you about my favourite Pinot Noir. Cheers Sally

I first tried David Hook wines on my last trip to the Hunter Valley early in 2012.  We'd just bought a brand new car an thought it would be a great opportunity to break it in with a trip up to the Hunter for the day.  I think our stop at David Hook was about the third for the day.  We went there on a recommendation from a friend who spends a lot of time up in the Hunter and thought I might like their wines.  As you can see from the photo of the magnum of Chardonnay sitting on top of my wine rack - clearly I did. The chardonnay is a pale yellow colour with tinges of green that seems to be characteristic of most modern Chardonnay's.  The nose is quite fruity - but more citrus focused with a touch of stone fruit.  The tast is clean and crisp, but not overly light.  It's refreshing with quite a bit of acidity but with no bite.  After the first sip you'll notice a bit of oak and some nuttiness but this just makes it feel very well balanced an ...

Today I'm moving out of South Australian Wines and sharing one from Western Australia - the Vasse Felix Chardonnay.  Sadly I don't have an awesome story to tell from a visit to the cellar door as I'm yet to go there in person, however I think I've tried almost every wine they make.  So that makes me a connoisseur right?  Ok I know I'm hardly that.  I just know what I like and why I like it.  And I also know that my tastes have changed a lot over time, and I'm glad for that.  It means I'm always falling in love with new wines... anyway enough rambling.  Anyone would think I've had a glass or two before sitting down in front of my keyboard. To the wine! The colour is a delightful yellow - not too strong, but definitely not weak and pale.  To smell you'll get some hints of fruit - but nothing too strong, and a touch of oak.  The taste is lovely.  Some complexity without being overwhelming.  A bit of fruit, but there isn't any o...

I only discovered Ashton Hills Vineyard last November on a trip to SA with friends.  It's a tiny little vineyard and the cellar door is only open weekends and public holidays - but the wine is bigger that you would imagine.  The cellar door is situated on the side of a hill and filled with quirky artworks and sculptures made by local artists.  The winemaker, Stephen George established the site in the early 80's and has been producing wines for well over a decade.  It's the kind of winery that you wouldn't ordinarily stumble across because the production is quite small, but when you do discover it you're glad that you did.  (And I'm very glad we did because I have quite a few of his wines on my rack now). Ok on to the wine.  This chardonnay was fantastic to taste.  The colour is bright - think of fresh straw that still has tinges of green.  The nose is pretty funky which is really interesting - think stinky cheese or mushroom notes and you'd...

The Lane Vineyard is one of my favourite places to visit in the Adelaide Hills.  We usually start the day off doing a tasting nearby and make our way there for lunch and tasting.  Pro tip... if you want to go for lunch make sure you book - it's always full.  Situated on it's only little hill and valley the views from the deck are stunning.  Last time we were there for lunch there was a large party out on the balcony for a pre-wedding celebration and they definitely had the prime location to relax over several bottles of wine in the afternoon.   The thing I love about this Chardonnay is that it's a great classic example of what a modern Chardonnay is all about.  There are no buttery, oaky flavours here.  And it's not that horrendous yellow tone that so many Chardonnays in the 80's were either.  No.  This wine is a beautiful pale straw colour. The nose is like the fresh orange blossoms outside my house, with a hint of stone fruit. ...

Well it's that time of the month again... time to change varietals.  Time to spice things up.  Time to make a change and figure out what I'm going to be drinking this month.  I've decided to go with a wine I love.  It's had a bad rap over the years.  I don't blame Kath and Kim  but I do blame some of the overly buttery and oaky varieties I've tried.  To be honest it never used to be one of my favourite wines either. But..... in the past few years I've found a new love for this wine.  There are producers out there doing stunning things with the grapes and the taste is just amazing.  Have you figured out what I'm talking about yet?  It's Chardonnay.  Yep Chardonnay.  Don't expect me to post about big buttery oaky Chardy's though.  There will be none of that around here.  I'll be going for the crisp, full, delicious, drink every drop in the bottle kind.  If you've been keeping the Chardy's at bay I hope that you...

In case you haven't noticed I have a thing for Adelaide... well more specifically I have a thing for wineries in the vicinity of Adelaide.  So much so that I have seriously contemplated moving there and reverse commuting to Sydney - but I think I'd never leave.  Anyway enough about Radeliade... I mean Adelaide and on to the wine. Today I'm talking about another winery I love, this one in McLaren Vale - d'Arenberg .  I'm particularly partial to their red's - the Stump Jump Shiraz is a goto fav for Friday night pizza & movies - but today it's all about the riesling.   The Dry Dam Riesling .   There's a nice little story about how it got it's name... something to do with a cursed neighbours dry dam, but I'd rather talk about how it drinks... and smells.  When you first pour it into the glass there is a lot to like in the light colour and scent. There is definitely some floral notes but nothing too heavy, more like a summery flower...

It's been a hectic time for me the last month.  I've been in over 5 countries in 4 weeks and am still on the road for work.  While it's fantastic and I love what I do it has been a challenge to keep up with my regular blogging schedule.  So this week I'm being kind to myself and calling a break.  Today there won't be a review of any wine.  There won't be any story of visiting wineries.  There will just be some pictures of some fabulous cocktails I've had the chance to drink over the past month or so.  No recipes, no names, just pictures.... courtesy of me being an addicted instagrammer :-) Cheers Sally

It's time for another lovely riesling from the riesling trail in the Clare Valley - this time from Annie's Lane .  Annie's Lane is a great little winery and I really love their Shiraz (although that's for a future blog post).  The winery was apparently named after a real person, Annie Wayman, who (so the story goes) got bogged along the boundary of a vineyard as she delivered lunch to the workers in her horse and cart.  Now I can't vouch for the story but it does add to the character of the winery. Now to the wine.  Like many Clare Valley rieslings this one is pale in colour, mostly straw with a hint of green.  The nose has hints of citrus and stone fruit.  And the tast is dry and acidic, with a nice finish.  It's the sort of wine that goes well with the lovely summery day we had today.  Another bonus - it ages pretty well, although they probably don't last at our place more than 1-2 years ;-)  (Did I mention we don't have a lot o...

I know it's the start of a new month and I should be choosing a new #flavourofthemonth but I can't.  I've only had the chance to write up 2 rieslings in March and I just don't think that's enough - do you?  So I've decided to extend the #flavourofthemonth for April too.   This week, in case you missed the giant photo above I'm talking about Langmeil's Riesling.   Langmeil is another fabulous Barossa winery.  The cellar door is in Tanunda - my favourite town in the Barossa because of the proximity of my favourite wineries.   I'd love to tell you all about the first time I visited the cellar door, but I suspect it was my third or fourth stop on the day so the details are a little hazy ;-)  Anyway on to the wine.  While the cellar door is in Tanunda the grapes from the riesling come from Eden Valley which is cooler than the Barossa Valley's lower regions.  When you first pour the wine into the glass you'll notice that it's ver...