a girl and a glass

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...

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 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...

Wow I'm very delinquent.  Life caught up with me last week and I didn't get this blog post out like I promised.  I won't make excuses but I will apologise and just say that my day job won last week.  Never fear I did get to indulge in a few lovely wines after hours to celebrate some hard earned wins so it was worth it. On to my review or story of #winewednesday that I promised.  Grosset's Polish Hill. Grosset is another on of my favourite wineries - I know I have a lot don't I?  The think about it I love is that I'd tried a few of their wines before I had the chance to visit the cellar door and had really enjoyed them.  When I visited the cellar door the first time the staff were so much fun (it was a quiet day and we were the only ones there) and so happy that the experience added to my already good impression of the wine and I decided they were the complete package.  As you may have noticed from my blog I enjoy the experience of trying and...

Ok it's a new month so that means it's time for a new flavour.  I've gone back and forth on this quite a bit and tried quite a few wines in the process... but at long last I've decided that the flavour of the month this month will be riesling. I'm really looking forward to sharing a few of my favourites with you, but first I have to go crack them open and remember to take photos.  Stay tuned next week as I talk about one of my favourites - Grosset's Polish Hill.   Cheers Sally