a girl and a glass

Better late than never... it's still Wednesday in the US :-) This week I'm talking about a Rose that I discovered on my last trip to the Barossa in November.  Hubby and I were heading down that way and taking some friends for the first time.  Our flight landed early and we had a little time before our lunch plans to visit another winery so we went to Bethany .  If you haven't visited Bethany you should.  It's situated on the side of a hill on the outskirts of Tanunda in the Barossa and is just stunning.  You could spend quite some time there... and we did (see our tasting wines lined up below). Anyway on to the Rose.   It's actually a Cabernet Franc Rose.  It's a little unusual in that it's made with a the red variety of Cabernet Franc.  The colour is a beautiful pink - not at all pale - more like crushed rasberries.  And the nose is lovely - lots of berries and floral nose.    It's pretty soft to drink, fruity but n...

I'm so excited to share my favourite Rose with you today.  I've talked about Turkey Flat Winery before and this is just one more reason that I love them.  They have been instrumental in helping Rose's make a splash on the summer wine lists of many in Australia. This beautiful salmon pink rose is made up of a blend of Grenache, Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Dolcetto.  It smells like berries - lots of strawberry.  The palette is fresh and fruity - berry fruity (see what I did there?) but without being sweet.  Served chilled on a hot summers day you could sip it forever.  It never surprises me when we go through 3 or 4 bottles at a BBQ.  It's just so easy to drink.  James Halliday rates it a 94 (if you need more convincing on how good it is).  And the best bit... well if you pick it up at the cellar door it's just $18 a bottle - BARGAIN.   A few years ago they released it as a magnum.  Same cool bottle - just on steriod...

This month I'm talking about rose.  I never really liked rose when I first tried it many years ago in Australia.  The first few I tried were very sweet and had too much honey and fruit for my liking.  However times have changed and in summer I'm loving the drier styles that we've seen develop in more recent years. On a recent trip to Adelaide we had lunch at Coriole  in McLaren Vale.  If you haven't visited the cellar door it's definitely worth it.  The location is fantastic and the gardens surrounding the building are beautiful.  Ring ahead to book a table if you want to stay for lunch though - it fills up fast.  Lunch is a regional platter to share and is delightful.  It was on this lunch visit that I most recently had their Rose and took the photo above. Ok on to the wine... now this is from memory and some notes on my phone as I didn't have a bottle here with me to crack open. The colour was very pale berries, like a pressed...

It's February and that means it's time for a new #flavourofthemonth.  As February is the month of roses, chocolate, love and valentines day I've decide to make it the month or Rose.   I don't know about you but I've been enjoying some fantastic Rose's this summer and I can't wait to share a few of them here with you.  Check back tomorrow on #winewednesday for my first Rose review. Cheers Sally

On Monday I announced the #flavourofthemonth for January was bubbles... or more accurately Champagne & sparkling wine.  Each Wednesday I'll be sharing with you a little bit about some of the bubbly wines I love and why I love them.  With so many to choose from you think it would be hard to know where to start, but in this case it was easy - start with an old favourite - Ruinart Rose. I've shared the story of how I was introduced to Ruinart before so I'll try not to repeat myself too much here, rather I'll get straight to describing the Rose.   The first thing that I love about this champagne is the gorgeous bottle and box it comes in.  Ok I know packaging doesn't really matter, but I must say my heart flutters when I open a gift and see the tell tale salmon pink box :-)  Once the cork is popped and you pour a glass you'll see the colour is reflected in the glass.  It's a subtle pink colour.  Blush is a term that comes to mind...

When I first thought of starting this blog it was around New Years Eve and I was celebrating with loved ones, the beach and bubbly. The champagne was  Ruinart - the Rose.  It has a hint of pink colour.  Is dry with a touch of berry.  And is all too easy to drink.  It was love at first sip for me, and I've shared my addiction with many of by girl friends since.  (Yes I'm a self-confessed champagne pusher!) But this is not a blog post about how good the champagne is - you can try that for yourself.  You see I think the thing about wine, champagne, cocktails (all beverages) that makes them interesting is the experience of drinking them.  Finding out the story behind the discovery of the favourite drink.  Uncovering the passion.  Discovering the origin of the lust. For  me the story of my love for Ruinart started in France.  In Avignon to be exact.  On holiday with my husband we had the opportunity to go wine tasting i...