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...

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 ...