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Topper’s Mountain

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Some wines are an omen’s bet, picked up because the name means something, or is significant, or  “just ‘cos”. This wine is one of those.

Topper’s Mountain 2009 Tannat $36 from Olinda Cellars.

I was speaking to Ross at Olinda Cellars, and asked him to pick out a couple of wines for me to chose from, which he dutifully obliged.

Choosing was a no brainer, Topper’s Mountain it was! Because?

Because I played footy in Brisbane with a bloke called ‘Topper’, and he was a man mountain…..HUGE!

A bit slow, not overly flash on the park, but a fearsome sight, both on the field and more importantly, in the bar afterwards. His weapon of choice was beer followed closely by Bundy, but lets not let the facts get in the way of the story.

A ripping bloke! So hopefully a ripping wine.

And this wine comes from up north too, not quite Brisvegas north, but close enough not to quibble.

It comes from New England, up near Armidale NSW. Not exactly a thriving hub of vinous frivolity, but with a surprisingly long wine history starting with the first settlers and squatters in the area, and further developed by George Wyndham who went on to found Wyndham Estate in the Hunter Valley.

Another aside, my first wine job was selling Wyndham Estate…so there you go, happenstance!

Anyway, wine purchased we went to Volpino in Mt Martha for dinner on one of their BYO nights and solemnly produced said wine for consumption over a lovely meal.

I’d like to say the wine was as big and powerful as my old mate Topper, but sadly that’s where coincidences end.

Old England is cool to cold climate, the vineyard is 1000 feet in the air, which isn’t conducive to ferocious brutal beasts, but more to mid weight fare. More like another footy mate from Brisbane, Brim, who liked the outside run. No bruises on Brim! And probably no ongoing injury issues either, so who was the smart one?

I digress…..the wine was Ok, maybe too astringent and a bit short on the finish, but nice flavours if a tad subdued, just like Rachael after the Tiger’s performance on the weekend!!

I reckon it’s one of those varieties that should be blended with Cabernet or something to cut thru the astringency a little, like grapes such as Malbec or Franc, which are sometimes tried as stand alone varietals, but really shouldn’t!! Oh, and Merlot, but lets not go there!!!!

The meal was great, the wine not quite so, and not worthy of the price…..so overall just ok.

If I was to see Topper again, I probably would steer clear of introducing him to Tannat if he had matured into a wine person, but I reckon that’s probably unlikely. He’s more likely progressed to overproof Bundy instead!

On the other hand, Brim might be a chance, but I’d bet London to a brick he drinks Merlot!!

Best’s Bin No.1 Shiraz

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Wine’s a wonderful thing. It tastes great, is full of mystery and romance, tells a fascinating story and evokes memories to treasure time and time again.

Not your bog average wine which has no providence, the favourite of the chain store and bargain bin, but wines with a rich heritage, or back story.

Best’s Bin No.1 Shiraz 2012 $25 from Great Western, Victoria.

The Great Western region has long been a favourite of mine, so much so I indoctrinated Rachael into it’s seductive charms, and we got married there. Not at Best’s but down the road at Seppelt, outside Vine Lodge.

Great Western and I go back a ways, from the obligatory speeding ticket outside Ararat (more cops per square mile than anywhere on earth!) on the way to the Great Western Cup, to drunken wine tours at Seppelt fancifully called “conferences”. Suffice to say, we got ourselves barred from most of the motels in Stawell and Ararat at one stage or another.

The Great Western Cup is a ripper race day (Australia day weekend) on a very rustic dirt track, with sponsors marquee and plenty of sponsors product. As well as a poultice of beer…and heaps of flies!

One year brother-in-Law, Bruce had a pony going round in the cup with a bit of a chance, so the boys and I laid down our hard earned on it…..it dutifully saluted, and paid the princely sum of $1.05! Didn’t stop us celebrating long and hard back at the pub, though……long and hard! Ouch!!

A few years back Rachael and I discovered the “Grampians Grape Escape” weekend where we attempted to try every sparkling shiraz the region has to offer, as well a a few reds. A terrific weekend, highly recommended.

If you’re up that way and are looking for a bit of history to go with your wine, you’d be hard pressed to go past Best’s. Established in 1866, run by the 5th generation of the Thomson family, history reeking out of every gnarly pore, this is a winery with backbone, and style.

None better on display than the No.1 Shiraz. Here is a wine perfectly in sync with the region, with the history of the place, with the terroir. (had to put some wine stuff in!)

Like another one of our favourites, Seppelt Chalambar Shiraz, we’d be happy drinking this stuff every day.

And if we go to the Great western Cup weekend again, we probably will!

 

 

Point Leo Road Lagrein

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Have you every had a time when you put your foot right in it, without any way of retrieving the situation without looking like a dick?

Well….this wine did just that!

Point Leo Road Lagrein 2011 $28 @ Blairgowrie LG

My mate down at Blairgowrie loves this wine, strongly recommended it, so I bought it. Better be good, Chris!?

Never heard of the varietal before, Lagrein, which comes from northern Italy, and is a cousin of Pinot Noir and Shiraz amongst others.

Point Leo Road winery is, surprisingly, on Point Leo Road…..Red Hill Sth!

God’s own country, Mornington Peninsula!

So far, so good.

Trying new styles is always interesting, helps broaden your mind to the possibilities, and provides a nice change of wine scenery. There’s only so much Shiraz you can wash down with a roast leg of lamb!

Roast lamb, open fire, bottle of red….perfect!

Have I mentioned my hatred towards all reds 2011? No? My mantra to all who do, or don’t, listen…..never buy 2011 unless absolutely no alternative. It was a stinker of a vintage everywhere, except WA, wet wet wet. Mildew, disease, footrot….you name it. Reds coped it worse as they were picked after the rains, the whites being picked earlier missed most of the trouble. I wandered through a vineyard up in Glenrowan in March of that year and the undergrowth was steamy wet, fruit set was full of fungus, a disaster. That vineyard was 400 hectares, and they dropped 80% of the fruit on the ground!

Some wineries just wrote off the vintage all together.

Places like the Peninsula, which is cool at best, thus picking later, struggled big time.

So, I’ve got an unknown style, from a shit vintage. How do you reckon I went?

Ordinary! The wine lacked backbone, acid, length, fruit……etc.

Chris? What the…we need to talk.

But….I”ll vent elsewhere first.

I’m at uncle Dan’s just looking around, and get asked by the Dan’s man if I need any help. Don’t really, but we get chatting anyway, just talking about wine stuff, as you do in a wine store….when you work for a winery, which you mention to the chap.

More talk, now about our vineyard and wines, then more broadly about the Peninsula. When I mention the disappointing Pt Leo Road Lagrein we had, he asks which vintage.

“2011…pretty crap, average, not worth the money, no idea why they bother with obscure varietals. Trying to be a bit fancy…”

Guess who made the wine???

Yep….standing right in front of me, Mr Dan’s man!

You don’t have to be dead to be stiff! No way to back-pedal, so don’t try. He actually agrees 2011 not much chop. “You should have tried the ’10, far superior”

Maybe I should have, or the 2006 someone else said was very good……but I didn’t!

Still, my little whinge is small potatoes, Point Leo Road sold up a little while ago, another example of how hard it is to make a quid in this business. They retained the name, but no longer have any fruit source, and probably no real desire to go chasing it.

The moral of this story…..there’s probably a winemaker around every corner, especially working part-time in a bottle-o to make ends meet!

 

 

 

 

 

Massey Wines

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Why do we pick the wine to buy that we do? Is it because we know and respect the brand? Or do we like the varietal, or vintage, or region? Or was it something recommended to us?! Price? The whopping big display smack bang in the front of the store!

Choices are endless.

Me, I just ask a mate to pick something for me, which is what Noel from Red, White & Amber Wine Merchants did.

A choice between a fancy Italian number of unpronounceable name and origin, or a wine from Massey Wines in the McLaren Vale.

The shallow character I am decided on the Aussie if for no other reason than the name of the wine, and the fact Noel raved on about how good it was!

Massey Huey’s Patch 2008 Shiraz @ $35 from Red, White & Amber in Hawthorn.

I have to admit I’d never heard of this wine before, never seen it anywhere, hadn’t read about it…nothing. Just another of the hundreds of wineries out there battling for recognition in an all too crowded marketplace.

A young couple taking the plunge, having a vineous crack!

The only way to survive as a tiny winery is to produce, and over deliver which this wine does in spades.

This wine hits all the right notes from the clean modern label, to the wonderful intense flavours, and the solid 15% alcohol!

I love the label, simple, clear and precise. Some wine labels waffle on ad nauseum, riffing on about all sorts of bullshit, completely irrelevant to the stuff in the bottle.

Not Massey, the back label simply state “grown on the gravel soils of the Sellicks Hill Escarpment”. That’s it. Goodbye marketing department!

The Sellicks Hill Escarpment is part of the southern extension of the Mt Lofty ranges, running through the McLaren vale down to Sellicks Beach. Don’t believe me? Google map it, most enlightening.

Huey’s Patch is certified organic to boot, a small footprint on mother earth. Some producers are unsure whether to declare their organic endeavours for fear of scaring off the knuckle draggers who think organic practises involve tantric baying at the moon!

Organic farming typically excludes the use of pesticides, fungicides, herbicides and chemical fertilisers, nothing more sinister than that. Biodynamic wine..well, now we do involve the lunar cycle, but that’s a discussion for another time.

Low yielding, big and bold, full of blueberry/blackberry goodness, packing quite the punch! Massey’s Huey’s Patch Shiraz is a tremendous wine (organic or not), big and powerful, well worth ever one of the cents I paid for it.

 

Yarnbomb by Corrina Wright

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One of the joys of working in the wine industry is, ahem……..drinking wine!

I have plenty of contacts, and good understanding of varietal/vintage/region/maker, a reasonable understanding of what is (and isn’t) a good drop………….and an expense account!

So, how about I pick a wine each week, picked randomly by either myself or by recommendation from learned wine folk, and force myself to drink it (with Rachael, of course) and ruminate…

Nothing over $40. Unless its impossible to say no!

So, here goes…

YARNBOMB by Corinne Wright 2012 McLaren Vale Shiraz $22 @ Dan Murphy’s

What, not a Dromana Estate Pinot to start things off, you ask? Well I don’t want to come across as a complete tightarse, so just take it as given that it is a brilliant wine, and c’mon people..buy some!

I know. Of all the retailers, I pick the biggest first. Still, they do have quite the selection, prices are keen….and we just happened to be passing when I developed a thirst.

This wine is made exclusively for Dan’s, has a great label, cute story, and an awesome winemaker delivering the goods. I picked it ‘cos one of my favourite wineries is Oliver’s Taranga, in the McLaren Vale, and Corrina is the winemaker there. Simple really.

Rachael, on a girls weekend in SA a few years ago, discovered  Oliver’s Taranga Winery,  loved it, bought me a bottle of 2008 Shiraz, and I was hooked. They have provided Penfolds with fruit for Grange in the past, which is a big deal amongst winegrowers, but now use all their fruit in their own wines. And it shows, they are uniformly excellent.

But, if you don’t want to stump up the extra dollars for Oliver’s, then this wine is the next step. The label features a vine which has been “yarn bombed”, something Corinna’s Gran used to do. Hence the label, the name, the story!

The wine is great, medium bodied, plenty of fruit, not too much oak. Spot on for the money. I could blah blah on about structure, balance, acid levels etc, but that’s not the point of the exercise. Just a quick yep or nup, and on we go.

We liked it, the price is about right, would recommend to anyone.

Homeward bound for Jack’s 21st

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Homeward bound for Jack's 21st
Hong Kong, China

Hong Kong, China


Our last day. So what better way to start than with a sleep in? Sort of, met Cards at 8.45 for brekky across the road, then on to Harbour City for a bit more shopping. Just needed to get a couple of things for kids, so all done in no time at all. We looked at a Playstation 3 for Jack as they were pretty cheap, but Bluray not compatible and no warranty, so no sale. Sorry Jacko! The shopping in Honkers is so over the top, designer everything, about six thousand watch dealers all flogging top end pieces, Chanel on every corner, dodgy Indians everywhere selling tailored clothing, fake everything, and all down skanky lanes as it is most illegal. Markets on every other corner selling cheap clothing, phone covers, **** jewellery, plants, animals, food (I think), you name it. Shopping mall after shopping mall selling the most amazing array of designer labels, interspersed with electronic stores, camera dealers, did I mention watch shops? Everything and anything you could want to buy. So, how much do you reckon Rachael and I bought for ourselves? One watch! Not a high end one, I’ve already got a beautiful Oris timepiece, but one everyday wristwatch. That was it! I think next time we need to have our stopover at the start of the trip, not the end. All shopped out!! Back to check out of our hotel, which I must say was pretty good, great view from our room and the biggest bed you’ll ever see. Bigger than some of the rooms we’ve stayed in on this trip. The most expensive room of our time as well, but well worth it for the luxury. We went out for a dim sum lunch in the Hong Kong Cultural Centre, at a place called Serenades, very popular with Chinese families on the weekend, so we figured it would be pretty good, and it was. Dim sum is just a fancy title for yum-cha, where you order bite sized portions from a range of menu items. We gave the chicken feet long and thoughtful consideration, but were put off by the abalone sauce, otherwise would have been in like Flynn!? Back to the hotel to pick up our bags, then off to the airport. One last beer, then goodbye to Cards (been great to share a few days with her) and off to catch our flight home. We are looking forward to getting home, but also a bit sad that a fabulous trip has to come to an end. We have loved all of it, memories to last a lifetime, places to dream about forever, moments of pure magic. Time to get back to reality, earn some $$ and nick off again. Time to start planning the next trip in 2015.


Last full day in Honkers

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Last full day in Honkers
Hong Kong, China

Hong Kong, China


With our only full day in Hong Kong it was up and at ’em, with Cards waiting in the lobby at 8.30am to commence our day. First stop was breakfast across the road as the Hotel charges $30 and we couldn’t possibly eat that much to make it worth the spend. The coffee was pretty good and it was our first proper cooked breakfast of eggs we have had in 9 weeks. Our first stop for the day was the Star Ferry Terminal to catch a ferry across the harbour to Hong Kong Island. From there we caught a skinny double decker tram which took us along the Main Street amongst all the shops. 20 minutes later we disembarked and headed into a shopping centre called SOGO. This place is like Myers and DJ’s all rolled into one and is the size of Chadstone and Southland put together……huge. Hugh and I went one way whilst Cards went the other with the intention of meeting up in an hour. It only took Hugh 30 minutes and he was out!! How much shopping can a man bare? Not Much! I felt his pain as it was like being at home in a shopping centre. We got out of the place and explored around the streets for the other half hour before meeting up with Cards again, empty handed. Back on the tram, we headed to the mid escalators, which is a series of escalators that take you up the hill towards the Peak Tram. For those who can be bothered there is also the option of stairs, so for us Westerners who were still trying to acclimatise to the humidity, the escalators it was. We went as far as Soho where we got off and went in search of our lunch. We found a nice Vietnamese restaurant and ordered the set menu which was delicious. After lunch we took the rest of the escalators in search of the Peak Tram stop. As Cards is now well versed in our travel blog and the troubles we have had getting lost, it should not have come at any surprise to her that we did indeed lose our way in trying to find the Peak Tram stop. After deciding to cut our losses and retrace our steps part way back down the mountain, we eventually found the stop 30 minutes later….roughly 200 metres just around the corner from where we turned back. Typical!!! Surprise, surprise there was a queue that stretched further than we could see the end of, so aborted this failed mission and headed back to the Ferry for our journey across the harbour. Looking back towards the mountain we had intended getting to the top of, we were somewhat appeased by the fact that the cloud was so low that there was every chance we would reach the top only to see nothing. Hong Kong still hungover from Typhoon Uton. Back in Kowloon Cards went back to the Hotel as she had already done the shopping she needed whilst we headed into yet another shopping district for more shopping. Fortunately we were successful in buying Hugh a watch but not much else. Time to head back to the hotel for a regroup before dinner. Cards joined us in our room for a complimentary bottle of red from the hotel whilst we watched the city lights come to life. At 8pm we joined the throngs on the walkway outside and once again watched the Symphony of Lights show across the harbour. Plenty of photos later and we were off to dinner. As luck would have it we were passing a bar and Hugh noticed the Hawks and Magpies game was on. Say no more, we were stopping for a drink before dinner. We only watched half and hour before Hugh wanted to know who won, as the game was on delay. Go Hawks!! As is our want, we wandered aimlessly for half an hour looking for somewhere local to eat that wasn’t a bar. We finally came across a somewhat dodgy looking restaurant which turned out to be not too bad…..and cheap! After a full day of activities it was back to the Hotel, but not before Hugh made me grab Cards free bottle of red wine from her room, to enjoy one more nightcap whilst reading about the Hawks win. Lights out, another beautiful view of Hong Kong by night to fall asleep to.

Honkers

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Honkers
Hong Kong, China

Hong Kong, China


Welcome to Hong Kong! Oh, the joys of an 11 hour flight with no sleep! We left Milan at 1pm yesterday and got into Honkers at 7am, 3 movies & 2 TV doco’s later! Customs was a breeze, unbelievably quick, then straight to the taxi and off to our hotel, the Intercontinental Grand Stanford. Waiting there was Cards, ready to go after two days on her own. Luckily, we were able to check in straight away, so off to our room to freshen up before heading out into the city. Cards had done wonders on the itinerary with us readily handing over the organisational duties. First we headed off to get Cards bags from her hotel, and while she checked out Rachael and I wandered along Nathan Road, one of the busiest shopping streets in Kowloon. If I had a dollar for every person who asked if I’d like a tailored shirt or suit, or a cheap knock off watch, we would have funded the whole trip! Every 5 paces I’d be asked the same question, give the same reply, question/answer, question/answer…..exhausting! Luckily Cards rescued us from the Indian spruikers, and we headed off to explore. First stop the Chi Lin Nunnery which is a large temple complex of elegant wooden architecture, treasured Buddhist relics and soul-soothing lotus ponds. Adjacent is the tranquil Nan Lian Garden, a public park built in the style of the Tang dynasty. Its scenic garden is meticulously landscaped over an area of 3.5 hectares, in which every hill, rock, body of water, plant and timber structure has been placed according to specific rules and methods. Very relaxing, maybe a little too relaxing as lack of sleep started to grow heavy, and the next visit thru the flower, bird and fish markets was almost the end of us. A coffee hit gave both of us renewed energy….for 20 minutes, so it was decided to retire to the hotel for siesta, and to reconvene at 6.30. We headed off to the Intercontinental Hotel ( as distinct from our hotel the “grand stanford”) to have a drink and watch the night light show across to Hong Kong Island, as this hotel has the best vantage point. The symphony of lights is a famous laser lights and music show held nightly at 8pm. The night view along the beaches of Victoria Harbor is a famous attraction. Hong Kong Island and Kowloon Peninsula are full of high-rise buildings so at night, the lights blaze so magnificently and so beautifully around the harbour. While waiting for the show to start we had the most expensive beer of our visit, about $15 for a Asahi! Rachael & I went outside to get a photo or two, and in the five minutes we were gone Cards had already moved seats, chatting up two blokes….fast mover is our Cards! Still got it, Cards! As it so happens the two blokes, Kody & Bo, were here on business, both married with kids. In Bo’s case, 6….. SIX marriages! Quite the character, Bo. Jet lagged, slightly hammered, currently married to a Chinese lass, living in Stockholm, a Danish/Swede by nationality. Wealthy. I mean, he must have been to order the three of us a round of drinks….a round of PIÑA COLADA’S Who the hell orders these anymore? Bloody Cards spent the rest of the night singing that stupid song, ” if you like Piña Colada, gettin’ caught in the rain…” We spent an entertaining hour or two with these two blokes, then headed off for a quick feed in a restaurant called Crystal Jade. We must have been late, as the waitress dumped down the bill and asked for payment while we were still eating. So much for the early night, getting back home at about 11.30. 48 hours with 2 hours sleep……goodnight!


Arrivederci

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Arrivederci
Milan, Italy

Milan, Italy


Our last morning in Italy and up early as we need to be in Milan by about 10.30, and its 200k’s away. It’s typical that the best breakfast place we’ve stayed at doesn’t open for business till 8am, and we left at 7! Stop off at an Autogrill on the autostrada and into Milan by about 10, filling up with petrol before dropping the car off. Petrol here is about €1.80 per litre ($2.60), but if you don’t fill it up Hertz charge you €3.56 per litre ($5.15)! Plus another €20 service charge, plus they charge you for a full tank! There’s a lesson here, folks! Anyhow, into the airport straight to baggage check in…..no one else in line….miracles continue in the lovely country. We’ve been accumulating luggage along the way, and had madly rearranged to try to save on excess costs, but placed bags on weigh bridge with some trepidation. Rachael 2 kg over limit, place mine on……waiting, waiting. It’s like wheel of fortune here! Waiting……kerching, right on the button….40kgs, exactly! Our last miracle. So, farewell Italy, we’ve loved it. A few thoughts… 1/. Beautiful country full of history 2/. Crazy drivers, but strangely safe. Not sure how they avoid each other, but they do. 3/. Mopeds. 4/. Stone walls….love ’em 5/. Cobblestone lanes….love ’em more. 6/. Roads who’s boundaries are houses, not footpaths. Tiny roads, single lane roads. 7/. Stunning scenery, especially the coast line of Amalfi and Cinque Terra. 8/. Lemons….lemoncello especially. 9/. Naples….the little we saw, we didn’t like. Traffic was mayhem, but it made the best Pizza we ate. 10/. Assisi, the most beautiful town you will ever see. Gorgeous! 11/. The wine, beautiful. Delicious. Copiously consumed! 12/. The crowds. All the main cities were packed. Our fault coming during the busiest months, but holy-moly….nuts! 13/. Italian sporting organisational skills….nuff said! 14/. Queue’s, queue’s everywhere there is no respite. A tip for Italians…when you get to the head of the queue, just buy your tickets and move on….don’t tell your life story to the ticket person first! Hurry UP!!! 15/. Catholic Church Superfund topped up by Rachael’s candle lighting. 16/. Italians do not know how to whisper or allow any personal space. 17/. Hot…..Damn Hot!! 18/. High end fashion and sales everywhere. 19/. Coffee better than France but Melbourne rates above them all. 20/….look out Wye River! It’s SPRITZ TIME!!!


Castle to Mount

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Castle to Mount
Malcesine, Italy

Malcesine, Italy


Our last full day in Italy started with a run…..for Rachael. I dressed for the occasion, but once we got out the front gate, claimed injury and retired to the safety of our room, and bed! From all accounts the run was lovely, the scenery spectacular, and the air clear, but I still didn’t feel guilty. Yes sirree! I’m injured and must rest up. Rested, we headed for breakfast. The Hotel Meridiana has quite the reputation for its breakfast, and unlike our previous hotels slapdash affair, this one lived up to the kudos. Muesli, yoghurt, fruit, croissants…the list goes on. Relaxed, fed, exercised (ok, it’s overrated!), and ready for our last day in Italy. Its most prominent landmark is the Castello Scaligero, which has 13th-century fortifications and an older medieval tower We made our way thru the old town to the Castle which sits on the high point by the lake, with commanding views in every direction, the perfect place from which to defend the town. Next we wandered the lane ways, doing a bit of shopping and generally kicked back. Lunch, then down to the lake for a swim, scrambling over moss encrusted rocks before taking the leap of faith, straight in. Very refreshing, especially as its fresh water, so different to our usual salt! We seem to be getting used to just jumping in, no slow stroll into water, too many rocks for a comfortable entry. Refreshed we headed for the cable car up to Mount Blanco, which stands at 1800 metres high. The mountain is a favourite for bike riders, bush walkers and para gliders, of which there were plenty. The winds were pretty strong which played havoc with the paragliders especially, causing many aborted take off attempts. To compound things a huge thunderstorm approached from the north which rumbled away, threatening to wreak havoc. We then participated in the Italians favourite pastime…..queuing! For 90 minutes we waited for the cable car back down the mountain, not the most ideal way to spend your last afternoon in Italy!! After all, it was eating into valuable Spritz time. We dashed back to our apartment to order a cheese platter before 7pm so we could enjoy it on the balcony of our room over a bottle of red we had bought in Mombaruzzo to celebrate our final night in Italy. As the sun set we made our way into town for a couple of drinks and a quick bite to eat whilst we wandered through the lane ways taking our final photos. Back to the apartment for our final Spritz before calling it a night, up early for our drive to Milan airport and onto Hong Kong.