Annecy
Not a lot to say about Annecy that can’t be said by photo, so without any further ado. Ladies and Gentlemen…here she is `
All posts tagged: Wine & Food
on-line wine cellars
Everyone loves a bargain, a secret wine buy known only to those on the inside! The wine deal that started off all Chinese whispers, and progressed to virtual reality, wine style. The icon wine forgotten at the back of the cellars, until an over observant bean counter discovers said treasure, demands stock movement at any cost, and on-line wine guy pounces, thin chequebook in hand. Written up, praise heaped….ready to sell. A few clicks, a ready credit card, and whooshka…you-beaut, bonzer booze for a fraction of retail. This is the mystical on-line wine businesses dream of, had aspiration to, wish they could conceive, yet fail to deliver, turning into yet another bottleshop, sans walls! Many try, few succeed. A great website, funky layout, persuasive words, cool graphics….a great buying team! All these, and more, are required to succeed in this hotly contested space. Here are some I like…. vinomofo….the cool cousin, selling wine at a great price, sometimes so cheap they can’t reveal the maker until delivery, as well as own label stuff which looks …
travel planning, with Vino!
One of the bests part about travel, for me anyway, is the planning. The searching out towns and villages, researching accommodation, planning routes with transport needs, finding interesting and varied things to do, places to visit, surprises found along the way…tripadvisor, booking.com, airbnb, google, etc, etc. I enjoy it so much I sometimes forget I’m not travelling alone! I probably need to keep Rachael in the loop! Hence the wine, the book, the map….time for a debrief! And what better way to do so than with a wine from the region? Except the wine we tried isn’t! It’s from Burgundy, which we visited last year. Never mind, it is French and anyway Bordeaux is expensive, and I don’t want to spoil the excitement before we get there! So…La Chablisienne 2011 Chablis 1er Cru, Cote De Lechet. $40 from 1st Choice. Quite the mouthful, lots of detail. La Chablisienne is a co-operative of growers that have bandied together since 1923 producing wines, coming from a mosaic of vineyard plots, providing a pallet of emotions marked with a …
d’Arenberg d’Arry’s Original
Sometimes when you look at the vast array on offer on the wine list, you thank your small mercies for a trusted old friend that rears up at you, saying “pick me, pick me”. So, I did! d’Arenberg d’Arry’s Original Shiraz Grenache 2010, about $16 pretty much everywhere. Unless its on a wine list, in which case it could, and will, be a whole lot more!! Confession first, I have a very soft spot for d’Arenberg, and more particularly the Original, which used to be called Burgundy. So, yep, I love this humble wine which has never failed to please and impress. What used to be predominately Grenache, now has plenty of Shiraz for the younger set, but this is still an old fashioned wine with plenty of tannin, grip, and old school ‘get down & dirty’ to it. Grenache is quite popular in the McLaren Vale, as in the Barossa, and is usually blended, most often with Shiraz and Mourvedre, becoming GSM. Sometimes its a straight varietal wine, which can be a bit course …
Voyager Estate Shiraz 2010
Most transplanted Vic’s living in West Aus reckon the only part of that state that reminds them of their former home is down south in the Margaret River. Sounds like a pretty good reason to grab a wine from down that way. Voyager Estate Shiraz 2010 $34 @ Templestowe Cellars. Whereas most of the west is bush scrub, the Margaret river region is the land of tall gums, Aussie bush, and some of the best tended vineyards in the country. Man, there must be money in digging up the state as the mulla spent on some of the estates is phenomenal, and Voyager estate is certainly no exception. No expense has been spared in turning what was once Freycinet Estate into Voyager. Beautifully manicured lawns, rows and rows of roses, white washed walls, cellar door, restaurant, functions, you name it…the lot! It also has the second largest flag pole and Aussie flag in the country, behind only Parliament house in Canberra. Why? ‘Cos they can! Wouldn’t surprise me if they had a team that went …
Saltram Mamre Brook Cabernet Sauvignon 2006
Sometimes you need to pull out a wine that’s a little bit special to commemorate significant moments in time, something befitting the occasion. Saltram Mamre Brook Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 certainly fit the bill the other day, as Rachael held a glass up to her mum, Marie, who passed 12 years earlier….much too early! I never had the pleasure of meeting Mars, but from all account a wonderful wife, mother and friend to many. If her offspring are anything to go by, she was a beauty! …and so is Saltram Mamre Brook. The Cabernet was fabulous, fully matured at eight years but with a few more in the tank, I reckon. Full bodied, lush with layers of plumb, berries, and chocolate. The Barossa is more famous for Shiraz, which there is a Mamre Brook as well, but Cabernet done well is a pleasure no matter where it comes from. Saltram may be owned by the largest wine company going around, Treasury Wine Estates, but continues to be a hidden jewel in their vast cave of wine …
Topper’s Mountain
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 …
Point Leo Road Lagrein
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 …
Hugh Maclean 