The problem I then encountered was finding a place to store this wine- I still have two boxes in my car, Irish (my boyfriend) and I have devoured the rest. In fact, I'm drinking one right now, out of a little drinking glass- sacrilege I know- but I kinda like drinking wine out of small glasses- so Italian of me...
I know at this stage I am talking to no-one- due to just starting this blogging endeavour, but i'd love to know if anyone else has a favourite Australian vineyard that they regularly purchase from? Ernest Hill turned me onto Chardonnay after spending most of my adult life avoiding them due to their 'wood-chip' flavour. But after a few trips to the Hunter I have since discovered that Chardonnay can be very tasty- buttery, golden... perfect.
My friends J-Ho and Jules were visiting recently and J-Ho was wanting to know where to go- he was proposing to Jules so he wanted to get the low down on what the Hunter had to offer. I have compiled my top picks in the Hunter if anyone is interested in checking these out...
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| A small selection of Ernest Hill wines. |
Ernest
Hill- delicious wines- very, very friendly staff, and they have great stories
behind the names of each of the wines. Plus, they have a cute tasting veranda that you can admire the vineyard from. I'd try the William Henry Shiraz or the Alexander Chardonnay but my absolute favourite is their Rose- it's not too sweet, it's made from Shiraz grapes and it kind of has hints of watermelon in it. Oh and try their dessert wines- the ladies will love them.
Ivanhoe- another set of delicious wines with one hell of a gutsy red called the Shiraz
Pressings- it’s really nice to drink now, (but apparently if you cellar it for around 8 years it will be AMAZING)- Which means I need to hide it from Irish.
Tintilla
Estate- Beautiful scenery, amazing staff and again- some very tasty wines. It is stunningly picturesque- nice one to end the day on.
Scarborough
Wine Co- It’s on top of a hill, they serve a little cheese platter with the
wines and although some of the wines are pricey, I’m sure you will find one or
two that you will like.
Iron
Gate- this is a personal one for me- I love the unique flavours! The wines have a lower alcohol percentage so that you can share a bottle
between two and still be ok to drive home- that is the way the owner wanted to make them. The actual winery is a beautiful Spanish looking villa type thing AND
they do this unique red wine called a sweet Shiraz- its served cold and with
chocolate cake… yummy.
Other wineries to look at if you have time….
Ballabourneen
Kevin Sobell’s- you might catch a glimpse of the massive Beethoven type dog they have!
Wandin Valley (they do really nice tapas next door to the
winery)
Tinklers- try the Poppy's Chardonnay- really buttery.
Mistletoe
Gartelman- I was very impressed with this place. Unique wines.
Gundog Estate - try the fortified, it's like drinking Christmas cake.
Food in the Hunter tends to be quite pricey. Having a background in food (parent's owned a delicatessen) I would suggest checking out the cheese shop but rest assured, you won't find too much there that you can't already find in Sydney- though there is the Binnorie Dairy that do a lovely yoghurt cheese called Labna. Restaurant wise there are plenty to choose from albeit exorbitant in price. The food will be fantastic- it's whether you can justify spending the cash. But do spend the cash on the wine- it's worth it.
X Alana
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