I have been fairly slack with posting lately, seem to be posting on Instagram a lot. This due to my work sending me to some interesting places around Asia, not so many wine dinners. So I thought it would be a good idea to post a round up of the photos from the previous month.
A few times a week @winebear007 and I go for an early morning stroll and we are sometimes lucky enough to catch a great Sunrise or some of the cuter locals.
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As most would know I am a fan of Gaggan Anand and his team at Gaggan in Bangkok was one of the better nights, I have experienced there. This might be more to do with the after party in the lab and the copious amounts of G and T we drank!
We left the most of the selection of the wine to Vlad Kojic, @drula9, plus the wines my friends had with them which were added to the line up. The menu at Gaggan continually changes so knowing what to pair with the 26 odd courses is not easy. My suggestion is to get Vlad to help, to date he has not let me down actually it has added to the experience. I especially enjoy his choice of Saki to pair with a couple of the courses.
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The second cellar door that we visited in the Yarra Valley was Giant Steps. Giant Steps was founded by Phil Sexton who was also the founder of the Matilda Bay and Little Creatures Breweries as well as the Devil’s Lair Vineyard in Margaret River Western Australia, where Phil grew up. The reason for establishing Giant Steps, in 2003, was to fulfill Phil’s desire to produce quality cool climate Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah.
The Giant Steps Cellar Door is not situated on one of their 5 vineyards, it is located within the township of Healesville and is also a pretty good restaurant, definitely worth a visit for lunch or dinner if you are in the area. For more
Recently I had the opportunity to visit the Yarra Yering Cellar Door in Victoria’s Yarra Valley with some friends from the US of A. The Yarra Valley is close enough to Melbourne that a day trip visit to a couple of wineries is easily done.
The original Yarra Yering grapes were planted in 1969, which was an auspicious year, in the Yarra Valley. The Yarra was, up until the late 1920’s, the site of a number of vineyards, but, due to a number of reasons, they vineyards were replaced with grazing land for sheep. It took a worldly Doctor of Philosophy, Dr Carrodus, who also held degrees in horticulture and wine making, to take the plunge and start up a winery, Yarra Yering, in the region.
Dr Carrodus spent time at Oxford where he became enamored with old-world wines and, on his return to Australia, decided he would try his hand at making his own wines with old-world traits. But where to plant is vines?? Will leave the rest of the story to Yarra Yering. For more
On the last morning that I had to myself in Lisbon Portugal my one goal was to find a good coffee, so it was time to go for another wander.
I got lucky with the weather as it was a sunny crisp morning.
José Maria da Fonseca was the second winery and last stop on our tour of the Alentejo D.O.C (Denominação de Origem Controlada) in Portugal.
Our visit was to the José Maria da Fonseca Manor House in Setúbal which is where the winery was founded in 1834. The Manor House was built in the 19th century and restored in 1923 and was the family’s residence until 1974.
