Mornington Peninsula Wine Tour

Today was Leilani's last full day in Melbourne so I took the day off work so we could go on a wine tour of the Mornington Peninsula.  Our Wine Tours Victoria driver picked us up in the city and we got to spend the day with a lovely group of ladies from all over the globe.  We drove out of the city through St Kilda, Elwood and the bayside suburbs along Beach Road before joining up with the Nepean Highway.  It was a really nice drive and amazingly my first time on Beach Road.  I also now know where to find the Brighton Beach bathing boxes, which I have never seen in person before.  Our first stop for the day was up at Arthurs Seat State Park for morning tea at the summit.  On the drive up we stopped for some pictures of the peninsula at one of the outlooks then had our tea/coffee and a piece of fruitcake on the park benches.

The first winery we visited for the day was T'Gallant.  Known mainly for their Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris wines, we got to taste a wide variety of what they had on offer:
- Ophelia Sparkling Pinot Noir/Chardonnay Vintage 2008
- Grace Pinot Grigio 2012
- Imogen Pinot Gris 2013
- Holystone Rosé 2012
- Cape Schanck Pinot Noir 2013
- Cyrano Pinot Noir 2013
- T'Gallant Pink Muscato 2013
- Romeo 2013
- Odysseus Nebbiolo 2012
My favorites were the Ophelia Sparkling Pinot Noir/Chardonnay and the Imogen Pinot Gris.  Lei was intrigued by the different flavor profiles of the wines and asked some technical questions that I think secretly thrilled our server.

Next we went to Montalto Vineyard and Olive Grove where we got to sample both wine and olive oil.  The olive oils were very tasty and I especially liked the lemon infused one and their Chardonnay Estate verjuice.  Once again we got a variety of wines to taste:
- 2013 Montalto "Estate" Riesling
- 2013 Pennon Hill Pinot Grigio
- 2013 Pennon Hill Rosé
- 2012 Montalto "Estate" Chardonnay
- 2012 Pennon Hill Pinot Noir
- 2012 Montalto "Estate" Pinot Noir
- 2012 Pennon Hill Shiraz
- 2013 Pennon Hill Moscato
The reds had a peppery taste and I really liked the Montalto "Estate" Pinot Noir, as well as the Moscato, which Lei has gotten me into while she's been staying here.

For lunch we stopped at the Merricks General Wine Store where we had a quick tasting before sitting down for our meal:
- Sparking Moscato 2010
- Merricks General Wine Store Pinot Grigio 2012
- Quealy Tussie Mussie Pinot Gris 2013
- Quealy Pobblebonk 2012 Field Blend
- Baillieu Rosé 2013
- Baillieu Pinot Noir 2011
- Quealy Rageous 2013 (Sangiovese, Shiraz & Pinot Noir blend)

My two favorites here were the Quealy Tussie Mussie Pinot Gris and the Quealy Rageous, which I had a glass of with my lunch.  We moved from the tasting area to a table and began our lunch by sharing the Merricks general platter that contained a house made kitchen charcuterie served with toasties.  We then had our choice of mains and I got the beef and ale pie on a pea purée with leaf salad, which tasted fantastic.  I also got to sample Lei's chicken which was also yummy.  It was a nice and relaxed lunch stop and great opportunity to chat with the people in our tour group.

We then hit the road for our final winery of the day, Dromana Estate, which featured four different wine labels to taste from:
- Mornington Estate 2012 Sauvignon Blanc
- Mornington Estate 2012 Pinot Gris
- David Traeger 2013 Verdelho
- Mornington Estate 2012 Chardonnay
- Dromana Estate 2012 Chardonnay
- 'i' range Sangiovese 2013
- Mornington Estate 2012 Pinot Noir
- Dromana Estate 2012 Pinot Noir
- David Traeger 2009 Shiraz
- Dromana Estate Non-Vintage Ascuitto
- 'i' Range Late Harvest Arnesis
I really liked the Mornington Estate Sauvignon Blanc and the Dromana Estate Pinot Noir although by this time I think my taste buds were over it since we had sampled so many wines throughout the day.

Overall it was great to be able to try such a wide variety of wines from the Mornington Peninsula, but a bit overwhelming to have nearly 10 different wines at each stop.  The tastings also felt rushed as the servers tried to quickly get through all of them.  Perhaps over time and as the region gets better known they will shorten down their tasting menus to their top five sellers instead of trying to showcase every variety coming out of their vineyards.

Wine Country Adventures- Sonoma and Healdsburg

After the success of last year's sparkling wine tasting tour Leilani and I decided to hit the road again to try out some new places.  Our first stop was Cornerstone Sonoma which is a bit of a one stop shop for artisan shops, wine tasting, sculptures and food.  We began with a walk around the grounds and through the Cornerstone Gardens, which feature designs from landscape architects and artists.  Some of the sculptures and installations were fantastic, and there was a lot to explore.  Here are some of my favorite pieces:

We stopped for our first wine tasting at Keating Wines.  Their tasting menu included 5 wines:
- 2009 Merlot
- 2011 'Montecillo' Zinfandel
- 2011 'Buchignani' Zinfandel
- 2010 'Montecillo' Cabernet
- 2010 'Georges III' Cabernet
Of the five I liked the Montecillo Zinfandel the best.  It was also good to compare different versions of the same wine in the tasting.

Next we went to Tricycle Wine Partners, which has a really nice tasting room and deck area.  Our server was fantastic and he let us sample all the wines on the tasting menu as well as an additional one:
- 2012 Poseidon Vineyard Chardonnay
- 2010 Kazmer & Blaise 'Boon Fly's Hill' Chardonnay
- 2012 Poseidon Vineyard Pinot Noir
- 2010 Obsidian Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon
- 2010 Obsidian Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon 'The Slope'
- 2011 Obsidian Ridge Syrah
- 2010 Obsidian Ridge Half Mile
The Poseidon Vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir were quite good, as well as the Syrah.  They have photos in the tasting room of the different vineyards the wine comes from, as well as the region in Hungary where they get the oak for their barrels.

After all that wine tasting I needed some food so we went to have lunch at Park 121.  We shared a kale salad, with Lei ordering a burger while I got the salumi sandwich with mozzarella and roasted bell peppers.  It was just what I needed to absorb all that wine I had already drunk!

Our last wine tasting stop at Cornerstone was Meadowcroft Wines.  We again had a friendly server and tasted 6 different wines:
- 2011 Chardonnay
- 2011 Riesling
- 2011 Pinot Noir
- 2011 Zinfandel
- 2010 Oak Knoll Cabernet, Napa
- 2010 Mt. Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, Estate Grown
The Pinot Noir and Zinfandel were my favorites here.  Lei also tried the 2010 Sangiovese as part of her 6 choices.

We then hit the freeway for our final stop of the day in Healdsburg at the new tasting room for Cartograph.  Lei had met our server previously as they have mutual friends.  We sampled 5 wines here:
- 2012 Rosé of Pinot Noir: Russian River Valley
- 2012 Floodgate Vineyard Gewürztraminer, Russian River Valley
- 2011 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir
- 2011 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir
- 2011 Floodgate Vineyard Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley
The Gewürztraminer was quite an interesting wine as it didn't taste too sweet. Of the Pinot Noirs I liked the Anderson Valley one the best.  After we finished tasting we took a bit of a walk around the square in downtown Healdsburg before heading for home.  It was great to be able to sample a wide variety of wines throughout the day, especially reds as I usually don't drink them.

Wine Country Adventures- Napa

I knew Day 2 of our wine country adventure would be rainy, but it was a bit of a worry waking up to torrential rain this morning.  However, Lei and I were brave and headed out for breakfast at Bubba's Diner in San Anselmo (the creme brûleé French toast did not disappoint) before hitting the road to Napa County. 

Thankfully the rain calmed down as we arrived at our first stop for the day, Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards in Sonoma.  Their tastings are seated, which allows you to relax and take as long as you need.  Lei and I were interested in sampling sparkling wines not on their tasting menu, so we each ordered two glasses.  However, since they weren't tasting size we actually got four full glasses of sparkling wine, which was a little much at 10:30 am!  Our four choices were:

- 2004 Extra Brut
- 2007 Brut Rosé
- Anniversary Cuvée
- Va de Vi
Even though the Va de Vi was more sweet and fruity tasting, I liked that one the best.  The staff in the tasting room were very knowledgeable, and having four separate glasses allowed us to revisit each one as it warmed up.

Our next stop was Domaine Carneros in Napa, which features an impressive château that houses a tasting room overlooking the organic vineyards.  We decided to do the sparkling wine sampler which included:

- 2008 Brut Cuvée
- Brut Rosé
- 2008 Verméil Demi-Sec
Our server was a lovely guy who really took care of us when he saw Lei's tasting wheel and notebook.  He generously also allowed us to sample:
- 2008 Ultra Brut
- 2006 Le Rêve Blanc de Blancs
- 2007 Le Rêve Rosé
Along with these fabulous sparkling wines we also got a cheese platter of both soft and hard cheeses from producers in the North Bay.  It was a really wonderful tasting experience, and the 2008 Brut Cuvée was my favorite one.

We next headed to Domaine Chandon in Yountville.  I had been to their winery in the Yarra Valley in Australia a few years ago, so I was expecting similar service.  However, the servers in the tasting room seemed distracted and not very interested in us as potential customers, which was disappointing.  Lei and I shared two different tastings.

Prestige Tasting:
- étoile Brut
- étoile Rosé
Reserve Tasting:
- Reserve Blanc de Blancs
- 2007 Carneros Vintage Brut
- Reserve Brut
I preferred the 2007 Carneros Vintage Brut, which is exclusive to the winery.

After so much sparkling wine I was ready to take a break for a late lunch.  We went to this great place that is well known by the locals in Napa, the Rutherford Grill.  I had the hickory burger which was very filling.  The place had a comfy vibe to it, so I can see why Lei used to be a regular here when she lived in Napa.

Our final stop on the two day sparkling wine tour was Mumm Napa.  We were fortunate enough to have a seated tasting and another excellent server who looked after us since Lei was in the wine industry.  We shared two different tastings of sparkling wines which were at least 3 years or older.

Club Vivant Taster:
- 2008 Devaux Ranch
- 2007 Blanc de Blancs
- Brut Prestige Extended Tirage
Staff Favorites:
- Brut Reserve
- Brut Reserve Rosé
- Santana Brut (done in partnership with guitarist Carlos Santana)
Our lovely server also treated us to the 2000 DVX, which was amazing and my favorite wine of the day.  It had a strong creme brûleé scent and taste right from the start, and I think Lei ended up buying two bottles!  Although my palate was a bit blown out by the end of our wine tour I still had a great time. 

We finished up our Napa adventure by heading over to the Oxbow Public Market for a light dinner.  It reminded me a lot of the San Francisco Ferry Building with its boutique artisan stalls.  I tried some oysters at Hog Island Oyster Co. (and discovered I am not a raw oyster fan).  Since I was still full from lunch and all the sparkling wine, I settled for dessert from the local and organic Three Twins Ice Cream (I remember when Neal was just starting out the business at his Terra Linda scoop shop).  The scoops of lemon cookie and peppermint stick ice cream were amazing.  I also picked up some holiday themed cupcakes from Kara's Cupcakes to share with the family.  After a quick drive around Lei's old neighborhood in Napa we headed back on the road for home.

Wine Country Adventures- Sonoma

My cousin Leilani (writer of the blog Wine Deviant) decided that since I was in town we should hit up some wineries for tastings.  She organised a mini two day sparkling wine tour for us, and today we focused on Sonoma County.  Our first stop was J Vineyards & Winery in Healdsburg.  We sampled from their J Sparkling Flight option which included:

- 2002 J Vintage Brut Magnum
- 2003 J Vintage Brut Magnum
- 2005 J Vintage Brut
- J Bin 1008, NV Brut
- J Cuvée 20
The woman leading us through the tasting was knowledgeable and even threw in a Brut Rosé for us to sample. Since she provided each sparkling wine in its own glass it allowed us the opportunity to let them breathe and return to each one after it had warmed up (I found it interesting how much more you could smell/taste).  My favorite was the 2003 J Vintage Brut Magnum.

Next we drove to the Korbel Champagne Cellars in Guerneville, which were established in the late 1800s.  Lei and I each chose four different complementary sparkling wines to sample and share:

- Le Premier
- Master's Reserve Blanc de Noirs
- Brut (made with organic grapes)
- Brut
- Chardonnay California Champagne
- Brut Rosé
- Sec Anniversary Cuvée
- Riesling
At this tasting we used the same two glasses throughout so we didn't get the opportunity to go back and compare each one.  After finishing we went to their delicatessen for lunch and both ordered the warm pastrami sandwiches and shared a roast vegetable salad.  The sandwiches tasted amazing and were perfect for a cold day.

Our last stop was Iron Horse Vineyards in Green Valley.  Their tasting room is outside on a hill overlooking the vineyards but undercover with heat lamps to keep you warm.  Thankfully the rain held off while we were there.  Lei and I shared two of the flight options.

Sparkling Flight:
- 2008 Wedding Cuvée
- 2008 Classic Vintage Brut
- 2008 Russian Cuvée
- 2003 Brut LD
- 2006 Brut Rosé
Reserve Sparkling Flight:
- 2007 Ocean Reserve
- 2008 Brut-X
- 2008 Fairy Tale Cuvée (made exclusively for Disney)
- 2004 Chinese Cuvée
- 2008 Winter's Cuvée
I really liked the informal and rustic tasting room which allowed for different groups to chat with each other during their tastings.  Unfortunately we once again only had the two tasting glasses, and therefore couldn't really do a full comparison of the sparkling wines.  Iron Horse seems to partner with different organisations for limited edition wines, and the Russian Cuvée was originally served at the Reagan Gorbachev summit meetings!

Overall I enjoyed this first day of tastings and learned about the percentage blends of pinot noir and chardonnay that make up different types of sparkling wines, as well as some new terms such as dosage.  I am looking forward to tomorrow's trip to Napa.

Yarra Valley Wine Tour

Missy and I were up bright and early this morning to meet up with our van for a wine tour of the Yarra Valley. Our tour guide was Cameron from the Australian Wine Tour Company and he gave us amusing commentary as we made the hour drive to the Yarra Valley from Melbourne. Our first stop was Yering Station, where we had our first taste of wine at 10:45 am! Missy and I sampled probably half of the wines available for tasting. After checking out their gift shop we went for a wander around the lush grounds and took pictures.

Our next stop was Rochford Wines. We went to their tasting room first, where we got to sample more wine as well as hear about the Day on the Green concerts they hold at the winery. After our tasting we went into their large dining area and sat at a table by the fireplace for our gourmet lunch. Both Missy and I had the grilled tuna with Asian greens, which was yummy. We also got a full glass of wine with lunch, and it was funny to see how most of the group were barely touching it. After lunch we checked out the grounds before heading back onto the van.

Yering Farm was the smallest vineyard we visited. Their tasting room is a former hay shed and they joked about the fact that the rust was authentic. Their wines are more boutique and aged longer than most other places. We were able to taste wines from their different ranges, which were all good. While we were there the skies opened up and it just poured rain. Thankfully it stopped as we went to leave.

The last place we visited was Domaine Chandon, the complete antithesis of Yering Farm. Our guide Cameron gave us a tour of the winery and cellars, explaining the different steps taken to make the sparkling wine along the way. We then went to their huge tasting room and had a glass of the sparkling wine of our choice, along with some cheese and crackers. Missy went for the red sparkling wine while I stuck with the classic dry. As the rain began to fall again we all headed back to the van for the drive back to Melbourne. The tour was really good and I highly recommend it if you are ever in town.

Meet the Tourists

My parents have been keeping themselves busy the past few days by exploring the city. On Tuesday they participated in the Foodies Tour at the Queen Victoria Market. The two hour tour included samples from the booths in the meat and fish hall, fruit and vegetables aisles, and dairy hall. My dad was blown away by the wide selection of items available and wished he had a market like that back home. After the tour they walked through the rest of the stalls, which sell clothes and touristy items.

On Wednesday it was off to the Yarra Valley for a winery tour by the Australian Wine Tour Company. They visited four wineries- Yerling Station, Rochford Wines, St Hubert's, and Domain Chandon. Unfortunately, it was a rainy day, so they didn't get to wander around outside too much. When they returned to the city they came and met me at work, and then we headed off to Brunswick Street for dinner. I decided to take them to The Fitz Cafe, since they weren't too hungry after their day of wine and cheese.

On Thursday, my parents went up to the Melbourne Observation Deck on the 55th floor of the Rialto Tower to get a 360 degree view of Melbourne. They really enjoyed it because it gave them a feel for how big Melbourne is and what the city looks like. After that they headed to the Melbourne Aquarium, and got there in time to catch the shark and sting ray feeding. My Dad's other mission of the day was to get a shirt for my brother from a Melbourne Fire Station. They went up the road to the local Brunswick station and got lucky- 1 shirt down, 2 more to go. That evening we had dinner at Michelle and Ruth's house along with Michelle's parents and sister. It was a fun evening, and Michelle's parents got some tips of what to visit when they are in San Francisco in October.

Today they headed out on the Yarra River for a sightseeing cruise with Melbourne River Cruises. They went past the Arts Centre, Royal Botanical Gardens, and Melbourne Olympic Park. After the cruise they explored the stores and wandered through Myer and Melbourne Central.

The weather is not looking too good for tomorrow, so it may just be a relaxing day in front of the tv watching the footy. On Sunday I plan to take them to St. Kilda.