I like this one, no this one ....

One of my favourite holiday past times is going wine tasting. I fancy myself a bit of a wine connoisseur and love going to vineyards and pretending that I can taste grass or green or mumbling knowingly about legs and good years. I suspect however, that it all ends up like an episode of Absolutely Fabulous. Me as Eddy or Patsy in a tasting room in France, completely paralytic, snorting and pointing to glasses saying "this is the one, no this one, no this one."

So over the years, I've pushed open (fallen through) the odd cellar door, and I thought I would write about a few of them here. These are not necessarily recommendations, rather they are a collection of experiences, from around the world which I hope to substantially add to over time.

Canava Roussos Vineyard, Santorini, Greece
September 2011

We went to this vineyard following the recommendation of the rather handsome barman at our hotel, Hotel 28, Kamari. If I'm honest, there are probably vineyards in Santorini that have more spectacular views. Santo Wines for example has a much more picturesque vista and I met a couple who got married there and the photos look spectacular. However, Canava Roussos was within walking distance of where we were staying in Kamari and it was owned by the family of the hot barman.

The Vineyard claims to be one of the oldest in Santorini, and uses many of the traditional methods of wine making they have for over a century. If you are after a glitzy, and polished experience, this probably isn't for you, however there was no hard sell and it felt like a very relaxed and earthy experience.

From Kamari, you reach the winery by walking up a long, dusty path past all the white washed buildings and blue and white churches you would expect in Santorini. The vineyard itself is small, has a nice tasting area dripping with vines and grapes, a small amphitheatre and an area where you can view the barrels and traditional production methods.

They offer two types of tasting, dry and sweet and I obviously did both! Each had four varieties of wine and cost a few euro. Santorini is known for its dry white wines, the most famous of which is which is often blended to make a Nykteri wines. This is perfectly suited to my taste as it is very dry, but has a distinctive and slightly misleading honey, sweet smell.

I ended up spending a fortune, which I always do, and one of the lethal errors of going to vineyards and making a purchase decision after a few glasses of wine. My favourite was probably a sweet wine made from the Assyrtiko grape or Vinsanto which had a lovely plummy-burnt caramel-figgy taste. Served perfectly cold and utterly delicious. It may be worth noting that the tasting rooms close fairly promptly at 7pm, so don't expect to hang around for the sunset in the summer.


Mudgee Vineyards, New South Wales, Australia
November 2005

I was a vineyard virgin when I went to Mudgee and it was perfect for a first timer. I went upon the recommendation of an expat friend of mine who claimed this was the less commercial sister of Hunter Valley and the one Sydney siders tend to choose for a more authentic experience. I guess it's about a three hour drive outside Sydney on a mainly fairly dull drive, although you can stop off at the Blue Mountains en route if you choose (which we did).

I went with my brother (Bordeauxboy) who was a wine tasting novice at the time but has since taken on wine tasting as a professional hobby. We were camping at the Mudgee Valley Tourist Park and hired bikes nearby, as you can reach a range of wineries by pedal.

I loved Mudgee for a number of reasons. Firstly because it was utterly unpretentious and very, very cheap. None of the wineries charged for tastings which I was later to discover is an absolute rarity (I'd love to know if this is still the case today as this was several years ago). Secondly, every person working the cellar door was friendly and knowledgeable and seemed genuinely grateful of the company. Thirdly, the measures were generous and free flowing.

This was also the first time I tried Ice Wine which is a fortified wine made from grapes that have been frozen while still on the vine. Before this day I had formed the opinion that I hated dessert wine, but drinking this delicious, cold, clean wine completely changed my mind for life.

The whole experience was perfect for me as I knew little (nothing) about wine. Wine tasting can be a slightly pretentious and snobbish affair, and sometimes the clueless can be sneered at. However, there was none of this here. Just friendly helpfulness, and wine that kept flowing.

The result was a very drunk Pinotnoirgirl and Bordeauxboy doing some rather Kamikaze cycling around Mudgee. We also got dive bombed by territorial magpies, adding to the immense gratitude for our cycle helmets.

Hunter Valley, New South Wales, Australia
November 2009

So I thought it only fair to include Mudgee's big sister, Hunter Valley.

An exceptionally full of life Kiwi friend of mine drove that day. So I was lucky that I had her company and also that I didn't have to drive. From Sydney, you can easily go there and back in a day. When we went, an art exhibition was taking place called Sculpture in the Vines. Which meant we could sup wine, beer and (not) champagne while looking at a range of slightly bizarre, but very fun, art. They also hold a Jazz in the Vines event which my brother has been to which he thought was excellent.

There are lots and lots of cellar doors to choose from, and although more commercial than Mudgee, the place still oozes with the friendly charm that Australia does so well.

A couple of highlights were having a "Sticky Experience" at the De Bortoli cellar door which merited a mention just for the name. I enjoyed six different types of fortified wine including a (not) Tawny Port and the famous Noble One Dessert Wine. We also supped some (not) champagne overlooking the vineyards at the Peterson House tasting rooms. It was called a Champagne House then, but I notice it has since been changed to sparkling wines, I assume due to champagne appellation laws. We had a delicious meal and enjoyed some delicious wines in a beautiful setting.

To make our tasting experience complete (and to cement the future hangover) we went to the Hunter Beer micro brewery which is located at the Potters Brewery and resort. As a lover of alcoholic ginger beer, it was great to find some spicy litre bottles here that we could try and buy.

Needless to say, my head was lolling all the way back to Sydney, with my very sober friend looking on disapprovingly. Until we got home, and proceeded to finish off most of the wine and beer we had bought during the day.

I'm going back to Syndey soon, and I definitely plan to make a trip here again.

Swilling wine in America

As I've been to a couple of vineyards in California, I thought this merited a separate entry. I have to say that wine tasting is a different experience in California from Europe or Australia. It tends to be a more slick, money generating machine. So you have to try hard not to end up in a tourist line, trying a thimble of wine. But Californian wine is far more than the mass produced brands such as E&J Gallo or Echo Falls and there are some amazing artisan wine makers in this place that has a unique climate for wine production.

Iron Horse Vineyard, Sonoma, California, America
September 2010

We had been staying in Bodega Bay for a couple of nights and thought we'd take a trip to one of the Vineyards. We chose Iron Horse Vineyard because the guide book boasted of its spectacular views and was close enough for us to reach within an hour or so of the beach. Again, I was not driving which meant I could enjoy myself.

The estate takes a bit of finding, but it is definitely worth all the wrong turns, especially if you are a fan of Pinot Noir like me. As with most California Vineyards, the entire estate is utterly pristine, and the rows of vines are intersected with beautiful beds of flowers and fruit trees. The tasting rooms are little more than a wooden shed which is quite rustic by Californian terms.

Iron Horse is famous for Pinot Noirs and sparkling wines, and after a few glasses of fizz, I struck up a bizarre conversation with an Australian man about my nail varnish. This was indicative of the friendly, informal nature of the surroundings. I could have spent a long time chatting to the warm, friendly people and looking at the spectacular view. And of course I walked away with a bottle or two.

Pacific Star Vineyard, Mendocino, California, America
October 2010

We literally fell across this vineyard on a road trip from San Francisco up through Northern California and onto Crater Lake in Oregon. We had nearly been inadvertently eaten by a Mountain Lion (true story) and I was seriously in need of a glass of wine to steady my nerves. So we saw a road sign to Pacific Star Winery off Highway 1 and headed into a very unexpected winery.

The Tasting Rooms overlook the wild pacific and you can sip your wine on one of the wooden benches overlooking the cliffs which get regularly and violently bashed by the huge waves of the sea. Far from being the slick operation that you often expect in California, this place is very laid back and has much more of a hippy vibe (quite in keeping with Mendocino in general). 

 

We were greeted by an ancient looking beagle who followed us around, hoping for picnic scraps. What I remember most were the random names of the wine- It's my Fault and Dad's Daily Red are just a couple of examples. And the eclectic mix of items they sold in their shop including a book of Dogs living in North American Wineries which I can only assume must have a fairly limited audience. 

An experience, and well worth the detour off Highway 1. 

A Sonoma Valley Wine Tour, California, America
August 2008

I was on a girly road trip round California, and on the way back from Lake Tahoe when we decided to stop in Sonoma for a couple of nights. As all of us wanted to drink, and we knew little about wine, so we opted to do an organised wine tour. This turned out to be a bus trip where we were about 50 years younger than the other participants. 

This isn't necessarily an experience I would want to repeat, and I would strongly recommend finding a way of visiting vineyards independently. We were taken to about five vineyards that all pretty much blended into one. It was all very hard sell and commercial. The tasting rooms were vast and crowded, with large shops selling all names of tat that they were practically supermarkets. Most of the tastings were a measured dribble, and due to the huge numbers of people, there was little opportunity to learn about the grapes or the wines.

On the positive side, Sonoma is beautiful as are all the vineyards. The whole place is like a beautiful, lush green dream. The estates are wonderfully tended and the grounds are plush with flowers and in general this is a stunning place to be. I tasted some delicious wine, and actually bought a couple of bottles of Mes Trois Amours from the Ledson Winery because the barman took the time to talk to me. The main square in Sonoma town centre has some lovely eateries and to top it all off there is a Ben and Jerry's scoop shop in Sonoma Plaza which is virtually worth the visit in itself.