Kathryn, Daina and I went up to the Hunter Valley on Thursday to stalk our prey – cheese, wine, olives and good food. Talking too much (really???), we drove well past the turn-off for the Hunter and were heading for Darwin.
Just a little bit lost
A u-turn and some backtracking took us to Tempus Two. I don’t usually buy their stuff but it was the first one we got to, so out of the car and into the tasting room.
Kathryn & Daina - Tempus Two
Nothing wonderful on the wine front so we headed into the huge cheese/deli area – but it was so crowded we didn’t stop. Instead we had lunch on site at Goldfish. Wonderful food – betel leaves stuffed with pork belly in an asian dressing, whitebait with aioli, gratin dauphinois and hot dried chilli beef. A bit of Atlantic/Pacific fusion.
Whitebait and dried chilli beef
We then headed off to Tintilla. It was all good – I ended up with some chardonnay, the Rosalind pink fizz, the 2007 reserve shiraz and the 2004 Justine merlot. The winery itself is a beautiful old house right beside the vines.
Daina suggested Pigg’s Peake as the next stop so in we trooped.
Piggs Peake Pig
I liked a lot of what we tasted here but only bought the 2011 Silk Purse verdelho – Neil and I are supposed to be ‘not drinking’ and I had already bought half a case at Tintilla.
Piggs Peake vines
Next was cheese at Binorrie Dairy for their marinated goat’s cheese and ashed chevre (goat’s cheese added to scrambled eggs along with some pesto is my favourite weekend breakfast).
Last stop of the day was Peppers Creek Winery for coffee and cake.
Daina had a creme brulee; Kathryn and I were going to share a chocolate cheesecake but it was so good that I ordered my own (I’m a reluctant and resentful sharer anyway).
Afternoon tea
We didn’t get to all the wineries we wanted to but we’ll do more next time.
A really excellent day – thanks to Kathryn for doing all the driving and to Daina for insights into her Lithuanian heritage, including literal translations of common Lithuanian sayings. Possibly a bit too literal 🙂
ESSENTIALLY INERT 