Yes, it is May, and yes, it is Fall - remember the Southern Hemisphere. It feels much like a crisp October day in Vancouver - nice and dry here, very little rain. I am actually enjoying the cool weather.
So, Neil the budget traveler has been pretty good in Melbourne. I did splurge on a private room, but got a pretty good price. I have been touring neighbourhoods on foot using my Metcard transit pass to get me there, and enjoying that and the exercise. I have also found a bunch of free attractions in Melbourne which I have really enjoyed.
So, why then, can I blow AUD $98 on a one-day wine tour. Because it is my trip, and I get to do what I want! I really do enjoy wine touring, and it seemed like a great way to spend the day.
It really did turn out to be a good decision. Our tour guide, Simon, was an ex-Intrepid tour leader, so we got to talk a lot about traveling the world, and whether I might be suited to being a tour leader myself (he said go for it, even my age was just right!). He made for a very enjoyable tour, and was quite knowledgeable about wines.
There were some very nice people on the tour itself, so I got to meet and talk with folks from Australia, Malaysia, Britain and Sweden.
We started at a small farm based winery - Yering Farms Wines. The tasting room was a converted farm building, complete with roaring fire burning in the wood stove - very cozy and unpretentious, a nice way to start the tour. Simon and the proprietor worked together on the tastings. This is a cool climate wine region, so there are lots of Sauvignon Blancs, Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs and Merlots. As with all the places that day, they were VERY generous with the tastings, gladly allowing you to taste a dozen or so wines.
This is why it was a very good idea at the next winery, Rochford Wines, that we had our lunch after tasting another 6 wines. The lunch was absolutely fantastic, beautiful setting, with a choice of four dishes. I chose the chicken on a bed of couscous and onions, but really should have gone for the steak - everyone said it was superb! This was served with fresh crusty bread, a glass of wine as chosen at the tasting, and hot tea and coffee.
After lunch, you could indulge in more tasting (more than a dozen more wines), or belly up to the fudge bar. I chose to taste grapes rather than sugar!
After Rochford, it was off to the Yarra Valley's oldest winery - Yering Station. It was an interesting winery, with some old historic buildings, but also some very modern new ones. The tasting staff were very young and casual - lots of joking and fun, yet knowledgeable about their wines and the valley. The Shiraz-Viognier blend was particularly interesting.
Our final stop of the day was for sparkling wine (not champagne) at Domaine Chandon. I have been to Chandon in the Napa Valley many times, and it was an interesting comparison. This is a luxury brand, and they really know their marketing. It was very similar in experience and look to Napa. A full glass of their classic blend was an excellent way to end the day.
Happy and all a little tipsy, we hopped into our bus for our ride back into Melbourne. A wonderful way to spend a day, the only thing that could have made it better was some sun, but the fall colours made it a spectacular day.
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