lavici

hello: i need some simple ( vs. sophisticated) enologist advise here for types, names and cellars worth visiting:
i'll be in tasmania during mid april, and the surrounding adelaide area by late april. so pleeeease pleeeaaaase la la lá, would you all give me ideas?
i love ruby red youngish aromatic fruity merlots, rosés, champagnized dry white( called 'prosecco' da' la italia) really all whites, from greenish to fruity, even sweet dessert wines of all colors.even port.
don't like heavy, full bodied, tannin rich, dark reds that pucker up my mouth and esophagus. no cabernets for me...
i know they say the best wine is the one you like the most, but i would like some guidance here if you please, as i've never, ever had the privilege of tasting australian wine.yet...
ps if you would i would love foodie advice too on:
also for the best icecream in tasmania, melbourne, sydney,adelaide and environs.

also for the best vietnamese food at melbourneand the same for the stalls at the adelaide's central market, please...gracias, janine

Melnq8

Hi Janine -

I just looked at my notes from our trips to Tasmania to see which wineries we visited and what we liked. Taste is very subjective of course...

In Tasmania, we enjoyed the Hartzview Winery (Huon Valley, not far from Hobart). It's a good place for lunch - we shared a nice cheese platter overlooking their vineyard. They make a nice Tasmanian spiced apple liqueur too.

In the Tamar Valley we stayed at Rosevears Estate, which also makes some nice wines. Hillwood Strawberry Farm makes some interesting fruit wines and fruit vinegars; we liked the strawberry wine and raspberry vinegar.

When we last visited in 2006, there was a new winery that had just recently opened and they had some
fabulous cabernet sauvignon - Velo Wines (A7 near Legana). We also really enjoyed Pipers Brook and Jansz (sparkling wines).

For food, we liked Mount Elephant Pancakes near St Helens - www.mount-elephant-pancakes.com.au.

We had some very good meals at Iluka Tavern in Coles Bay and LOVED
Angasi in Binalong Bay.

Are you still going to NZ too?

Melnq8

Oops, just noticed you don't like cabs, better skip Velo then.

lavici

dear mel! how are you? i've been reading your very entertaining travel post from your latest trip to the SI somewhat wistfully. i'm sooooo frustrated, can you belive that even while they still appear listed, they closed both the OZ and NZ embassies in caracas? so i had to send my passport by DHL to CHILE by mid march, for the Ozzie visa! it's been approved and suppposed to be delivered this monday after 3 weeks, and then i would have to send it out back again to mexico for the kiwi one :'( for the same procedure.consequence of being a citizen of a 3°world banana republic i guess.
so, i decided i can't fight the establishment, and i have to flow with events and circumstances, so i will dedicate myself to getting to enjoy southern australia, and next time- 4 months before- i'll send my papers to both sides of the continent: méxico & chile @ almost 16 hours apart, so totally & bureocratically absurd!! or...i'll have to try to get my romanian citzenship(my father left his papers there when he left during WWII) to have an EUC passport so i don't need to go thru this karma again! ever...
but, on a happier note, i'm so glad and thankful you gave me these tips. they sound (except for the velo)just what i like. but, i'm willing to give the cabernet a go. never say never... i'll stay around tassie for about 10 days and then melbourne 4 days, adelaide & mclaren, clare and barossa for about 4-5 days, indian pacific train to sydney for 9 days ( blue mountains, and for the conference) and then fly to uluru before coming home.so i'm glad we met here again!if anything else comes to mind. let me know. i'm starting to copy/paste all the wonderful tips you guys have given me for my carry on travel journal. big hug... from janine

lavici

by the way mel, i do love sparkly wines.so i'll try the pipers and janzs. have you ever been or going to san sebastián in the basque country? they have this wondrous'green' sparkly called txacolí( pronounced chacol&iacutethat goes ultra fab with the pintxos (miniature tapas) and at aloña berri, the best! http://travel.nytimes.com/2007/11/18...l/18hours.html

Peteralan

Hi lavici. I love Pipers Brook wines although I am a red drinker and so can't really comment on the whites. I have had their reislings years ago and they were a cut above most others. By the way, New Zealand whites ( eg Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon etc ) are great. For a magnificent sweetie ( or sticky as we call them) you might try De Bortoli Noble One Botrytis Semillon from here in New South Wales.
For gelato I can recommend Gelatissimo ( they have several branches ).
I can see you have a memorable trip downunder planned!

Susan7

My favorite Sydney icecream: Bar Italia, Norton St Leichhardt.

Melnq8

Janine -

Sounds like a fabulous trip. What a nightmare regarding the visas.

Jansz makes the sparking wines and as I recall, they weren't far from Piper's Brook, but my memory is less than reliable these days.

I have nothing BUT Australian wine here at home in Indonesia, but I lean towards fullbodied dry reds, so I won't be much help to you.

Incidentially, my favorite Indian restaurant from NZ now has a location in Melbourne, so if you like Indian food, you might want to check it out - Little India. NOT to be confused with Little India in Hobart, which although okay, is a different place altogether.

Have a great trip and do come back to tell us all about it.

lavici

thank you all, mel peteralan, susan for your great ideas on food and wine: mel i absolutely love indian food of all it's regions, AND vietnamese so much that my favorite restaurant( the last time i was) in paris was tan dinh, yes i'll be in melbourne, so i will try yours, where more or less could i find it, is it called the same?
also love japanese,thai,mostly oriental food, ice cream, dark chocolate, pancakes ( mel i got the mt. elephants yummy) cheddar cheese!!! i need the wonderful cheddar cheese place in tas! thanks yes i'm sooo happy i think my trip will finally come out mahvelous dahlings'all thanks to you all... janine

Melnq8

Janine -

Some more edible suggestions for you in TAS -

Flavor of India – Hobart

Tandoor and Curry House on Wellington Street (Launceston - I think there's one in Hobart too)

GrandvEWE Cheesery, - makers of sheep’s milk cheese – try the “CamemBAA”. Not far from Hartzview Winery.

The Sorell Fruit Farm is also worth a stop – you can pick your own fruit in season (on the way to Port Arthur). The strawberries and raspberries are really good, especially when topped with fresh Tasmanian cream!

Grove - Doran’s Jam Factory and Museum – good place to learn about the fruit industry in Tasmania

Cadbury Schweppes Chocolate Factory in Claremont (near Hobart) – bookings essential.

http://www.cadbury.com.au/sites/cadb....php?pageId=55

Some sites/activities that we enjoyed in TAS -

Tahune Forest Airwalk - www.forestrytas.com.au –

Drive to the top of Mt Wellington – awesome views (note: if you stop for a walk in the rainforest, beware of leeches)

Possible route for day trip through Huon valley from Hobart: Make a loop from Hobart via A6/B68 to Kingston, then on to Margate, Kettering, Flowerpot, Middleton, Cygnet, Huonville and Grove, then B64 to Fern Tree, up to Mt Wellington, and back to Hobart.

LizzyF

As you pass through just south of Margate look up on the hill and wave to my house Janine - I look over the Channel area and out to Bruny Island. Anyway just wanted to say that if you go to Hartzview winery do taste the Apple Mead there which is lovely. A very nice little drop after dinner. Again it is a lovely DRIVE down to Hartzview and all around that area - particularly if you are coming back through that area after dark because there are more animals on that road, it seems, than there are in the forests. It is a free animal night spotting area and one of my favourites. Also down that area ( Birch's Bay / Woodbridge ) is a lovely little French cafe/restaurant called Fleurty's - has a fantastic view and all their ingredients are home grown which makes their food that much nicer. You could spend a lot of time wandering around the Huon Valley and Channel area with lots to see and do and of course explore.
Bye the way, it is sad that you do not like red wine because Australia makes a Sparkling Red Burgandy and sparkling Merlots etc which are absolutely beautiful. I don't think that you can get them anywhere else.

lavici

hi mel thanks again for your always invaluable tips,i'll certainly try them, i hope there's still raspberries around in mid april? and lizzy i will wave to you even though you may be flying around america.
hey,liz i do like fruity young reds, precisely and specially red sparkly's and merlots. so please let me know where, and what are their names, which cellars in TAS so i can taste them mmmm with some cheddar cheese + fruits and almonds. my favorite dinner with a dark chocolate square for dessert!
what i don't like are full bodied, heavy,tannin rich, dark puckering reds... so please please please let me know. i wish i could meet you even for tea but you'll be like i'm right now, running to get everything ready i guess. i think i'll arrive in tas by the 14th or 15th. anyway i'll let you know just in case. thanks again ... jjj

LizzyF

Hola Janine, I tried to write back to you but the email was returned, perhaps you have me on scam mail????

I like milk chocolate and I can tell you where to get all the other things when you get to Tasmania anyway.
Hope to see you then

Liz

speckles

In Adelaide try Haighs chocolates. They're locally made and they have 3 stores in the city (2 connected to Rundle Mall and 1 near the Central Market) and 1 at Glenelg. I'm a regular. My main purchase? - why Speckles of course!

Bremerton Wines is at Langhorne Creek (south from McLaren Vale, but you can find them in any wine shop). They have a range by Rebecca Wilson including a nice Verdelho.

Wirra Wirra at McLaren Vale does a nice Rose.

In the Barossa, I like Peter Lehmann wines (near Tanunda). My friend loves Charles Cimiky, but he's a big, bold Shiraz drinker. Ross Estates is a small winery nearby too. I don't think they sell much in stores, mostly through the cellar door.

NZ does do some nice Sauv Blancs, particularly from the Marlborough area. Also try wines from Margaret River, WA available in any wine store.

lavici

thanks thanks thanks... what is a speckle, speckles? i will copy all this info to take with me! and get really tipsy with all this wine tasting ja ja ja j ja ;>

speckles

Lavici, speckles are a small round chocolate about 2cm/1 inch in diameter with coloured sprinkles on top. I can't find a picture of them. Haighs call them speckles. A confectionery company called Allen's calls them freckles (not as good as Haighs).

Neil_Oz

Janine, although you won't be in the actual producing region you should also try some fortified wines from the Rutherglen area of Victoria - a liqueur muscat would be a good start.

If you want to do some research go to www.wineaustralia.com, the site of the Australian government's Wine and Brandy Corporation.

The site notes that Australia has 62 designated wine producing regions with 170,000 Ha of vineyards, the first vines being planted in 1788. Australia is the world's fourth largest wine exporter, selling to more than 100 countries. The export trade is worth
about US$5B pa.

lavici

thank you my friends. i will come back very happy indeed from all the experience i'm sure! i will try out the best of the best and i'll let you know later. i'm about to leave tomorrow on my first leg of the trip... to miami to visit my g-kids and daughters and then after departing from miami at 1.30 pm this saturday and a veeeery long trip i'll finally arrive in tassie monday 14th @ 4pm. can't believe it yet... jjjjjjjjjjjj

gmh66

Hi lavici,

In Adelaide, try the gelati at Cibo coffee shops(scorched almond is my favorite).

You could also book a tour of the Haighs chocolate factory (see www.haighschocolates.com.au). The chocolate frogs are our choice - dark for DH and me, peppermint for DS and milk for DD. They even make big foil wrapped ones that make great gifts (if they survive that long!)

The Barossa Valley is widely known for its shiraz, however I enjoyed a moscato (spritzy white wine) from Two Hands Winery in the Barossa Valley recently that you may enjoy. Their cellar door is near the lovely old Seppelts winery which is worth a visit too (try their tokay and muscat). St Hallett Wines and the nearby Rockfords have great wines.

If you are in the Barossa on a Saturday morning then try to visit the growers market and catch up with the locals selling their produce. Try to get there early.

Have fun. G

Melnq8

speckles -

As a lover of all things chocolate, I was intriqued by your post about speckles - are they similiar to what we call nonpareils and snowcaps?

http://www.oldtimecandy.com/nonpareils.htm