Wine dudes

 
December 2nd

We couldn’t come to one of Australia’s best wine regions without tasting a drop or two. Having studied the wine tours on offer, we decide on the one that encourages you to swallow not spit, and join 9 other wine dudes for a relaxed tour of 3 local vineyards, a local cheese producer, chocolate maker and a brewery.

The main industry here had been timber logging, with a bit of dairy farming, until the1960s when university professor from Perth realised the soil was similar to that of Bordeaux – very poor, very dry – in other words, ideal for vineyards. Since then Margaret River has become one of Australia’s best-loved wine regions – producing only 4% of its total wine, but 25% of the country’s premium wines.


Despite the poor soil, Margaret River appears lush and green in comparison with much of the region outside the Cape, and some of the vineyards are outstandingly beautiful, with landscaped reservoirs and manicured grounds. At our first stop, Tassell Park, the suitably red-nosed owner gives us a brief lesson in swirling, sniffing and tasting wine, before letting us loose on six of his best. On the whites, these range from a pure sauvignon blanc – unusual for this region – to an oaked chardonnay with “layers of flavour”, his description, not mine. We then move on to the reds, where cabernet sauvignon, merlot and shiraz dominate.

It’s not yet midday, and we’ve drank almost two glasses of wine, so we soak the alcohol up with cheese at the next stop. But then it’s straight onto the next vineyard – Hayshed for 10 more wines. We are given an order form and encouraged to write down comments. By this stage I’m wondering if I can retrain as a wine critic – but in the cold light of day I read my comments, “young but good”, “lemony” and in honour of my good friend, “a Christopher wine” and realise I’m unlikely to become the next Jancis Robinson. Our next task is to mix our own wine – perhaps I could become a wine blender instead. By this stage I’m having trouble measuring out the magic 50mls comprising 30% of cabernet mixed with 70% of merlot. We then learn that the blend we come up with we will drink with our picnic lunch. On hearing this Robin fills his test-tube to the brim with whatever is at hand. I later appreciate his quantity over quality approach, as the wind blows my glass over, and I force him to share his large glass of wine with me.

Refreshed with food rather than wine, we head for the chocolatier. I thought I was a chocaholic, but I’ve got nothing on Robin, who gleefully plundered the freebies and then bought half the chocolate in the shop. Realising that the only way I was going to get any attention was by disguising myself as a bar of chocolate, I bought the chocolate body lotion!

And we still had a final winery to visit. The Saracen winery was one of the lushly landscaped variety. Once we’d downed another 8 samples - by this time, they all tased the same, we moved onto their beers….. Amazingly we arrived back in town relatively sober, and ready for an hour long walk along the river. By which time we were in need of more wine and a sumptuous meal at Wino’s (I kid you not) the best restaurant in town.