Tales Of The Old Waiters' Friend

The corkscrew at its simplest

Ah, the waiters' friend. Once the most important piece of kit that any waiter, barman and especially sommelier could have in his pocket. If you're not sure what I mean I'm guessing you have not worked in hospitality. At home you might call it a corkscrew.

Whatever you call it,  for almost 400 years the corkscrew was the way to remove your corks from your wine bottles.



Karl Wienke's original
patented waiters' friend

Actually the waiters' friend is a specific type of corkscrew, designed with a folding body mechanism similar to a pocket knife. It was conceived by German Karl Wienke in 1882 and patented in Germany, England and America.

There have been many embelishments to the original but the basic shape remains the same. And to this day it is the best way of removing any cork from a bottle. Why anyone would want to spend £140 (US$215) on a Le Creuset Wine Accessories LM-G10 Geo Lever Corkscrew just to do exactly the same job I have no idea.

The idea of opening a bottle of wine as a spotty, wet behind the ears youth of 18 when I started in the trade was utterly terrifying. And I find that that continues today with the 18 year olds I employ. Second only to the fear of opening a bottle of Champagne but we will leave that to another day.



10 years old and still works perfectly.
My home waiters' friend from Vinopolis in London
with 'wineman' my lego mascot

Having worked in the trade over 20 years I have used and lost many a waiters friend and even today I cannot put my hand on my current one. It is probably in my draw at work. But the one I have at home was purchased from Vinopolis, the wine museum in London, over 10 years ago and has done sterling service and shows no sign of wear. But how long I will actually continue to need it for is anyones guess.

The problem with cork is that it's a natural product and therefore is prone to shrinkage, allowing oxidation of the wine and is also the main cause of cork taint. The chemistry here is quite complex so I will leave that to wikipedia but the problem of cork taint has been taxing winemakers for over 60 years. The percentage of wine affected depends on which latest study you read. It is generally agreed to be around 6-8% of bottles although other studies have it as less. A major problem no matter who you believe.

The solution to this has been the screwcap or Stelvin Closure. I love that term. If I ever get a band together I think that would be its name. And now topping the bill The Stelvin Closure. Sorry, day dreaming there for a moment. It was developed in the 1960s by French company La Bouchage Mechanique and first used commercially in Switzerland in 1972, the year of my birth. Australian winemakers soon adopted them but the general public were not so keen and even 30 years later some wine lovers dismiss wine with screwcaps as cheap. But this is a dying breed.

In recent times most, even French, winemakers have embraced the screwcap.For example in 2001 1% of New Zealand wines were in screwcap but by 2004 that was 70%. And for me, besides France, New Zealand makes the best wine in the world. Stelvin isn't completely faultless though, as it is estimated that 1 in 50,000 bottles can be affected by reduction which is the opposite of oxidation. So you still need to do a taste test at the table with your guests in a restaurant setting.

So is the end nigh for natural cork. Well not for a good while yet. Almost 69% of the world wine is still in cork although this is reducing rapidly. Also the top producers of some of the great French wines of Bordeaux and Burgundy are yet to be convinced of the ageing potential of a screwcap and are still to change. But I suspect this is only a matter of time.

So how to enjoy the corkscrew or waiters' friend whilst it is still around. Perhaps a visit to the The Corkscrew Inn in Vancouver, Canada which celebrates every facet of the humble cork extractor. Or if that's too difficult at least visit the Virtual Corkscrew Museum. Honestly it's fun!







Next time: My local vineyard. Yes, in Wolverhampton!

Enjoy your wine. Cheers!

Simon
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My First Tasting Event

If you follow me on twitter or have read the previous blog you may know I have now started a new company offering bespoke, personal wine tastings in private homes. I realise from the outset this will be a major challenge and probably cause me a lot of frustration but no matter I am determined this is a viable business idea which I intend to make successful.

My wife Louise suggested I do a tasting event as a test run where I covered the cost of the event and invited guests to our house. We invited neighbours, who we know to say hello to, but not much more than that; the idea being that they would give me honest feedback. Also the advantage of neighbours is that they did not have to drive home afterwards. Three couples accepted our invitation and I also invited my mother and father in law who are big wine lovers. So with myself and Louise there would be 10 of us. Ideal.

The programme of wines

ISO tasting glasses were hired, a wine tasting program prepared and the wines purchased.

tasting glasses and wine tasting notes set up

At 7.30pm, once all my guests had arrived, I began the evening by thanking them all for coming and by telling them all they were guineas pigs tonight. I was quite nervous, obviously the onus was on me to keep things moving along with information and guidance but I was desperate not to come across as a wine bore. It's a fine balance that my wife and parents-in-law said afterwards I managed well. Judging the knowledge and interest of my audience is going to be a key skill if I am to make my business a success.

The first wine was a Picpoul from Felines Jourdan, purchased from Waitrose. Picpoul is one of those wines drunk heavily by the locals of Languedoc where it is produced but is not much seen in Britain. I started with it because it makes an excellent aperitif wine being crisp and dry. It was actually much darker in colour and heavier on the palate than I expected but it made a good start as everyone liked it.

Never mind the wine admire the label

The second wine was an Organic Viognier from South Australia produced by Yalumba, also from Waitrose. As you will no doubt know Viognier is one of my favourite grape varieties and this one did not disappoint. Rich and tropical with the usual palate of apricots. My audience were less keen, although they all agreed it was the nicest designed label of the evening.

Miolo Chardonnay - Disappointing

Third up was a Brazilian Chardonnay from Miolo that I have had for a number of months. I blogged about Brazilian wine previously and had high hopes but unfortunately the wine was disappointing. Rather thin, with dull flavours and little body everyone was quite happy to move rapidly on to the next wine.

Marlborough Sauv - Yummy!

The final white wine of the evening was a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc purchased from Tanners. Pretty much all Marlborough Sauv is great despite the recent glut of it to take advantage of the demand but I can say with all honesty that Tanners only sell good and mostly great wines and this was no exception. The usual nettle and gooseberry flavours were present and for most of my guests this was their favourite of the white wines.


After we completed the four white wines I was anxiously looking at my watch worrying about the time. I thought 90 minutes for the event and we were less than 45 minutes in but I need not have worried. After a little break where we enjoyed some of the food we had provided we started on the four red wines and the time flowed along nicely.

First up was a Cono Sur Pinot Noir from Sainsbury's. I figured a lighter red was the best way to start and I always think Pinot Noir is the first wine to try if you are new to red wines. I have to say I love Chilean wines, there hardly seems to be a bad one made and this was great too. Simple yes, but delicious all the same.

Next was another Chilean wine, a Gran Reserva Merlot from Luis Felipe Edwards. The use of Reserva, Gran Reserva and the like by Chilean winemakers is a bit arbitary as they have no legal standing but it does suggest better quality and this was superb. Merlot is probably my favourite red grape as it makes such easy to drink wine and this was definitely my favourite wine of the night.

Argentinian Malbec - Bring me that steak

Batting at number three was a Malbec from Argentina. It was a full on 14% and tasted it. I warned all the guests that it was probably a food wine beforehand and so it proved. Full of dark plum fruits with overtones of dark chocolate and mocha it would be great with a sirloin steak and chips!

Wow!!

The final wine of the night was really the centrepiece of the evening. It was by far the most expensive wine of the event and I hoped it would really stand out. A famous name from a famous appellation. Purchased from Tanners the Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Télégramme, H Brunier et Fils is a classic only outranked by its bigger brother the Vieux Télégraphe. My guests immediately knew it was the most expensive wine of the night and all but one thought it the best and that says it all. Delicious plummy fruit with spice, a touch of leather and soft, ripe tannins.

The conversation flowed long after the last wine was poured and my guests enjoyed helping themselves to more of the wines they liked the most.

My final duty was to award a nice Hugh Johnson Wine Journal prize to Anita who I thought made the most interesting contributions to the evening. I was warmly thanked by all in attendance and those thanks have continued for a couple of days now. All in all a very successful event.

So now its over to you. Why not let me come to you and organise a wine tasting for you and your friends and family. Please do take a look at my website. www.gloryofwine.com and I hope you will get in touch. My packages start at £15 per person with 10 being the minimum charge (although it would work with any number from 6 up). I am based near Wolverhampton and will travel anywhere in the wider Midlands area. I look forward to hearing from you.

Next time: Tales of the old waiters friend, oh and the Stelvin Closure!

Enjoy you wine. Cheers!

Simon
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Glory of Wine Tastings and Wine Serving Temperatures

Reading the above title you might be thinking 1. Boring, I'm not interested in his new business or 2. These are two different topics that are not interlinked. Well actually they are linked and I will eventually explain why. So I hope you will read on.

About five weeks ago I had an epiphany of sorts and decided my wine knowledge needed to be put to better use. Writing these blogs is all very well but it's not getting me anywhere closer to retirement. A combination of a number of factors led me to decide that I would start my own business offering private wine tastings in the home as a sideline to my full time job.

And for the last five weeks I have been running around trying to make that happen. Well, I say running around, of course these days most new business start ups are centered around a computer screen and that is where I mostly been when not at work. First a business name, then a business plan, then a logo and some artwork and finally a website. Plus the starting of a new twitter page gloryofwine.

Until I started this I did not realise how difficult constructing a website is and spent two whole days on it. It also made be appreciate how great the Blogger service from Google is as it is so simple to use. But enough about the technicalities you're here to read about wine.

One of the difficulties of taking wine, particularly white wine, to anyones house is controlling the temperature. There is always a worry that it will be too warm to drink unless you buy one of those wine jackets who Vacu Vin seem to have the leading product line in. And obviously this will need to be a consideration for myself once I start taking booked events. But the truth is most people, and I passionately believe in this, serve white wine too cold and red wine too warm.

Wine Temperature Serving Guide

Take a look at the diagram above, which comes from the excellent Bibendum website. Most domestic refrigerators are set to 5˚C as recommended by the Food Standards Agency. And I would bet that most people take their white wine from the fridge and serve it immediately. It's too cold. It will need a little time to warm up to be perfect to drink. Only once the wine is a little warmer, as high as 11˚C for some whites such as classic white Burgundy, will you be able to appreciate the nuances of the wine.

A similar rule applies to red wine. Nearly all homes have their thermostat in their lounge or dining rooms set to 20˚C for comfort, possibly higher. As can be seen above all red wines should be served below that. My father-in-law, has a great saying on this subject. The French serve their red wines "chambre" which we have translated as meaning room temperature which is only partly true. Chambre, of course, means bedroom in French, which traditionally would have been a little cooler.

So just remember to take that fine New Zealand Sauvignon out the fridge 20 minutes before you wish to drink it and leave the Chianti in a slightly cooler room until you need it.

Next time: My very first tasting event of my new business, oh and wine journals.

Enjoy your wine. Until next time. Cheers!

Simon

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Glory of Wine Tastings website

Viognier, Verdelho and Verdejo

What is it about grape varieties beginning with V. There are loads of them, I suspect because the Italians and Spanish secretly love the letter V. And it's also confusing because many of them are also known by other names. Actually, a little confession here, it confuses me too. Until a week ago in my mind Verdelho and Verdejo were one and the same just different spellings from a different language. You know, the old syrah - shiraz or pinot gris - pinot grigio thing that still confuses my staff sometimes. Only when I tried a bottle of Verdejo did I think, hang on this doesn't taste like those lovely wines from Australia I tried that I realised my mix up. More of which later.

Firstly to Viognier - hard to pronounce, easy to drink. It's been on my list of up and coming varieties for some time now and whilst it's still somewhere in the higher reaches of the Championship rather than the Premiership (little English football analogy there for you) I'm pleased to say you do now see it in most supermarkets as well as the better merchants. And so you should. It's really rather good. In my mind I usually associate a fruit flavour with different varieties. For example say Chianti and I will shout cherries, say New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and I will shout gooseberries. A form of tourettes if you like. Well for Viognier it is apricots. I don't think I have tried one yet where they haven't been present.

Classically Viognier is French, like most of the classic varieties and is grown in the Rhône Valley. It produces, most famously, wines of the AC Condrieu which are 100% Viognier but is also grown in Languedoc and blended with the likes of Roussane and Marsanne in Vin de Pays from that region. Until recent times it was very much out of fashion and declining but successful production in Chile, the United States and Australia has seen it rise again.

But I think Viognier has one great asset, it is a fantastic accompaniment to chicken, virtually any kind of chicken dish you could think of from a whole roast bird to chicken tikka massala. So much so I call it the chicken wine and tell this to my guests in our restaurant. Having roast chicken for lunch this Sunday? Why not give it a try.

Crisp, dry Verdelho

Whilst I was in Australia I came across a variety that I did not know too much about. Verdelho is the principal grape variety of Madeira and is grown extensively in Portugal but I discovered it makes a lovely white wine and I tried two whilst in Oz. One from the Hunter Valley and one from Margaret River region. 

 

Rich, creamy Verdejo

Once back in the UK I decided I would blog about Verdelho and set out to find another one to taste. In my confusion in Majestic I purchased a Verdejo instead thinking it was the same grape. Of course it's not and I realised immediately. The Verdelho were herbaceous with bundles of acidity whilst the Verdejo was rich and creamy with notes of pineapple, almost like a Chardonnay. Still great wine though and well worth a try.





Next time: The launch of my new business offering bespoke, fun, informative wine tastings in your home.  Oh, and the importance of wine temperatures.


Enjoy your wine. Cheers!
Simon

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Birmingham School of Wine

If you are at all interested in wine the only way to really learn more is to actually taste more. Obviously most of us have got limited funds for buying wine so an enjoyable way of getting to taste a variety of wines is by going to a wine tasting.

I am in a privileged position of working in the hospitality trade and wine tastings are something I go to on a reasonably regular basis and it is great fun, providing you can leave the car at home and remember which pocket you put your house keys in when you get home.

But there are plenty of opportunities for the general public to get involved too, and it doesn't have to cost you a fortune. One such company that offers this opportunity near me is Birmingham Wine School which was established in 2008 and offers a wide variety of courses for everyone from people simply interested in wine up to professional people in the trade like myself who wish to gain professional qualifications in the subject.

My father-in-law Rob is very passionate about his wine, especially Bordeaux and he would admit to being a proper Francophile. He loves going there and enjoying the French way of life, especially the 'vin'. So for his birthday his wife, my mother-in-law bought for him (and me - thank you Norma) tickets for 'Good Food would choose Bordeaux' which took place at the The Old Joint Stock, a lovely old Fullers pub that does great ales and food in central Birmingham on Tuesday 19th February.


My somewhat wine spattered tasting notes from the evening

I will confess at this point that we both knew what to expect, as the previous year we had attended the same venue for The Grand Tour of France which was a whistle stop tour of the whole of France.

We ate before we arrived, therefore not repeating the mistake made last time when I for one fell asleep on the train home. It's amazing how those little sips add up and by the end of the night you can easily have drunk nearly a whole bottle. They do actually put on some cheese, paté and biscuits for you and with some wines, food as an accompaniment is a real help to enjoying the wine.

We started with a Sauvignon Blanc from Entre-deux-Mers exactly as I had predicted to Rob. But for most, including me, and leaving aside for a moment the fantastic sweet wine from Sauternes and the like, Bordeaux is all about red wine, 'Claret' as we British used to love to call it. The first red was actually a bit of an anti-climax, a decidedly dull but inoffensive Bordeaux Superieur that came from Tesco (surprise, surprise). Actually it probably would have gone well with one of those dodgy lasagnes.

You get a little A4 sheet with a bit of information about each of the wines before you start the night, region, grape variety, year, merchant etc along with a short description but they don't tell you the price of the wines until the end of the night. Therefore myself and Rob have a little competition to see who can get closest at guessing. On this night we decided the loser would have to buy the other a decent bottle as a prize. More of which later. After each wine is poured a general discussion will take place about it's characteristics including the appearance, nose and finally the palate.


La Dominique St Emilion Grand Cru Classé
and Chateau Greysac from Medoc
both 9/10 wines for us

The Tesco wine was £4.99 (I guessed £6.50) and I could see the couple sitting opposite us who were new to this looking a little nervous as if they feared the evening might be a waste of money. The good news was the quality of the wines soon ramped up and after trying pretty good Premieres Côtes de Bordeaux from Château Tanesse and Château Paret from the Côtes de Castillon we tried two really fantastic wines, La Dominique 2003, a St Emilion Grand Cru Classé with fantastic blackcurrant flavours and great balance, and Château Greysac 2003 a Cabernet Sauvignon from the Medoc which was dry but with sweet cherry fruit and soft tannins.

After three more fine wines from Margaux, Montagne de St Emilions and St Emilion  itself we returned to Tesco with a tasting of their finest Sauternes. Now, I know sweet wine isn't to everyones taste, indeed Rob declined an opportunity to try it, but for me it is a delicious honeyed treat to be sampled when ever you get the chance. Shame we didn't have any sticky toffee pudding to go with it.

At the end of the night which was about 90 minutes long our guide, whose name I'm afraid I forgot to write down went through the prices and my competitive nature went into overdrive. Sadly I lost to Rob by 5 wines to 4 with one tied and how he loved that. Now I have to find him a decent bottle. I understand Tesco do some good wine. Seriously though it was an excellent evening and great value. If you have a chance to go please do as I am sure you will enjoy it.

Next time. Two up and coming varieties beginning with V. Verdelho and Viognier. Oh, and roast chicken.

Enjoy your wine. Cheers!

Simon

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A Visit of Austalia Part 3 - Barton Jones Winery

It's been a few weeks now since we returned from our fantastic trip 'down under' but I did not want to say goodbye to Australia without one further blog about our wine experiences there. Our visit to Barton Jones Wines was without doubt one of the most enjoyable experiences of our holiday and a highlight of our trip to Western Australia's south west and the Margaret River wine region.


The visit came about because owners Adrian Jones and Jackie Barton are good friends, and fellow emigres from the UK, of Richard and Emma (see my previous blog).

Barton Jones Owners Adrian and Jackie with their dog Mitz

We visited early Friday afternoon on our way back to Perth from Busselton, their winery being near the town of Donnybrook a little way from the main wine region. We were met on arrival by their dog Mitz who has featured in the Wine Dogs Australia series. Both myself and Louise, my wife, are quite nervous of dogs but Mitz was on her best behaviour and enjoyed playing with our friends' five year old son Sebastian.

Over the next few hours we were treated to a fantastic BBQ lunch with the most fabulous wines from their estate followed by a tour of the property including the soon to be completed cellar door which they hope to have up and running  by September.



Myself after my first glass of Shilly-Shally

Jackie and Adrian emigrated to Australia over a decade ago, hoping for a better quality of life. Their original careers of IT recruitment (Jackie) and mining engineering (Adrian) gave them that life but they wanted to control their own destiny and so began the hunt for a business venture that would give them self sufficiency. Initial thoughts were of possibly an olive farm until a real estate agent but them on the trail of their current home and business 10 years ago. The business that we see today is a far cry from the run down vineyard they purchased which was originally started in 1978.
During the course of the afternoon we tried a number of the Barton Jones wines. In 2003 the Blackboy Ridge range was begun with an initial production of 50 cases of Semillon. The Blackboy Ridge continues to be produced offering more simple fruit driven wines in a range of grape varieties that can be drunk everyday.



In 2007 the Barton Jones range was introduced with a more premium, wood aged style with potential for cellaring. Each of these wines has it's own 'name' such as 'The Top Drawer' or 'The Bigwig'. Nice touch and it also gives them a personality of their own. I'm not usually a huge fan of Chenin Blanc but I absolutely loved the 'Shilly-Shally'. Lovely zingy freshness but with a creamy finish reminiscent of peach or apricot. It packs a punch at 13% but I could happily sit out on a summers afternoon and drink a fair few glasses.


Adrian and myself examining Semillon vines

The view across the vines towards Donnybrook
 

On the red side I loved the 'The BigWig' Shiraz with its subtle spices and mellow tannins. Again, I'm not always the biggest fan of 100% Shiraz as the spice can be overwhelming for my palate but it says something for Adrian and Jackie that I thoroughly enjoyed two grapes that are not always my favourites. I should also add that Louise, who prefers lighter wines, really loved the Blackboy Ridge wines. After a long, lazy lunch we made our way down the hill to look on progress of their cellar door. The project to open a cellar door has been ongoing since 2009 and all being well will open in September 2013 when Adrian hopes to give up his commute and 4 day working week in Perth to concentrate full time on their wine business. After we were so royally looked after, I'd like to wish them the best of success in their new venture and if you're in the Margaret River region after September take a little detour to Donnybrook to check them out. It will be worth it, I guarantee it!


Next time: Birmingham School of Wine, oh and my father-in-law Rob.

Enjoy your wine. Cheers!

Simon

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A Visit of Australia Part 2

Before we start I have a little confession to make. Before we arrived in Perth, I had little knowledge of one of Australia's great wine making regions and where some of the finest wine in the world is made. That is, of course, the Margaret River wine region of Western Australia, an area we were going to be be spending four days.

I mentioned in my last blog that I had always been rather dismissive about Australian wine and for my WSET certificate knowledge of Australia was rather confined to the Hunter Valley in New South Wales and the areas near Adelaide in South Australia. So to 'discover' Margaret River was a bit of a gem.

We were staying in the lovely seaside town of Busselton in the north of the region and travelling in our friends car. They have a young son so getting to a few wineries was going to be difficult but I came across a great idea whilst reading a tourist brochure on our first night in Busselton. A guided tour of the region including 5 wineries, lunch in a brewery and they pick you up and return you to your accommodation. Ace, Louise thought so too so we made the necessary arrangements for two days time.

Gerry and Astuti of Cellar d'Or Winery Tours

Cellar d'Or winery tours is run by Gerry and Astuti Cunningham who we met on the day. They appear to offer the best value tour in the area at AUS$82. I checked them out on Tripadvisor and the feedback was glowing. There are more expensive tours available on which you may see higher profile wineries and perhaps have a more formal lunch but for us they were perfect. I felt relaxed from the second Astuti collected us from our accommodation. We picked up two further couples and made our way to our first winery for our first tasting of the day at around 10.45am!






Yours truly discussing the wines of Mongrel Creek with Shirley

Mongrel Creek is a relatively young winery, having opened in 1996. There slogan is 'No Pretence, No Bullshit'. This marketing angle seemed slightly at odds with the lovely tranquil atmosphere in their beautiful cellar door where we were guided through the wines by Shirley, wife of Larry who own the Vineyard. We started with some fizz, always the best way to start a day, and worked our way through six lovely wines which included a rather delicious sweet red, a style which you hardly ever find in Europe but seems to be something of an Australian speciality. A great start to the day and we came away with a bottle of said sweet red.

Swooping Magpie range of wines

At the next winery we met up with another group meaning that for the rest of the day there would be 13 of us . Swooping Magpie appeared to be a rather larger operation than Mongrel Creek and we were met by owner Neil Tuffield who was clearly very passionate about his wines. With the larger group the atmosphere was busier and there were also some members of the general public in the cellar door. A nice touch was to offer several varieties of cheese and biscuits with the wine and we liked it so much we bought some cheese and biscuits to take home for later along with a rather fine Verdelho, although all the wines were great and I really loved the 'kid on a bike' motif.

Next stop was the Bush Shack Brewery for lunch where we also received a 100ml taster of one of their brews. The lunch consisted of a simple platter of meats, cheeses, pate, bread and salad. Simple, yes but perfect for us and there was more than enough to go round.

Cape Naturaliste, Lovely view shame about the attitude

After lunch we visited the nearby Cape Naturaliste Vineyard in Yallingup and our first poor experience. We were met by Lisa whose presentation style could be most kindly described as 'in yer face'. She started by pouring everyone water and telling us how to taste wine. Now, as someone in the trade this is important, but not so important for tourists out to have a good time. She then told unnecessary stories which included some rather off colour material about lesbianism, I kid you not. Maybe she was just nervous but it did not come across well.

The winery had won quite an auspicious award in London for their Torpedo Rocks Cabernet Sauvignon 2009. Lisa gave us the impression that they were quite nonchalant about entering it, winning it or even collecting the trophy. I noticed they were not quite so nonchalant about charging an eye watering AUS$110 a bottle for said wine with the rest of the wines priced at an also quite pricey AUS$35. A whiff of profiteering filled my nostrils. The general public are a great barometer and when the tasting was over everyone went immediately back to the bus with no one buying anything. This was the only time this happened during the whole day.

Liz and the fabulous House of Cards

Spot on!

The next winery could not have been more different. The House of Cards winery is owned by Travis and Elizabeth Wray and Liz was on hand to guide us through the tasting. The styling of the winery was really beautifully done both with the marketing of their wine and the layout of the Cellar Door. There was lovely cook books, art, jewellery and various ornamental nick nacks to purchase as well as the wine. The wine was also a joy and after trying the full range I purchased a bottle of the 2011 Cabernet Merlot which I have yet to open. It is also the place where I got my favourite photograph of the holiday with me and the Sauvignon Blanc sign. As it's my favourite variety it could not be more appropriate.


The final winery of the day was Fermoy Estate a rather grand winery with considerable pedigree having been opened in 1987 which by Margaret River standards is a long time. I shouldn't say this but I was kind of expecting the same look down your nose attitude that we got at Cape Naturaliste but I'm pleased to say that wasn't the case, indeed the wines we tried were definitely the best of the day. They make quite a big deal about the fact that their wine, the Estate Cabernet Sauvignon was chosen to be served at the Danish Royal Wedding when Australian Mary Donaldson married Crown Prince Frederik in May 2004. We tried the same wine in the 2010 vintage and it was absolutely superb, by far the best wine of the day with soft tannins and lovely chocolate and cherry flavours. A purchase was made.

By this stage we were all tiring, as you probably are reading this, and it was time to say our goodbyes and return to our accommodation but not before Gerry organised a prize draw where one person (sadly neither of us) won, yes you guessed it, a bottle of wine. All in all a fantastic day and something I would recommend to anyone able to visit the fabulous region of Margaret River.

Next time: A visit of Australia Part 3. My personal visit and tour of Barton Jones Wines in Donnybrook, oh and Mitz the dog!

Enjoy your wine. Cheers!

Simon