More than just good wine...almost...

Aah a day of non-stop wine tasting and the subsequent swipes of the credit card - my visit to the Hunter Valley was well and truly long overdue! Recuperated from Christmas and armed with wine bags, Miss Kitty and I chaffeured The Boys for 2 hours to the wine country. We were anxious to get to the cellars but we realised that solids were needed in our stomachs first to see us through the day so I suggested Firestick Cafe - the daytime sister to the lauded Rock Restaurant (check out my previous post).


Sustenance acquired, our first stop was Brokenwood Wines, conveniently not far from Firestick Cafe. It certainly didn't take long before the wino supremos, Miss Kitty, Laurent Garnier and The Piano Man got stuck in and voraciously sampled whites and reds, left, right and centre. Mr S. and Mr T. started off slow but eventually they were getting the 'swirl, sniff and taste' routine down pat!

Personally I'm not much of a drinker but I'd happily dance for a glass of dessert wine (a.k.a. sticky) and more for the fortifieds! I promptly requested a taste of the only dessert wine in their repertoire - Umpire's Vineyard Semillon Chardonnay Sauvignon Blanc (Vintage 2006) - and my tastebuds rejoiced!

The botrytis-like sweetness hit my palate immediately and my mouth was coated with the taste of figs and raisins. The finish was so smooth and velvety and the aftertaste of honey was sublime! Needless to say Miss Kitty and I did not hesitate to whip out our wallets. (Available from Brokenwood Wines $22 per 375ml bottle).


McGuigan Cellars were next however we arrived at the same time as carloads of international tourists who were unfortunately lacking in wine tasting etiquette and general good manners. McGuigans were even forced to man the door to refuse entry to newcomers as the tasting room filled up and quickly descended into the battle of the grog!



The dessert wines and fortifieds were a bit of a disappointment since the last time I was at McGuigans or maybe my tastebuds were still singing for the Brokenwood? Still, Mr S. and I purchased a bottle of 2007 Noon Harvest Merlot and Botrytis Semillon and eagerly left the tasting room melee.


The rest of the day was a blur of commercial vineyards and boutique cellars but at least my wallet got a rest! I must however make a special mention to Scarborough Wines who offered more of a civilised tutorial style wine tasting service. We were sat down at a table in a beautifully designed room and were given tasting cards and a platter of cheese, dried apricots, dried figs and dates to accompany the wines.


Our comprehensive tasting menu consisted of about five whites (mostly Chardonnays), a Shiraz, Pinot Noir Rosé, Vintage Blend Pinot Noir and a dessert/sticky of 2008 Late Harvest Semillon. So many varietals! Probably not the best thing for the end of the day when a certain wino supremo was on the knife edge of sobriety!


You would normally pay for this kind of service but amazingly, the whole Scarborough Wine experience was free! Scarborough Wines also have the prettiest vineyards in this region with gorgeous views from the top carpark making this winery a must visit if you're in Pokolbin.


Our last stop was Tulloch Wines with 10 minutes to spare until closing. I tasted the most beautiful Créme de Vin ($30) - a Madeira style white port made from Verdelho grapes that left a lingering finish of sweet raisin in my mouth. I also purchased a bottle of 2008 Verscato ($20) - a Moscato style wine made from Verdelho grapes instead of Muscat. It was so pretty-in-pink, with a slight spritz and so refreshing for the end of a long, hot day! It was very much like a bottle of Brown Brothers Moscato Rosa that a comparison taste-test is now on my agenda.

Unfortunately the late hour meant that we couldn't explore Tulloch's surroundings which were equally picturesque as Scarborough Wines. Mr S. even had funny ideas about a possible wedding location? (Yikes!). Our 'host' was absolutely lovely to speak to making this vineyard another must visit. Even if only for the Créme de Vin!

Of course the day wasn't just all about the wines but stopping by and checking the local haunts for foodie lovers. Food is essential on anybody's itinerary as those little wine tasters really add up in volume and it's not that hard to get sauced by the end of the day...as Laurent Garnier proved!


The Hunter Valley Cheese Company, located in the McGuigan Wine complex was popular but I found it unspectacular. Small and cramped, the back room looked well...like a back warehouse with buzzing fluorescent lighting. Actually it was the same large room as the McGuigan's tasting room but separated by a wall of sorts. Not exactly the best setting to show off the food. Still there were some crave-worthy gems to be found...






Over at Pokolbin Village lies The Hunter Valley Smelly Cheese Shop which was well...smelly at one end! A haven for the cheezoids in our group...not so much for Miss Kitty and myself. My aversion made worse when Mr. S tasted a particularly brutal blue-vein and promptly came over to give me a kiss of death! Laurent Garnier and The Piano Man purchased some cheeses for themselves, which unfortunately didn't fare so well on our trip home (melted plastic sculptures spring to memory!) While Mr S. gawked at the olives, I made a beeline for the gelato. Passionfruit and mango....perfect for the sweltering heat outside!





Next door was the Pokolbin Chocolate & Jam Company. A quaint store with chocolate goodies and fudge for the sugar-happy people. My childish excitement hit its peak when I saw a whole tray of Pop Tarts! Talk about nostalgia! This was extreme sugar overload in a packet!



It gets better! Next to the Pop Tarts was a basket of 3 Musketeers (oh they still sell these?!). Ooh Hersheys! Reese Peanut Butter Cups! Milk Duds! This was American trash at its finest and all symbolic of my sugar-infested childhood!







I love the Hunter Valley as a break away from the rat race of Sydney. Ok the F3 is tedious but I'll definitely be returning to Brokenwood to stock up on their stickies and there are plenty more scenic vineyards that we missed out on. Most notably De Bortoli, Tempus Two and Tyrrells.

The thought of a nice lunch on the outside deck of Firestick Cafe on a fine day and a dinner at Rock Restaurant also warrants many return pilgrimages. A day trip is not enough to see all that Pokolbin has to offer and we have yet to see the upper Hunter Valley region that is up to an hour away! If you can get away, a nice overnight or 2 night stay would be the ideal way to fully experience this region.

This is also a suggestion for safety's sake, as at the end of the day you can get quite sloshed after all that intake of wine. Remember don't drink and drive!

Come for the wines but stay to try some local cuisine before drinking away your purchases in the comfort of your room. Aah, the perfect retreat!

The picturesque view outside of Firestick Cafe

For more information: www.winecountry.com.au


Visitor Information Centre
455 Wine Country Drive | Pokolbin, NSW 2325
(02) 4990 0900

Firestick Cafe / Rock Restaurant
576 Debeyers Rd | Pokolbin, NSW 2320
(02) 4998 6968

WINE CELLARS:

Brokenwood Wines
401-427 McDonalds Rd | Pokolbin, NSW 2320
Open 7 days from 9.30 - 5pm
Email: sales@brokenwood.com.au
(02) 4998 7559

McGuigan Wines
Corner of Broke and McDonalds Rd | Pokolbin, NSW 2320
Open 7 days from 9.30 - 5pm
Tours - 12pm weekdays / 11am and 12pm weekends
(02) 8345 6377

Scarborough Wine
179 Gillards Road | Pokolbin, NSW 2320
Open 7 days from 9 - 5pm
Email: cellar@scarboroughwine.com.au
1300 888 545

Tulloch Wines
Corner of McDonalds and DeBeyers Rd | Pokolbin, NSW 2320
Open 7 days from 10 - 5pm
Email: cellardoor@tullochwines.net
(02) 4998 7580

REGIONAL FOOD:

Hunter Valley Cheese Company
McGuigans Complex - McDonalds Rd | Pokolbin, NSW 2320
Open 7 days 9 - 5.30pm | Cheese talk at 11am daily
E-mail: huntervalleycheese@westnet.com.au
(02) 4998 7744

Hunter Valley Smelly Cheese Shop
Shop 3, Pokolbin Village Resort
188 Broke Road | Pokolbin, NSW 2320
Open 7 days 10 - 5pm
(02) 4998 6960

Pokolbin Chocolate & Jam Company
Pokolbin Village Resort (next to Hunter Valley Smelly Cheese Shop)
188 Broke Road | Pokolbin, NSW 2320
Open 7 days 10 - 5pm
02 4998 7110