Down Under with Gusto (Part VII)

I am not much of a wine drinker but I am very much into vineyard views and growing things off the earth. And Australia being a famous wine-growing country, I made a last-minute decision to join this tour.

Meeting point was at the back of Fed Square. I knew where Fed Square was but I wasn’t sure which was front or back. I called the travel agent to make sure. I found the spot at the corner of Flinders and Russell. I made sure to arrive early so there was still time to grab a coffee and muffin from a nearby café.



Our first stop was for morning tea at a lush forest with towering trees. We were served Billy tea, which was so strong it tasted more like coffee. It came with a plate of lamingtons, a sponge cake with chocolate icing and a sprinkling of grated coconut. I’ve been buying these from pastry shops in Hong Kong but didn’t know what they were called. Out of curiosity, I also tried vegemite spread on some crackers. Bleh.



We then drove to the train station to ride Puffing Billy, the oldest steam train in Australia. It was originally built to allow settlers in the Dandenong mountain ranges to access Melbourne markets to sell their produce. It started being used for tourist excursions in the early 20th century. A car had been reserved for our group. Children and some teenagers rode with their legs hanging out the carriage sides. We went past thick canopies of trees and quiet homes in the forest.



The morning activities were just a prelude to the whole point of the tour, which was the wine tasting in Yarra Valley. Lunch was at the lovely glass-walled Rochford Winery. I ordered braised beef cheek, which was tender and flavorful. There’s a wine room at the back for some tasting but I skipped that.



At Rochford

The next stop was at Dominique Portet whose wines I really enjoyed because they were mild-bodied and not overly sweet. I also really liked our guide, Valentine, whose love of wine and her job was apparent.



Valentine (above)



A perfect afternoon at Dominique Portet

Our last stop was at Domaine Chandon, maker of Moet et Chandon. I’ve been to their vineyard in Napa Valley so I’m quite familiar with their history but I still picked up interesting new information (e. g. the riddling process, first introduced by Veuve Clicqout).









At the tasting hall, we were seated at a long table and served hors d’oeuvres while enjoying the view of the vineyard through the floor-to-ceiling glass walls. Among the wines served (all rosé), the one I liked the most was the non-vintage Brut Rose.