Post #1 (starting from now)

I’m running out of lyrics from obscure punk songs to title my posts with, so from now on I’ll just use ‘Post #1’ etc unless I can think of something witty and clever to use instead.

I said I was going to use more pictures and behold here’s a nice one, courtesy of my friends over at Storm chasers (www.stormchasers.com.au). They’re not actually my friends, and I’m not sure that they’ll like me using their pictures, but it’s pretty cool and it provides a somewhat tenuous link to my comments below about Bendigo.
This weekend I discovered that the Alphabet City cafe in Westgarth is actually pretty good. I’ve always tried to avoid it as it’s frequented by baggy trousered misanthropes and people that talk about how changing to soya milk has really helped with their bowel movements. There’s also a sign on the door that says ‘Come in and chill-ax’, and the menu is well, all over the place. However, if you can get past all the kaftans, it’s actually quite good. The menu really does have everything on it from Laska to hamburgers, but the food is decent and well priced and the place has a nice atmosphere and is usually packed for a reason.

I also discovered that the Mornington Peninsula can in fact produce good Pinot Noir. Actually, I’ve known this for a while but like a petulant child I’ve just chosen to ignore it. I have a bit of a problem with Australian pinot because some modest examples are like Ribena with some vodka chucked in and as a general rule quality means giving your wallet a sound spanking. I have another problem with the Peninsula as I don’t think that it warrants all of the attention that it gets. I know some people like the light, fruit forward style of pinot they tend to produce, but I don’t. I also think that given most peoples budgets, there's better value in Australia from other varieties. I know how dewy eyed some people get about Pinot and Burgundy in particular, but they often tend to people who lament the fact that they never wrote more poetry as teenagers.
Remember as well that Pinot isn't that far from 'Pinochet'











A poet yesterday pleading with people to drink Mornington Pinot Noir


So it’s fair to say that I wasn’t holding my breath when on Saturday night I opened the Stonier Reserve Pinot Noir 2006 (http://www.stoniers.com.au) . I’d only opted for it as In-laws preferences and the take-away sushi (from the very excellent and very affordable Kaki on High St.) dictated it. You know what’s coming. I grudgingly liked it, thought it an excellent match for the sushi and there were high fives all round for me picking such a great wine. Yay.
Before I get started though it’s worth noting that the Stonier costs around $45 a bottle, so you’d be expecting Phelps rather than Hackett.

Well grudgingly I accept I like it. A lot. Light red in colour, it has cherries and leafy, earthy strawberries, soft tannins and a really well balanced acidity. The light to medium body and cleanliness give away both it's variety and origin, but it has plenty going on and I really liked it’s texture. Ultimately, it’s just a really well made Australian pinot. I’d like to try it again in a year or two so I’ll be adding a couple more bottles to the cellar.

On Friday night my wife and I enjoyed a very grizzly baby boy and a bottle of Pondalowie 2006 Vineyard Blend. Maybe if we’d given our son a sip or two of the Pondalowie as I suggested, he might not have been so grizzly. I’m not sure where my wife get’s the idea that young children and alcohol don't go together.
I don’t know if I’ve raved about Bendigo (www.bendigowine.org.au) or Pondalowie (www.pondalowie.com.au) before and I’m far too lazy to check my previous posts, but I’m a big fan of both region and producer, and think they’re definitely worth looking out for in the future. Pondalowie have been bigged up in plently of other places; they make small quantities of very good reds, including a really great Cabernet. The Vineyard blend is made up of Shiraz, Cabernet and Tempranillo and although I’m not sure of the percentages of each, a quick Google should tell you. It’s dense and concentrated without being overripe or baked and there’s a savoury quality in the plums and dark cherries, as well as some sarsaparilla. Tannins are firm but supple and it’s quite full in the mouth and has a lively acidity to keep it balanced. Delicious, quite un-Australian and a great value at $20.

I’ll try and do more on Bendigo soon as I really am quite a fan.

That’s all for now, be seeing you.