Last week Monsieur Slimalicious and I went to the Hunter Valley for a relaxing (and romantic) break. The weather was absolutely stunning: we were very lucky and enjoyed a sunny and warm summer day.
We have visited many wine regions before and this was our third time to the Hunter Valley. But this time was different, and better. We visited Bimbadgen and had the unique opportunity to meet with Sarah Crowe, senior wine maker, for a one on one tasting session. Both Monsieur Slimalicious and I are wine enthusiasts and we had many questions to ask!
.JPG) |
| Semillon Sparkling: Citrus flavours with a fresh, crisp, fruit driven palate |
.JPG) |
| Our favourite: a generous palate of ripe dark fruit flavours and pepper spice |
.JPG)
.JPG) |
| Dessert - and dessert wines - were magnificent! |
Something I like a lot about Esca Bimbadgen is that it's primarily a regional restaurant: the Chef uses produce sourced locally or grown on the Estate including lemons, figs and fresh herbs. We enjoyed a three course lunch each matched with luxurious wine, while soaking in the sun and chatting about our wedding.
After lunch, we took some lovely photos of the vines (it reminded me so much of home) and more importantly photos of my favourite Australian animal: kangaroos. They were very close to us and we even got to see a mum & joey close up!
.JPG)
.JPG)
.JPG) |
| After so much wine (and food), how do I manage to balance? We had so much fun! |
.JPG)
.JPG)
We ended a beautiful day with some more wine (Bimbadgen Estate 2011 Semillon) and a lovely dinner hamper consisting of snapper, king prawns, mushrooms, rocket, olives, a cheese platter, chocolate cake and strawberries! What a feast!
.JPG)
Finally, we spent the night at the comfortably furnished Bimbadgen Cottage and woke up with panoramic views of the vineyards (and more kangaroos!). The next morning, we ended up buying a few more bottles in order to take home a little bit of our memorable stay in the Hunter Valley.
Conclusion: This is the best day we've both had in a long time and we were very grateful to be welcomed so warmly by the Bimbadgen team. They made our wine tasting experience truly unique.
What is your favourite wine region in Australia?
What do you like most about wine tasting?
What do you like most about wine tasting?
Hello there, how lovely and your photos are fantastic. I really have a great sense of your day, just great. Well done! See you later this week.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!
ReplyDeleteWe've been thinking about visiting the Hunter Valley for ages and this makes me want to go even more. The food and wine looks simply divine!
Wow, looks like you had an amazing time at Bimbadgen! I love the Hunter Valley, but I haven't been to Bimbadgen in years. I'll add them to the list next time we're up there.
ReplyDeleteThe best wine tasting experience I ever had was at Whistler Wines in the Barossa. It was a very hot Australia Day, and we got there just before closing. As we walked in, the owner asked us and a few other people there to grab a few bottles and come outside with him. He told us all to pull up a chair, put the bottles on the table and told us to help ourselves. He said he had to open new bottles the next day, so we might as well enjoy what he already had opened. Not long after, they cooked up some gourmet sausages on the bbq for us all to enjoy. The company was fantastic too between the winemaker and his family and all the other tourist who were lucky enough to stumble upon the party. It was such a delightful experience, and I've been a happy Whistler drinker ever since.
It was lovely to meet you at the Problogger event! xx