Trip to Melbourne – August 26-29, 2011

Our first stop was T'Gallant, a winery with a really nice bistro attached. The place was packed for lunch. We shared some of their excellent pizzas and had a glass of wine. (I was the driver for the day, so this was my only glass!)

Then we headed through the "Cellar Door" for a proper tasting. Eileen, Susan, and Rodd tried probably 7 different wines, and I had the occasional sniff of the Snook's glass. They had some very nice wine, and we ended up buying a fancy Shiraz.

Here's the Snook and I with T'Gallant's vineyard in the background. (The vines were dormant for winter.)

Our next stop was Red Hill Estate. Again, the Snook and the girls got down to business while I wandered around sadly. They tried a very lovely Pinot Noir that unfortunately was only available by the case, which disappointed everybody. The Snook had to content himself with a bottle of Chardonnay, which we're planning to share with Miss Fee and the Sock Victim. (They checked in on the cats for us over the weekend.)

Red Hill had an amazing view. The sun was disappearing though, and it was getting colder.

Our next destination was Red Hill Brewery. The Snook stared longingly at their frames for growing hops. (Hops are TALL.)

He also had a peek inside their brewing shed.

Red Hill had a fun Foursquare promotion where you got a small $2 beer if you checked in. I figured I deserved a little treat. This was a Wheat Beer, and it was delicious!

The Snook went for the full-on tasting paddle.

Our last winery was a tiny boutique place called Eldridge Estate. The winemaker was really friendly and nice, and the drinkers had a great time sampling his wares. Eileen and Susan bought several bottles. Me, I posed for a photo for a tourist out on the balcony.

The last stop of the day was my favourite: Red Hill Cheese. We shared a tasting plate of 8 different cheeses and ended up taking a few wedges home with us!