Dear readers, I have left you hanging like one of the dress shirts in my closet. If it makes you feel any better, I intend to fully ad-dress this issue right now.
I must recount our outing to the vineyards before it escapes my slightly-aged, full-bodied head (that pairs well with food)…
Five of us (myself, Tasmin, Fabio, Ebonei, and Sherina) drove southeast to Mornington Peninsula on Sunday afternoon, June 17th towards Red Hill. Once out of the city and onto the beautiful country roads, our car hummed with satisfaction on both the inside and outside. Two hours after we left, we saw a sign for Foxey’s Vineyard & Winery.
It was a little wooden house with a vineyard in the backyard. The vineyards were a lot smaller than I pictured they would be; in fact most of the places we visited were mom-and-pop businesses, although there were many customers tasting wine at each place. The specialty at Foxey’s was the infamous Australian Shiraz, which is a favorite among the girls I was traveling with. Don’t get me wrong: I bubbled over with joy to participate in the tasting, but I was saving up for some white wine. The picture to the right is the 5 of us with our Shiraz in the vineyard at Foxey's.
Being outside next to the vineyards was my favorite part of the whole trip. I could clear my head with a simple breath of air. The grass was fresh with dew and the late-afternoon atmosphere was peaceful. Bugs, humidity, clouds, and smog might as well have never existed. I do not believe that I have experienced cleaner, more refreshing air anywhere on the planet than in Mornington on this day.
I must recount our outing to the vineyards before it escapes my slightly-aged, full-bodied head (that pairs well with food)…
Five of us (myself, Tasmin, Fabio, Ebonei, and Sherina) drove southeast to Mornington Peninsula on Sunday afternoon, June 17th towards Red Hill. Once out of the city and onto the beautiful country roads, our car hummed with satisfaction on both the inside and outside. Two hours after we left, we saw a sign for Foxey’s Vineyard & Winery.
It was a little wooden house with a vineyard in the backyard. The vineyards were a lot smaller than I pictured they would be; in fact most of the places we visited were mom-and-pop businesses, although there were many customers tasting wine at each place. The specialty at Foxey’s was the infamous Australian Shiraz, which is a favorite among the girls I was traveling with. Don’t get me wrong: I bubbled over with joy to participate in the tasting, but I was saving up for some white wine. The picture to the right is the 5 of us with our Shiraz in the vineyard at Foxey's.Being outside next to the vineyards was my favorite part of the whole trip. I could clear my head with a simple breath of air. The grass was fresh with dew and the late-afternoon atmosphere was peaceful. Bugs, humidity, clouds, and smog might as well have never existed. I do not believe that I have experienced cleaner, more refreshing air anywhere on the planet than in Mornington on this day.
We stopped by the most beautiful vineyard of the day but the winery was closed. The sun was hanging just right over the trees while we were there. This is where the below picture was taken. 
Elderidge Estate was the next little winery we spotted after Foxey’s. There were gardens and white rose bushes that adorned the driveway to the house, and once again the vineyards were a large backyard to the house. The owner took a couple of us through a tasting of 5 different wines: a Shiraz, 2 Pinot Noirs, and 2 Chardonneys. (These are the major wines of the Mornington area.) The picture to the left is Ebonei and me at this tasting with the cheerful owner in the background.
Elderidge Estate was the next little winery we spotted after Foxey’s. There were gardens and white rose bushes that adorned the driveway to the house, and once again the vineyards were a large backyard to the house. The owner took a couple of us through a tasting of 5 different wines: a Shiraz, 2 Pinot Noirs, and 2 Chardonneys. (These are the major wines of the Mornington area.) The picture to the left is Ebonei and me at this tasting with the cheerful owner in the background. When I tasted the first Pinot Noir at Elderidge Estate, I was suddenly in a trance. It was just a 2005 clone (of course only made at this place and sold within Australia – I was hoping for a fancy name, I suppose), but it was crisp and flavorful and numbingly delicious. I wasn’t able to leave without buying a bottle. A few weeks later at home, my whole family was able to drink it with my birthday dinner.
Our final destination came next: Red Hill Estate, which is large and well-known in Victoria. The grounds were beautiful. The second wine I tasted there was almost as savory as the Pinot Noir a half hour beforehand. It was the 2006 Red Hill Estate Chardonney, and just like the Pinot, I was surprised because I’ve never enjoyed Chardonney as much as other wines. This one was also crisp and very flavorful, and I think it caused me to sway a little bit in enjoyment. I bought this bottle and brought it home to Katie and Matt (I hope this makes up for missing your wedding!)
Taking requests for wine…
Taking requests for wine…
