Caution - this post contains references to the Hunter Valley, Donni stop reading now!
The dilemma is wether or not I should post this, after the 2 warnings Donni has already given me...but what the heck, I like to live dangerously...and what is she going to do? ( apart from bury me under her enormous stash, death by wool, what a way to go!)
Yesterday Flash and I, and no children...for all of you out there, living with littlies, enjoy it while you can, one day they will turn 14, get a part time job, and ditch you, family outings will be a thing of the past (unless you regard a trip to the fashion outlet store as an outing) anyway, Flash and I drove up to the Hunter Valley the drive up took about 2 hours due to traffic, we left at 10 am, so were happy about the leisurely drive, once there we decided to just drive around ( no plan as always) and stopped at 3 wineries before lunch, I was the official taster as Flash was driving, and had to put up with some nasty choices that he made "honey I would prefer not to try any Verdelho on this trip" "sparkling shiraz is sparkling shiraz" and "pleeeease pass the water" he does these things on purpose to embarrass me in public...he can't help himself, the boyish glee on his face when he makes me taste a wine he knows I won't like...but I got him back by having the yummiest grilled sardines for lunch, and breathing.
After lunch ( he had a chicken salad, and I embarrassed him back by calling the little lizards who were running around on the restaurant deck "darling") we stopped in at couple of our old standby wineries De Bortolli for some stickies (Late Harvest Semillon only from the cellar door, and Noble One which is available everywhere) and some Shiraz - a big gutsy red that is very Aussie, it doesn't bother knocking, just throws the front door open and yells "I'm here! let's party" it has taken this merlot girl a while to get used to, but Flash was in like the proverbial robber's dog, he calls it "Shazza".
Then to McGuigans for the stock standard mixed dozen for Christmas, a couple of bottles of their yummy Rose, and some black label Merlot and Chardonnay which are great quaffing wines, when you just want to spend a lazy sunday in the sun with friends.
I hunted high and low for Pinot Gris, but the climate must not be right for it here, Chard farm Pinot Gris is probably my favourite summer tipple but impossible to get in Oz, apparently they grow Pinot Gris in South Aus and Victoria, so I will have a look when I go in December, until then I have some Pinot Grigio to get me through.
Despite Flash and his boyish malevolence we had a thoroughly enjoyable day, some good laughs,great wine and food, the weather was idyllic, warm, sunny with just a hint of a breeze. We drove back the loooong way...
okay, okay, so we didn't go via Canada!
Donni, if you are still reading this, I promise I am not even leaving the house today, it is too bloody hot, the only place I will be going out to is the pool.
Knitting content; I tried to find yarn, there was none. I took the sock, and managed to turn the heel and work to half way down the foot, so good progress there.
