What better way to spend the inaugural Canberra Chapter Beefmas in July than on a tour of the brilliant local wineries on our doorstep? Luckily (for July) the Canberra weather put on a show and it could not have been a better day to sit out in the sun and enjoy some local (alcoholic) produce.
John from Canberra Wine Tours was a fantastic guide. Very friendly and easy to deal with (and patient), we would definitely recommend him for your next vino tour of the Canberra District if you’re not particularly keen on driving for some reason. With a choice between his 16 seat and 50 seat bus, he can accommodate almost any size group.
Wendy O’Dea took us through their selection at Dionysus, with highlights including their Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon (with more than a couple of BBC members walking out with cases of the 2013 Shiraz). Clonakilla, of course, showed off their outstanding collection at their brand new cellar door, including their famous Shiraz Viognier. A crowd favourite was their Hilltops Shiraz. For one of the cheaper wines on their list, it definitely punched above its weight. While not many members had been to McKellar Ridge before, Brian and Janet Johnston made sure it was a tasting to remember. Their French style wines were fantastic value and their passion for winemaking shone through in all of their varieties, particularly their Merlot Cabernet Frank and award winning Shiraz Viognier. Of course, there were some pretty good whites at all of the wineries as well (if you’re into that kind of thing).
The only difficultly was convincing people to leave each winery to move onto the next one. All of the wineries we visited had picturesque outdoor areas where you could sit and enjoy a bottle of local wine with great company.
For lunch we descended upon the Murrumbateman Country Inn. The staff had arranged a private room with a fireplace, which was perfect for all of the new member speeches we had to get though. All the food came out very quickly and I can certainly recommend the melt-in-your-mouth lamb shanks (pictured).
Liz Shaw and Matt McLean were selected as the gun Beef Master and Wine Keeper team to arrange the next meating, which will surely be one to remember.
Yours in beef,
Geoff
