We are delighted to be able to offer Perfect Day Tours again!

Following Covid Safe guidelines – we can now do what we love best.

Welcome Back!

Time to kick our heels up.

Places are filling fast – so book early.

Stay Safe!

Traditionally held on the Queen’s Birthday long weekend in June, the annual Mornington Peninsula Winter Wine Festival will now commence on the 24th of July.

Any queries regarding this wonderful event – please let me know!

Sponsored by  Mornington Peninsula Wines,  PDT has now classified this event as  – ‘Not to be Missed!’

Let us know if we can help with bookings!

About an hour North West of Melbourne, Paramoor Winery is located in the picturesque heart of Australia’s coolest wine region, the Macedon Ranges. The high altitude and continental climate make the Macedon Ranges unique.

Will and Kathy are the proud owners of Paramoor, with Will making the boutique wines.

 

I was delighted to take a group of enthusiastic wine lovers to the rustic cellar door at Paramoor. I purchased a bottle of the 2015  ‘Tabitha’ Pinot Noir to review, and hopefully enjoy.

Tasting.

Although this wine is from the 2015 vintage – it still well worth decanting the wine. This allows aeration to bring the fruit and natural cool climate acidity into balance. What makes this region amazing is the natural acidity in the grapes – due to the cool continental climate.

Hand-picked grapes. Matured in French oak barrels for 12 months before bottling.

Ripe strawberry notes gradually reveal an undercurrent of star anise and gentle red spice. Light to medium-bodied, fresh and vibrant. Much more complex and silky the day after opening.

We would love to bring more Perfect Day Tours friends to visit the Mystical Macedon Ranges soon.

Fingers crossed – we can start offering tours again very soon. Hopefully, we can reach a critical mass of vaccination to allow a more ‘Covid Normal’ life.

Stay safe!

Due to the Covid restrictions in place in Melbourne at present, we are unable to conduct tours for the time being.

We are happy to offer all our valued Perfect Day Tours customers a postponement of their tour. However, if a suitable date can not be found – a full refund will be offered.

Please email me at  bookings@perfectdaytours.com.au  if you have any concerns about your tour.

Stay Safe!

It was such a delight to host a classy tour to the Macedon Ranges –  after a 2 years! The long absence  was not of my choosing. due to our Covid restrictions it has been difficult to conduct tours to this wonderful region.

It is well worth pointing out –  that this is the coolest grape growing region on the Australian mainland. This is due the very high altitude ( 500 – 600 metres), and the the continental inland location.

After collecting the ladies in St Kilda, we headed to our first cool climate destination – Paramoor Winery. With a wood heater cranked well up – the tasting was cosy and expansive.

 

It was exciting to visit a new cellar door for Perfect Day Tours – Botanica Estate Vineyard.

The ladies enjoyed a seated tasting of excellent wines, before exploring the delightful gardens on the Estate.

With panoramic views of Hanging Rock and the Macedon Ranges,the ladies enjoyed  a delicious 2 course lunch at the stunning Wine Collective –   Macedon Wine Room.

We then headed to one of my favorite destinations in the Macedon Ranges – Hesket Estate. Due to their increasing popularity, Hesket have extended their tasting area. there is now much more room inside the cellar door. Very important when you are in Romsey – the coolest climate on the Australian mainland.

The ladies enjoyed a relaxed tasting at Hesket before we jumped back on the bus for our return to Melbourne.

As the 2013 Hesket Estate Pinot Noir was on a super special – I could not help myself from buying a 6 pack. Having enjoyed one of the bottles already – I made a very good decision.

What a treat it was to host a wonderful group of 8 on a recent Mornington Peninsula tour.

It is hard to beat the cooler months for wine tastings.

One of the hidden gems for me is Merricks Creek, in Merricks. Owners Georgina and Peter are either pouring wine, or available for a chat. Such a lovely setting for a tasting of beautiful Mornington Peninsula wines.  No less than 3 Pinot Noirs in the stable, as well as an impressive range of others.

The Merricks Creek Shiraz and ‘Dry Red’ are unique in their style. Well worth a taste.

As some of the group were on holiday from Sydney, they delighted in the cooler climate wines that are not quite so prevalent in the Hunter Valley region.

 

Eldridge Estate has long been a hallmark of quality wines on the Mornington Peninsula. Excellent Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and a distinctive Gamay were tasted and enjoyed. Cases of wine from Merricks Creek Wines and Eldridge Estate were shipped back to Sydney for future delight.

See you soon on your Perfect Day Tour.

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I was delighted to host a 70th Birthday Celebration Tour on the 10th of April. The day was made even more special due to 3 generations being involved. The ages ranged from 18 to 70.

The ‘Birthday Girl’ had  quite a revelation on the day, she discovered a liking for Pinot Noir! It just goes to show,  that whatever our age, we can always learn more. And have lots of fun along the way.

After picking up the ladies in Yea, North of the Yarra Valley, we set off on our adventure.

Our first tasting was at Helen’s Hill Estate . Commencing the wide ranging tasting with 2 lovely sparkling wines was just the thing to get the celebrations underway. Judging by the amount of wine purchased, the ladies enjoyed the wines and experience at Helen’s Hill.

A delicious 2 course lunch at Steels Gate soon turned into 3 courses. The delicious appearance of the desserts passing by was too strong to resist.

No regrets!

The lunch package boasts a wine tasting, your choice of  – 1,2, 0r 3 course lunch, and glass of wine of your choice. Mmm. Tasty.

Having enjoyed the wines and food so much – they once again purchased lot’s of wine. Happy days.

 

 

As folk lore would have it, Yarra Yering was one of a handful of vineyards instrumental in re establishing the Yarra Valley’s reputation for premium wine. The late Dr. Bailey Carrodus established Yarra Yering in 1969.

Due to being ‘dry grown’, and great attention to detail in the vineyards, the vines are very low yielding. This leads to intense, flavourful grapes. Happily, this equates to delicious wines, continuing to develop over many years.

Now in the talented hands of Sarah Crowe as chief winemaker, the wines are as exceptional as they have ever been.  Sarah was justly awarded ‘Winemaker of the Year’ in the 2017 James Halliday’s Wine Companion.

In mid March 2021, I was delighted to finally attend a tasting at Yarra Yering.  As a starting point, I selected the ‘Current Release – Classic’  tasting flight. I look forward to returning soon. The next tasting on my wish list is the ‘Carrodus’ Range. I will keep you posted.

Tasting

 

I enjoyed the concise manner in which the wines were presented on the tasting mat. This made it easy to compare differences between the wines on re-tasting.

Although all of the wines in the bracket were drop dead gorgeous, I will focus here on the 2 Shiraz based wines.

 

Underhill Shiraz – 2018

Planted at the western end of the vineyard to attract maximum afternoon sun. A whisper of aniseed, plum and blackberry.

Well judged whole bunch fermentation adds aromatics and texture. Just 25% new French oak allows the pristine fruit to express it’s authentic character.

The fine grained tannins need time yet to integrate. As the wine matures, we may well see cured meats / charcuterie becoming more evident. Lets share a bottle in 10 years.

 

Dry Red No 2 – 2018

A classical cool climate Shiraz / Syrah style.  Paying homage to it’s spiritual home of the Rhone Valley.

95% Shiraz. The balance is a blend of other Rhone varietals –  Mataro, Viognier, and Marsanne.

Already complex due to additional varieties, this wine is layered and intriguing. The texture is already pleasing, perhaps due to some stalks being added back to the ferment, adding structure and aroma.

This is a wine that engages all senses. Due to the complexity and balance, the wine is already delicious. However I would be delighted to share a bottle in 5 to 10 years.

Yarra Yering are now taking groups of up to 6 on a Perfect Day Tour.

Don’t you deserve a Perfect Day Tour?

 

 

 

 

Delighted to finally meet one of the great Australian winemakers – who also just happens to be French. Dominique Portet has a long-established reputation as the founder and original winemaker at Taltarni in the Pyrenees region of Victoria. Dominique’s son Ben has now taken the reins at D.P.  Dominque was a ninth-generation winemaker – that makes Ben no 10!

This reinforces the fact that these guys really know how to make great wine!

Tasting.

Standout whites for me from the tasting would be the  2015 Sparkling blanc de blanc, and  2018 Origine Chardonnay.

The blanc de blanc (100% Chardonnay), is crisp and dry.Fruit is sourced from the cool Upper Yarra. 3 years on yeast lees has added complexity.

The top reds on the day were the 2018 Yarra Valley Pinot Noir and 2018 Yarra Cabernet Sauvignon. The Cabernet has the classic hallmark of impressive length. Fine-grained Yarra Valley tannins on the finish.

Dominique’s grandfather was the winemaker at the famous Chateau Lafite in Bordeaux. Subsequently, Dominique and Ben know a thing or two about great Cabernet Sauvignon.

Now focusing on smaller groups – we love taking our happy customers to Dominique Portet.

Many people don’t realize this. Autumn is the best time of the year to be out amongst the vines.

 

Between the months of March and May, the autumnal display of the vines can be breathtaking.  The deciduous leaves start to change colour – known as senescence. During this season, you will delight in the spectacular hues of the vines, as they splash across the rolling hills.

With crisp, misty mornings, autumn is the perfect time to visit the cellar doors in the Yarra Valley and Mornington Peninsula. Stunning displays will also be found in the Macedon Ranges and on the Bellarine Peninsula.

As the daylight softens, and the temperature cools – the red wines taste even better!

 

There are still some Perfect Day Tours available for Autumn. Hope to see you soon!