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Published: July 14th 2013
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It was time to get out of Sydney, and with friends in Melbourne, this was my weekend destination. I think the travel curse was following me, as it was a bleak weekend - windy, wet, overcast and cool. But then again it was Melbourne in winter, what else to expect?
I was lucky to be staying with good friends in Port Melbourne, a part of the city that I had gotten to know much better over the years that they had lived there, so it was a return to an old stomping ground of sorts. But new adventures were on the cards as well, so we were off to the Mornington Peninsula for a spot of wine tasting and exploring.
First up was a visit to a vineyard that had rocketed to the top of my list after sampling some of their wine with a friend in Sydney. Susan and I were out watching the first game in the State of Origin rugby league series, and having recently relocated to Sydney from Melbourne, as soon as she spied a Pinot Noir from the improbably named "Ten Minutes by Tractor" she insisted we get the bottle. It arrived, and she
was right - absolutely delicious. So Cam, Joey and I (plus Ralph, the dog) headed there to see if my memory was tainted from the happy memories of NSW winning the first State of Origin game, or the wine was very good after all.
There's something to be said for starting your day with a sniff, a swirl and a slug of wine. I tried the available wine on offer and confirmed that Ten Minutes by Tractor made great wine, and headed off with a couple of extra bottles for my home collection. Although who knows how long they will last on the shelf.....
It's a pretty part of Victoria, and we enjoyed a nice little drive around the Peninsula down to the coast. There are some gorgeous houses there, which I imagine would be gorgeous in the summer time. We visited one other vineyard, mainly because we were feeling peckish and needed some food. The pizza bar at Monsalto was perfect - low key, casual, yummy food and good wine to help wash it down. Poor old Ralph had to stay in the car, but apart from that it was the perfect lunch spot, overlooking the vines,
with a sculpture walk for a bit of culture.
As well as wine, the Peninsula is known for its farm fresh produce, so we soon found ourselves at the Red Hill Cheese factory. All the cheese is made on the property, from either cow, sheep or goat milk. We had a cheese tasting, with several different types on offer, and once again, did not come away empty handed.
That night we were off to dinner at an Argentinian restaurant, San Telmo, down a typical Melbourne laneway. There were nine of us, so we had selected a fixed menu. Then for the next two hours it seemed like an endless stream of food was delivered to our table. Having such great memories of meals in Buenos Aires, it was a welcome return to steak, ribs, chimichurri for me, but I was truly delighted to finish it all off with a flan, dulce de leche and my favourite, alfajores. Yum!
Sunday was another gloomy day, which suited me as I was keen to get into town for the Monet exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria. It seems that everyone else in Melbourne had the same idea, so it
was pretty crowded. It was a fantastic exhibition, even if I was peering over shoulders and elbowing out old ladies to see the paintings. It's not for nothing that he is renowned for being the master of light, the colours were truly amazing.
Melbourne's street art too, was full of incredible colour, and after a couple of rainy and overcast days, I began to appreciate the vivid, bright and cheerful artwork on the laneways, the streets, along the river, and popping up in all sorts of unexpected places.
It was a short visit, but I also managed to squeeze in a visit to a couple of my favourite cafes in Port Melbourne. They sure do great coffees in Melbourne. I also discovered a fantastic salted caramel slice in one of them. Thank goodness it's a ten hour drive away, it could be very addictive!
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D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
A swift, a swirl and a slug of wine
Excellent way to start the day! I'm addicted to cheese so I'm glad you did not leave empty handed. We would travel well together.