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My Idea of Heaven
A visit to Tyrrell’s.
Hey Rosey
When I was younger, I worked in bars and restaurants for many years. The places I worked at were either mom and pop or high-end fine dining. So, as a complete contrast, when I would go out, I developed a taste for what has been become known as “dive bars”.
Heslop
Heslop wines is a family-owned winery on the outskirts of the very beautiful country town of Mudgee in New South Wales. This is a tiny family business, the cellar is their home, bottling is by hand, labels are hand placed, everything about this wine is handled by a member of the family. Get out and buy local and support them.
The Byng Street Hotel
Warmth and welcome in Orange. There are two hotels on Byng Street, the Gladstone and the Byng Street Boutique Hotel. You definitely want the latter. The Byng Street Boutique Hotel is the passion and joint creation of, Thomas and Kristen Nock, a husband-and-wife team.
You will meet both of them as most day they are working the front desk or the restaurant, greeting and looking after their guests.
A Trip Across South Australian and Victorian Wine, 2023
It always amazes me how many Australians have only ever experienced the airports of this amazing country. We have met so many people who just fly from Sydney to Melbourne or Brisbane to Adelaide. They never get in a car or on a bike or even on a bus or God forbid a bicycle and travel out of the city to lay eyeballs on this great burned land.
Robert Stein Winery, one of the most beautiful places on earth
One of the reasons to love wine and be involved in it is that wineries are often located in some of the most beautiful parts of the world, Robert Stein Winery in Mudgee definitely qualifies.
Rikard, the pursuit of Burgundy in Orange
This is the wine making most vineyards like to hide behind a plush cellar door. Rikard Wines is a working vineyard. The cellar door arrived in 2021 and you can sit inside, nice and warm and cosy and taste the wines.
NEL - a funky bunker in the heart of Sydney
A typical Sydney evening in late March, its muggy and drizzling as we walk down Wentworth Avenue in Surrey Hills. It’s an industrial feeling location with lots of roads intersecting and a rail wine line passing nearby. The entrance to NEL is subtle and easy to miss.
Hunter Valley Transportation
Private transport in the Hunter Valley is terrible. As of writing and 7-10 years of experience of travelling in the valley, there are only two Taxi companies you will find operating in the Hunter.
Scarcity of transport is particularly bad during large events such as Hope Estate based concerts and the Christmas/New Years period.
Tyrrell’s Wines
Hallowed ground in the hunter valley, Tyrells wines is one of the oldest family-owned businesses in the Hunter and a founding member of Australia’s first families of wine.
Lowe Family Wines
Lowe Family Wines is one the dominant wine makers in the Mudgee region. The Cellar door is definitley one of the biggest and most well regarded.
I have always known the Lowe Family for their Zinfandel and to be honest I really didn't know much else, so we figured when in Mudgee we would take the opportunity to visit.
Our next trip…2023
Wine across the Barossa, the Macedon Ranges and King Valley
- New South Wales
- 2023
- Cellar Door
- Highly Recommended
- Wine
- Shiraz
- Orange
- Hunter Valley
- Mudgee
- NSW Food
- 2019
- Restaurant
- Degustation
- Funky
- Victoria
- Zinfandel
- Chardonnay
- Canberra
- Hotel
- South Australia
- Riesling
- Fine Dining
- NSW Wine
- Touriga Nacional
- Plant Based
- Cellar
- Glenrowan
- Sommelier
- Baileys Winery
- Cab Companies
- Wine Bar
- Topaque
- Museum
- Tyrell's Wines
- Tokay
- Transport
- Sparkling
- Sydney
- Muscat
- Monster
- Lowe Family Wines
- Dining
- Fun
- Motorcycle
- Barossa Valley
- Pinot Noir
- Semillion
- Accomodation
- 2022
When I was younger, I worked in bars and restaurants for many years. The places I worked at were either mom and pop or high-end fine dining. So, as a complete contrast, when I would go out, I developed a taste for what has been become known as “dive bars”.