Hunter Valley, Pt 160, (15/3/07)  (Pictures)

Grape vines grew in two drip-irrigated rows around the caravan park. The soil was a red clay and the drip irrigation came in flattened black plastic pipe with holes punched in it. The vines were not too healthy except where they could get some shade. I looked more closely at vines in the first two vineyards we visited. They harvested the grapes rather early, partly because of the drought and I think partly because when the red clay soil soaked up the fall rains, the grapes would get soggy. These vines had a set of old, grey-edged leaves from before the harvest and a new set of leaves, canes and even some grape flowers from after the fall rains.

We visited a vineyard that had some organic wines and a very-reduced sulfite level, Tamburlaine. They also try to make all of their farming sustainable. They had some very good wines. We bought a bottle of 2005 Syrah (most wineries in Australia call it “Shiraz”) that had won several awards and was as good as I have tasted. We also bought a bottle of a local variety, Chambourcin. These grapes had been developed by a French immigrant to resist disease and local weather. We ate a lunch of antipasta and local cheeses from “The Cheese Factory” right next to the McGuigans Wine Cellars. Close by we bought some more wine from the The Small Winemakers Centre, which also listed organic wines but did not represent them very well. One was a Viognier, a pleasant white wine that was neither sweet nor astringent. The other was a Sangiovese Rose both from The Little Wine Company.

Before we got too tipsy and it got too late, we rounded up some groceries and headed South into the Blue Mountains. Just before dark we pulled into a rest stop by Boggy Swamp Creek and called it a day.