The Morrison, Sydney, AUS

Posted on June 10, 2016 by melsmosaic

First night in Sydney, wanted to have something easy and close to the hotel. The concierge recommended The Morrison, which was about a block away. That worked.

They had a interesting spread on the menu. We opted to actually try one of those funky guacamoles that was on the special — pea guac. Not bad, though I like it ‘straight.’

For the main course we went with a whole baked fish, believe it was flounder. Absolutely delicious! They just use chilli, olive oil and parsley.

We paired all this with a nice white, Under & Over Pinot Gris. Nice and refreshing and a perfect match for the meal. The service at the restaurant was not tremendous but the food made up for it.

Fetta’s Greek Tavern, Cairns, AUS

Posted on May 22, 2016 by melsmosaic

When in Australia, one must eat Greek! Was on a tour bus on somebody mentioned this great Greek place in Cairns. Sounded good so decided to check it out. The name — Fetta’s Greek Taverna.

Got there, got a table and right away we knew this was authentic Greek. Was tough to understand the staff because of accents, we could not figure who our waiter was vs who the (apparent) drink order taker was. We asked a lot of questions and the waiter sort of gave answers but we couldn’t totally understand him.

Most important thing for me to get at a Greek place is an appetizer and we and opted for the Melitzana, an eggplant, onion & garlic dip.

After that we decided to split several small dishes. We went for dolmas, a village salad (with true feta) and octapapodi (octapus marinated in olive oil, vinegar, garlic & oregano).

For wine, the waiter wasn’t overly helpful but this guy sitting next to us piped in and gave us amazing help and suggested a wine I would not have jumped on, but so glad I took his advice. We opted for the Bay of Stones Merlot. Not what I would expect from a Merlot. This was another amazing dinner in Great Barrier Reef world. This place is just great!

Mudbrick Vineyard, Waiheke Island, NZ

Posted on May 22, 2016 by melsmosaic

The final stop on our Waiheke Island tour was Mudbrick Vineyard. We started the tour with being handed a glass of their Sauvignon Blanc. How nice! (Per the site — Intense aromas of passionfruit, gooseberry and freshly cut grass. The palate is concentrated tropical and citrus notes with juicy acidity and a long polished finish.)

We walked around and learned about the history, the grapes, etc. While checking out these physical grapes, we were handed a glass of their Syrah. The pepper notes were very present. (Displays aromas of plum, blackcurrants, black pepper corns and camphor. The palate has concentrated dark fruits, liquorice and spice with plush round tannins and a long pure finish.)

All this while having an amazing view! Can I have a ride? Apparently these swing by often.

We finished off in the tasting room with a taste of the Merlot/Cabernet Blend. Home run! I knew I still had two cities to visit on my trip but I had to take one with me. Wow, what a taste. (Displays aromas of plums, cassis, dried herbs, pencil shavings and dark chocolate. The palate is refined and elegant with soft powdery tannins and a long classic finish.) Side note, pencil shavings? So many great ‘things’ you can add to wines. Besides the pencil being far out, the fact that it’s a shaving. Do you get the sharpener ready and compare? Love being wine lovers.

New Zealand Wine and Beer Stop, Wild on Waiheke

Posted on May 22, 2016 by melsmosaic

As part of the wine tour we also got to enjoy some brew. We stopped at Wild on Waiheke, which has the Waiheke Island Brewery and also the winery. We primarily had the beer at this one but also had a sip of vino.

For the wine we had a sip of their Sauvignon Blanc. A nice traditional one that you get from NZ.

For the brews we had quite the spread. We enjoyed a taste of all of them while hearing the history of the brewery and all about the brewing process.

-Baroona Original, 4.7% ABV. Based on the German Kolsch style, the use of famous NZ grown Saaz B (Motueka) hops gives this beer its distinctive grapefruit peel aroma. Baroona is brewed from 90% pilsner malt and 10% malted wheat and is top fermented. — nice and cris,p just like it should be.

-Whard Rf. Wheat Beer, 4.5% ABV. Based on the Bavarian Hefe-Weizen style, brewed from a 50/50 blend of Pilsner malted wheat, very lightly hopped with Pacific Hallertau and fermented with authentic Bavarian yeast. Like many classic wheat beers this product is unfiltered and has the authentic clove and banana aromas. — definitely had the banana, not good for me. I like having banana flavor from the fruit or in some tasty bread.

-Matiatia Malt Beer, 7.2% ABV. Based on the new American Imperial Pale Ale style, this beer’s high ABV makes it perfect as an after dinner beer or nightcap. The palate is rich and full with notes of toffee and chocolate, balanced with generous additions of NZ grown chocolate, balanced with generous additions of NZ grown Cascande hops for a lingering resinous finish — heavy, couldn’t take more than a sips. Could taste what they said and definitely wouldn’t want it as a ‘main’ beer.

-Apple Cider, 5.5% — Brewed on site alongside the beers and make from Hawkes Bay Granny Smith apple juice and fermented with their top fermented ale yeast culture. The cider starts fermentation at a high gravity and is then cooled down once it reaches 5.5% ABV. This rapid halt to the fermentation leaves plenty of residual apple flavour and just the right level of sweetness. The aroma and flavour are both full of fresh apple notes and a lingering finish. — pretty good! And the sweetness is not overbearing.

-Hauraki Gulf Ginger Beer — non-alchohol. ‘Nuf said.

Another great place to check out.

New Zealand Winery #1, Stonyridge Vineyard

Posted on May 20, 2016 by melsmosaic

When in New Zealand, one must visit wineries! Right outside out Auckland is a little island, Waiheke, that has plenty of wineries to visit. We found a wine tour, Taste of Waiheke, to take part in that took you to wineries, an olive oil tasting and a brewery. Great!

After leaving the ferry we got on a nice bus and sauntered our way to winery #1, Stonyridge Vineyard. Very nice castle-like look. This winery is “dedicated to producing the finest Cabernet blends in the world (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, and Petit Verdot) using traditional winemaking.”

Upon arrival we stood just outside the vineyard, right near some olive trees, and learned about the history while enjoying some of their delectable Airfield, a mid-price Bordeaux-style red.

After that were served an amazing lunch! They whipped up this great nicoise-like salad for me vs. a quiche because of my lactose intolerance. This was awesome. Enjoyed that with some very nice Sauvignon Blanc.

Depot Eatery, Auckland, NZ

Posted on May 9, 2016 by melsmosaic

First night in Auckland, received a suggestion from the concierge to not walk more than 100 feet outside front door of the hotel to this place called Depot Eatery for dinner They don’t take reservations so you just either get there early or wait patiently in line.

We were fortunately there on a weeknight so it wasn’t too crazy but still had to wait. Once we got a seat, we got to sit at the bar, which makes it more fun. While looking over the menu of course it was necessary to grab a drink. There was wine on tap. Awesome! Always love trying that stuff. It was perfect.

Then, they bring you white bean hummus and pita bread to nibble on while picking food.

While looking over the menu we asked for suggestions from the bartender. It was the kingfish. Ok, sold. The description was Kingfish belly w/ eggplant kasundi, lime & toasts. We chose that and Brussels sprouts — ‘not your mothers’ w/ ‘Otello’s’ pancetta & walnut crumbs.

There was nothing left on either of these plates. Amazing food. So glad this restaurant was recommended and can totally see why it has a wait.

Random Wines from AUS and NZ

Posted on May 3, 2016 by melsmosaic

So many great local wines at your fingertips when in Australia and New Zealand. Of course many of them aren’t available in the US. Some of them we sampled included:

Devil’s Corner Pinot Noir, Tasmania — some nice fruit

Scrubby Rise Sauvignon, Semillion, Viognier, Australia (Adelaide) – pretty light

Priory Ridge Pinot Noir, St. Helens, Tasmania – ooo, nice. Some pepper on it

Nautilus Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough – pretty traditional sauv blanc

Brancroft Estate Brut Cuvee, New Zealand – some nice crisp bubbles

Gibbston Valley Pinot Gris, Otago – much tropical fruit

Millton Viognier, New Zealand – smooth

Pegasus Bay Riesling, Canterbury, New Zealand – very nice dry riesling!

Amisfield Sauvignon Blanc, Otago – lots of flavors going on

Explorer Pinot Noir, Central Otago – drier than expected, earthy

Terra Sancta, Mysterious Diggings Pinot Noir, Bannockburn, Central Otago – nice pinot

Mojo Shiraz, Barossa Valley – berries

South Island Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough – really good for an basic bottle

RedBank, The Long Paddock, Shiraz, Victoria – good happy hour wine

Kuru Kuru Pinot Noir, Central Otago – chocolate, some spice

Stefani Estate Shiraz, Heathcote — delicious!

Corbans Pinot Gris, Gisborne, New Zealand – a bit too Chardonnay-like

Mt. Difficulty Sauvignon Blanc, Bannockburn, New Zealand — grassy

Eichardt’s, Queenstown, NZ

Posted on April 29, 2016 by melsmosaic

The last (dinner) stop in Queenstown was a place called Eichardt’s.

We went to the bar area for wine and tapas. Another great menu! This time the wine choice was a flight of Pinot Noir. It was comprised of Mount Edward ‘Eichardt’s’ 2013 Gibbston, Wild Irishman 2013 Bannockburn and Misha’s Vineyard ‘The High Note’ – 2009 Bendigo.

The first on the tasting was ok. The 2^nd was quite solid with very nice fruit notes. The 3^rd was absolutely amazing. There was the slightest hint of leather, almost like a Pinotage with the traditional fruit. I still had many stops to go on this trip so it wasn’t easy to buy one.

For dinner we grabbed several of their tapas.

Seared Otago nectarine & goat’s cheese salad with local rocket, shaved fennel & candied almonds.

Grilled bruschetta of local wild mushrooms, thyme and feta

Sourdough bread with Cairnmuir olive oil & macadamia nut dakkah

Wild game terrine, sourdough toasts, homemade pickles and relish

All of them just melted in the mouth. Absolutely outstanding. Between them and the wine, great final dinner in Queenstown.

Fishbone Bar & Grill, Queenstown, NZ

Posted on April 28, 2016 by melsmosaic

New town, new country, of course new exploration. The hotel where we stayed recommended a great seafood restaurant for the first night in Queenstown; Fishbone Bar & Grill. Of course, you have just a bit of water around you when you’re in New Zealand so there is likely to be some decent seafood.

And to kick off the meal in the new country we started with some vino, of course. We opted for some Rockface Pinot Gris from Waipara, NZ. Pretty dry, which is why we picked it to pair with upcoming seafood.

For dinner we decided to go with 3 appetizers. They were good sized as we saw them going to other tables, which is why we went this route.

Seared Tasman Sea scallops with tomato and fennel ragout, shaved fennel, orange and fresh fennel pollen

Sesame-crusted west coast Albacore tuna sashimi with Daikon, cucumber and bok choy, black garlic mayonnaise

Salt & chili arrowhead squid with radicchio, endive, orange, and squid ink mayonnaise.

I don’t think you could find a piece of food left on these plate. The tuna was perfect crusted in sesame seeds and the perfect size, the squid had been cooked to perfection and was the perfect texture and those scallops, oh those scallops. This place needs to open a location in DC.

Winery Stop 4, Red Hill Estate

Posted on April 25, 2016 by melsmosaic

Red Hill Estate was established in 1989 with 46 acres of land and 23 acres under vine. They have great views of the Mornington Peninsula, too. We went through their tasting (note, we were splitting tasting after the first one, we were not crazy people, and even then small sips were being taken).

Vintage Brut (This magnificent sparkling wine is made from 52% Chardonnay, 41% Pinot Noir and 7% Pinot Meunier. Created using the traditional “Methode Champenoise” system, this 2011 Vintage Brut exhibits a fine and persistent bead, a lively palate and a fresh acidity, which lingers harmoniously with the aged complexity.) – tiny apple flavor, young

Cool Climate Pinot Grigio (Displaying aromas of refreshing citrus and lime zest, some confectionery notes and a hint of musk on the nose, it is soft on the palate with freshly cut pears, some minerality and neat acidity back bone.) – pears, light flavor

Cool Climate Sauvignon Blanc (Flavours of green pea pods freshly picked from the garden flow into a herbacousness that keeps evolving into lime juice and Honeydew melon. Toward the end, and through the middle of all these flavours are tropical juices and passionfruit.) – huge nose, passion fruit

Cellar Door Release Chardonnay (On the nose there are pronounced aromas of citrus and caramelised pear, whilst on the palate it is beautiful fleshy with soft, crisp acids and delicately balanced flavours of baked fruits and pastry.) – butter and oak all the way home

Merricks Grove Chardonnay (With a fine, delicate bouquet of melon and toasty oak, this wine is an absolute delight; a clean minerality on the palate and complex layers of melon, peach and oak. A cool climate classic.) – not that exciting

Cellar Door Release Pinot Noir (Our 2014 Cellar Door Release Pinot Noir is a riot of mixed berries on the nose that work harmoniously with an underlying sprinkle of dusty oak. After an initial burst of juicy raspberry and fresh cherries on the palate, this superb wine finishes with a touch of spice that is both lingering, satisfying and strangely moreish.) – cool climate, earthy, some spices

Merricks Grove Pinot Noir (Made from 100% Mornington fruit, this immense Pinot Noir has lashings of raspberry and cherry compote on the nose whilst on the palate there is an abundance of soft, rich and comforting raspberry rhubarb that effortlessly mixes with a dusty oak finishing and gloriously fine tannins.) – fruitier than the prior pinot

Regional Release Heathcote Shiraz (The wine is deep purple in colour with aromas of dark cherry & raspberry and has subtle hints of spice & white pepper that lead to an intensely flavoured, well rounded (yet relatively soft) mouth feel of dark fruits, blackberries & oak influenced raspberries.) – Bring it home, awesome, pepper and berries

Regional Release Coonawara Cabernet Sauvignon (The wine displays rich and succulent blackcurrant and red berry characters that mix with a hint of cassis. On the palate the wine is enhanced by some subtle oak influence and finishes with smooth gentle tannins and a firm structure.) – thick, not great

Old Tawny (no winery description) – tastes like fruitcake