January - Beer Basket
Melbourne and the Yarra Valley Wine Tour: A Traveler's Guide to Victoria
A few weeks ago, I had a month-long vacation in Australia, mostly in Melbourne. It was my third trip to this city and the best one yet. It seems like every time I visit Melbourne, I always discover something new and this time, it was the excellent wineries in the area. I was virtually raving to my friends about all the fine wines I had tasted on my visit. Hence, at their urging, I am writing this traveler's guide to Melbourne, with a special eye on its delightful wine.
Firstly, on any visit to Melbourne, I strongly suggest that first-time visitors take a day or two to explore this magnificent city. Among all of Australia's major cities, this is the one that will likely have that special attraction to even the most jaded, well-traveled and world-weary tourist. As the locals say, Melbourne can mean different things to different people. It may seem foreign at first but there is always something that is strangely familiar and which, on some level, reminds the globe-trotting visitor of home. I guess that's why they call Melbourne a chameleon city.
Melbourne is a city of diverse cultures and remarkable contrasts. Here, different groups have learned to co-exist comfortably with one another. For instance, the Italian neighborhood and the Chinese neighborhood, which are side by side.
Whether your lifestyle is beachside or bohemian, Melbourne has something that will appeal to you, be it the food, wine, art, style, customs, nightlife, businesses or beliefs.
Once you're ready to start your wine tour, the place to begin is the Yarra Valley, a prime wine-growing district that began making wine in the late 19th century. Its cool climate and rich soil are ideal for producing dry red wine, chardonnays and pinot noirs. Among the excellent small wineries are Yeringberg, Yarra Yering, St. Hubert's, Seville Estate and Coldstream Hills.
Sample the offerings of wineries such as de Bortoli, Yarra Yering and Domaine Chandon (sparkling wines). You can have lunch at one of the wineries and spend the night in the area where there are a number of first-class hotels with luxurious accommodations.
On your second day, begin with a hefty breakfast (Yarra Valley offers the popular option of having breakfast on a hot air balloon as you cruise the sky, interested?) before heading to Healesville Sanctuary to view the indigenous koalas, kangaroos, wallabies and platypus. A little way further will take you to the Mornington Peninsula and its 30 wineries. There are excellent accommodations in the area for an overnight stay.
On your third day, have breakfast and taste the wine at Karina Vineyard then head to Dromana Estate for lunch and more wine tasting. The combination of the sea, cool climate and the area's excellent volcanic soil all contribute to the production of exquisite chardonnay and pinot noir. Spend the night in the vicinity.
On your fourth day, with your wine tasting tour over, you may want to ride the ferry to Queenscliff for a tour of the Great Ocean Road before heading back to Melbourne.
If you're visiting Melbourne in Victoria Australia - be sure to also take the time to go and check out the Yarra Valley. Home to more than 55 wineries plus some amazing restaurants, you can find plenty of great luxury Yarra Valley accommodation - chateaus, bed and breakfasts, retreats, estates, lodges and so forth. To see the full range of luxury accomodation reviews, visit Simply Lush at http://www.simplylush.com - and see the luxurious Melbourne hotels and Yarra Valley accommodation spots you can spoil yourself at. |
Another short Beer Basket review
Melbourne and the Yarra Valley Wine Tour: A Traveler's Guide to Victoria
A few weeks ago, I had a month-long vacation in Australia, mostly in Melbourne. It was my third trip to this city and the best one yet. It seems like ...
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Beer Basket Items For Viewing
Crystal Safe Wine Glass Dishwasher Rack
Instead of tedious hand washing and drying let the dishwasher clean your crystal. Each Crystal Safe dishwasher rack secures a pair of goblets (just clamp the top over the stem's base) preventing them from dashing against each other and other items during the tempest of dishwashing. Vinyl-coated steel racks fit in the bottom rack of standard dishwashers and accommodate Riedel Vinum Overture and other stems up to 9 5/8'H. 10 1/4'H x 9'W x 4 7/8'D.
Price: 18.95 USD
Beer Basket in the news
Personalized Wine Glasses
Sat, 17 Jan 2009 01:36:12 -0800
Offering monogrammed wine glasses,monogrammed stemless wine glasses and personalized wine glasses
Winter Wine Festival kicks off fifth year (Portsmouth Herald)
Fri, 16 Jan 2009 21:39:58 -0800
NEW CASTLE — As the smooth jazz sounds of Ben Baldwin and the Blue Notes wafted through the glittering ballrooms of the Wentworth by the Sea Marriott Hotel and Spa, right at 7 p.m., guests picked up a wine glass to sample over 60 wines and their plates...
Women & Wine Surveys Wine Lovers on Buying Wine in Restaurants Provides Details to Industry Already Impacted By the ... (PRWeb via Yahoo! News)
Fri, 16 Jan 2009 11:30:00 -0800
Wine Lovers Weigh In On Buying Wine in Restaurants - Want More Interesting Wine By The Glass Offerings, Better Educated Servers and Greater Respect
Wine Review Site Snooth Raises Cash And A Following (TechCrunch)
Fri, 16 Jan 2009 09:26:33 -0800
Raise a glass to Snooth , a social wine review site that is gaining some traction and recently closed another angel round of financing of about $1 million. Angel investors included Joe Meyer, Kevin Fortuna (both from Quigo) and Ted Jansen (former SVP at Expedia), who are now on the company's advisory board. The New York City-based startup last raised an angel round a year ago for the same ...
Large glass of wine can lead to cancer?
Fri, 16 Jan 2009 05:02:35 -0800
...half-liter mug of beer or a large glass of wine when they drink every day may increase the risk of cancer of the liver and intestines of 20%.
Incredible Hotel Made From Salvaged Wine Casks (Great News Network)
Fri, 16 Jan 2009 02:42:34 -0800
Stavoren, Netherlands - Ever fallen asleep alongside a good glass of French wine? How about inside a cask of good French wine? "Despite all the negativity reported in news today there is progress being made to better ourselves and our planet. The Great News Network exists to report it."
Prohibition Bar Speakeasy Secrets 50% Off Printable Voucher
Thu, 15 Jan 2009 11:09:40 -0800
Enjoy 50% off the food bill with a free glass of wine or bottle of beer at Prohibition bar with this voucher. The 'Speakeasy Secrets' promotion is the ideal opportunity to delve into the sultry underworld of 1920s America in Prohibition Bar and Grill.
Wine Coolers
French Wines
Stemware Rack
Labels: Wine Writer | Wine Yeast
