Weekend at Hunter Valley

It's our yearly tradition to spend some time together just before Christmas. Normally, it's dinner for two at a restaurant we've never been to. This year, we decided on a trip to the Hunter Valley instead. If we may say so ourselves, it was a good decision!

We stayed at the Vintage on McDonalds road. Had a nice apartment complete with our own BBQ, and a very funky bathroom with a view through to the bedroom and vice versa. Very interesting!

Went to the Hunter Valley Cheese factory shop on McDonalds road, enjoyed some cheese and olive oil tasting. It was impossible to leave without a tub of the very moorish "marinated Fromage blanc with sun dried tomatoes", as well as "the Fourth village extra virgin olive oil". Also popped next door to the Mcguigan cellar door which in our opinion was largely forgettable except for "the Genus 4 Shiraz."

A fairly quiet night after the drive up, punctuated by a few laps in the pool, a light dinner and of course some beverages, mostly consisting of an interesting Brazilian pilsener called Palma Louca (Crazy Palm). A very refreshing beer which had a slight zing but lacked any real depth. However at $35 a case it makes VB and New look like pretty ordinary options.

Next morning we decided to venture outside Pokolbin (in the lower Hunter), and came upon Adina Vineyard on Lovedale Road. Doing the responsible thing, we filled up the tummy first. What can we say....breakfast was great and reasonably priced! By the time we finished, the wines were calling. We tasted an impressive Muscat (blend of Hunter and Rutherglen), but the "boss" informed me that we have no more room for fortifieds and that she was hunting for reds today. So we filled our bag with Shiraz and Sangiovese (from 30 year old vines).


On the way home we stopped at The Hunter Beer Co at Potters hotel on Wine country drive. We met the Head Brewer Keith, sampled some oustanding Australian tributes to the beer styles of Europe and America whilst sniffing the aromas of freshly brewed beer from the brewery only meters away from my itchy fingers.

These guys brew their beer in a traditional method where they mash and kettle all their ingredients which takes time, unlike some of the more commercial breweries which cut these corners dramatically. You can taste the difference.

Again we found some room in the swag for some of their "Kolsch" - a golden ale styled after the beers from Cologne, as well as The Hunter Bock which is reminiscent of the dark beers of Bavaria. No need for coffee when you drink this sort of beer as the dominant flavour is roast coffee and chocolate.

Forget Germany, visit the Hunter Beer Co instead, and buy your beer in magnums for even better value. Next time, it'll be our first and last stop, especially as there are beers untried inside the hotel bar.