Food and Wine

Another perfect day today. I need to write a post about last weekend and our fun times at the Ekka, but I thought I'd catch up on today first. Last weekend we went to the Ekka and while there tasted a couple (or more than a couple!) of wines, and knowing that the girls were going to Mum and Dad's this weekend we planned to go up to Mt Tamborine to buy some from the cellar doors. I also orginally planned to also book us a chalet with a spa, but decided instead to sensibly leave money for moving (I regret this very sensible decision!)



This morning we headed up the mountain after a leisurely sleep in with the adorable Possum to look for the place where I had tasted a particularly yummy pink muscato and eat some lunch and otherwise enjoy ourselves.



We started at Cedar Creek Winery which, amazingly enough was the exact place I wanted. They had a really nice selection of sweet wines, their specialty being my favourite of all grapes, the muscat. I was already determined to buy the sparkling pink muscato (a kind of sparkling sticky desserty wine that is also quite light as compared to traditional treacly muscats) so that was quickly jotted down while Bingley was impressed with their cream liqueur. They also had a range of light and quite sweet rose and reds. The Revelation Red would probably be completely snubbed by true wine connoisseurs but I liked it, especially as it's low alcohol.

While we debated what other bottles to add to our order we decided to sit down and have a meal for an early lunch. The location was beautiful and the warm sun out on the terrace warmed as we ate duck and stuffed pork loin. Very very good.



After lunch and with our purchases in the car we headed to the Cheese Factory to taste some award winning cheese. I was in fromage heaven trying the boutique range of onsite developed cheeses. Between us we picked a truly stinky blue, a creamy triple brie, a pungent gruyere-esque Mont D'or and a herb spiced feta. So so good.



The cheese factory is in the same grounds as a small boutique brewery so Bingley couldn't resist tasting some lagers and ales while I drank a very dull ginger beer and fed the Possum.



Bingley was now feeling in need of a head clearing walk (the beer tasting platter was quite potent!) so we decided to drift down the gallery walk, unimpeded by small people who wish to touch everything. So much to see, and so nice to be able to meander without worrying about the girls near a road/produce/expensive bric a brac. Because I am a glutton we ended up in Granny Macs which is heaven for sweet tooths. Smalls bags of every sweet you can think of, and tucked up the back is the fudge counter where you can taste a huge range of traditional and quirky (pumpkin!) flavoured fudge.



After stuffing ourselves with fudge on the walk back to the car, I had one final purchase I wanted to make, a bottle of white muscat from O'Reillys Vineyard which I'd tasted at the Ekka and loved because of its smooth raisiny flavour and thick honey like texture. The drive out was beautiful and driving into the gates I had high hopes of a devonshire tea to complete the afternoon, however we'd arrived too late for food (which made me very sad) and had to make do with just a bottle of liquid gold.



At this point I was really disappointed that I hadn't booked accommodation... It was a golden afternoon, we had a car packed full of goodies and the idea of driving just down the road, getting out and having a soak in our valley view spa made me want to shiver in anticipation. Instead we sensibly drove home so I could make us some hand cut sweet potato chips with yoghurt sauce and eat more fudge and have a good chunk of cheese.

I love food and wine so much. It's such a feast for the senses and Bingley and I had so much fun doing adult things with the obliging Possum in tow. I have decided that I want a replica of today in 2 months for my birthday, except this time I will get my spa.



I'm sorry for the crap writing, but I'm craving more fudge and haven't been able to focus. Mmmmmm rum and raisin fudge drooooooool