Day 155 - Wine tasting at Margaret River

We have held ourselves in check up until today inasmuch as the Margaret River Vineyards are concerned. Our children had organised a tour of selected vineyards as a gift for us and today was the day.  The tour of two, yes, just the two of us, set out at 9.45am to visit and taste at six wineries.

These were Stella Bella, Leeuwin Estates, Voyager Estate, Watershed Wines, McHenry Hohnen Vintners and Vasse Felix.  We sampled no fewer than six wines at each tasting.  We think the tour operator picked the better wineries.  Every one of the wines we tasted was excellent.  We forced ourselves to make some difficult buying decisions and had to resort to sending some of the purchases home as freight.

080914 Leeuwin Estates Art Series originals

080914 And they even locked the gates at Leeuwin Estates

080914 Photographs of celebrities who have appeared at
Leeuwin Estates' annual concert

080914 Vineyards at Watershed Wines - in the rain

080914 Vineyards at Watershed Wines - after the rain

080914 The restaurant at Watershed Wiines

080914 Some of Janet Holmes a' Court's private art collection
at her family's Vasse Felix Vineyards

080914 Another of Janet Holmes a' Court's private art collection

080914 The old cellar door at Vasse Felix Vineyards

080914 The stream flowing through Vasse Felix Vineyards

Lunch time had us dining at Voyager Estate which was just the ants pants.  The setting was beautiful and the open fire in the restaurant only added to the ambiance.

080914 Entrance to Voyager Estates 

080914 Welcome sign at Voyager Estates

080914 The entrance to Voyager Estate, vines in the background

080914 Gardens at the entrance to Voyager Estates Cellar Door

080914 Voyager Estates Cellar Door

080914 The restaurant at Voyager Estates

080914 A homely fire at Voyager Estates restaurant

080914 The rear of the Voyager Estates Cellar Door

McHenry Hohnen also produces its own smallgoods which accompanied the tasting. Some of their smallgoods are in our refrigerator now.

We finished off the day with a visit to a cheese factory, having missed out on a visit to a chocolate factory because storms had cut power lines to the factory.

Talking about cutting power lines, today was quite an experience for another reason.  We were bedevilled all day by gale force winds, lashing rain and low temperatures. Watching rain belting horizontally across the vineyards was worrying to say the least.  We were happy to find our home away from home was unaffected during our absence.  It was great to return safely to the warmth and comfort of the caravan.

Tomorrow is an unknown quantity but, in all likelihood, will be cold, wet and windy.