By Leigh O’Connor.
Autumn signals wine harvest time as the leaves change colour and vineyards around Australia contemplate new vintages.
Weather patterns over the past year have seen historic flood levels as well as drought conditions, while an over-supply of red wine due to the loss of the Chinese market is also predicted to affect the vintage.
We have never been more open-minded and knowledgeable about the wine we drink – we want to know about different Australian wine regions, experience the history behind the glass and learn what wine to drink to suit the occasion.
Our interest in wine is finally catching up to our interest in food! Here are five of our picks to celebrate the 2023 wine harvest with a glass and bite to eat:
Wine, dine and everything fine is what you get from Perth’s premium wine tour specialist d’Vine Wine Tours. Drinking good wine with good food in good company is one of life’s most civilised pleasures – d’Vine combines all three with quality and professional tours run on a daily basis, as well as corporate and private packages.
There’s no one better to take you on a Wine Harvest tour through Swan Valley and Bickley Valley, both equally unique and offering something for everyone; expect to drop by award-winning boutique wineries, craft breweries and cider houses, gourmet chocolatiers, patisseries and much more from air-conditioned comfort on your coach.
Established in 1990, Heritage Estate Wines on Granite Belt Drive in Cottonvale is a destination-worthy venue for tasting cool climate wines, delving into an eight-course Black Tie degustation menu and staying over. Nestled on a 27-acre vineyard with a 1946 apple store converted into a cellar door, this restaurant offers elegant dining options from degustation to a Vine + Dine Journey Lunch, alongside wine flights and estate fireplaces.
Every Friday, race off on the ATV with a bottle in hand to sample hors d'oeuvres where the bottle was grown, escorted by the vigneron for one of Heritage’s POETs Progressive Dinners. Find a romantic red table-clothed location for Red Emperor and scallops under a spectacular sunset, then progress to mains by twilight at the cellar door. For more information, click here.
Find the ultimate wine experience of tasting, dining and staying onsite at Adina Vineyard & Olive Grove on Lovedale Road in Lovedale. Located in the wine region of the Hunter Valley, this family-owned estate and olive grove boasts a cellar door, restaurant and accommodation; grapes have been grown onsite since the 1860s with Adina settling for only the highest quality wines, olive oil and produce.
Sample drops like the 2018 Sangiovese – a rustic, earth-flavoured wine that pairs beautifully with food that tastes of tomato and herbs such as pizza, anything Italian and roasted meat – or enjoy the 2018 Tempranillo with steak, lamb and tomato-based food.
Handcrafted wines made with love and passion are what you will find at Domaine Asmara on Gibb Road in Toolleen. Nestled in the heart of the Heathcote wine region, this vineyard and cellar door lets Mother Nature do her work with no machine intervention used to produce wines such as Shiraz, Durif, Viognier and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Bubbles lovers will be in heaven at this venue with the flagship Infinity Durif – beyond full-bodied and loaded with dark fruit flavours and a long finish until the cows come home – while red wine drinkers opt for the deeply-coloured and complex Reserve Shiraz.
Visit Australia’s first carbon-neutral vineyard at Ross Hill Wines on Wallace Lane in Orange. Each vine is managed by hand, maintaining low-cropping rates to ensure exceptional quality and flavour; while the vineyard’s environmental policy and sustainable practices are reflected in all aspects of the winemaking process.
The winery plays host to long lunch functions throughout the year as well as cooking classes and wine tastings, where guests sip estate drops like ‘Jessica’ Rosé with fresh violet florals and red fruit aromas. This signature Family Series drop is clean and delicious with hints of strawberry flavours.
For more venues to visit this Wine Harvest, click here.
