I have chosen the Shiraz Sangiovese blend from Cassegrain Wines to review this month for focus magazine and Gourmet Getaways readers because it has been my preferred red lately. I am off on holidays at the moment, so it is strictly cocktails by the pool for me.  This is a brief intermission from my Pacific island cruise whilst I share an easy drinking  bottle of red with readers.

AS PUBLISHED IN FOCUS MAGAZINE - PORT MACQUARIE

Cassegrain Wines

Addition Noir Shiraz Sangiovese 2009

 My choice of red wine for summer is always a Pinot or a Sangiovese  These reds are light and refreshing, very easy to drink and perfect  for consuming at this time of year. The combination of Shiraz and Sangiovese in this wine gives a gorgeous ruby red colour and fresh fruit flavours of cherry and spice. It is ideally balanced and an easy drinking wine for a casual night in. Grab a pizza and share a bottle with friends.

Goes with: Pizza, Antipasto or cheese Platter

Cost $25.00

Available: All good bottle shops or online at

www.cassegrainwines.com.au

Happy New Years Eve!

I don't know about you, but I have had a fantastic year, full of fun, friends and family. I want to thank you all for reading along with me and sharing my food finds, holidays and recipes. I have enjoyed reading all your feedback and I look forward to chatting with you again next year.

In the meantime, have a very Happy New Year, have a glass of wine or two for me, and most importantly stay safe. I have chosen this lovely white wine for this months "top drop" as it really is an easy drinking day or night wine

Long Point

Deckchair White

 This is a delicious blend of Chardonnay and Verdelho, perfect for those steamy hot Summer days. It’s crisp and refreshing, totally un-oaked, with a wonderful fruity aroma and mouth filling flavours. Sit back, relax and enjoy are bottle or two of the festive season.

Enjoy a bottle with your seafood Christmas lunch, chicken dishes or just because friends have dropped around.

Cost  $15.00 per bottle

Available:        At the cellar door

6 Cooinda Place Lake, Cathie NSW 2445.

or online

Do you think anyone noticed that I am six days late for my "Top Drop" October story? In my defense things have been a little frantic... and whilst I have been diligently sampling wine all month, there has been a little more sampling than writing going on... sorry lovely readers, but I believe it is an occupational hazard.

Sherwood Estate

2007 Chardonnay

Sherwood Estate Chardonnay is a delicious light, crisp and refreshing wine. On the nose there is an aroma of fresh apple and melon, but the flavour is all peaches and cream due to time spent on oak. The finish is mellow and beautifully balanced on the palate. The 2007 Chardonnay is drinking well at the moment, but will cellar for the medium term.

With Spring in the air I would suggest trying a bottle or two for your next barbeque.

Enjoy this wine with a delicious seafood dish or a spicy Thai curry.

Cost $21.00 or $17.85 for Sherwood Estate Wine Club Members

Available:  Kempsey IGA

               At the cellar door

              1187 Gowings Hill Road, Sherwood.

              or online

I am quite excited about this months wine review.  It is always a great feeling when I find a wine which is VERY reasonably priced, and seems to have a universal appeal. Here is one such wine! A friend and I decided to make use of a rainy day and take a drive to Dangars Creek Vineyard. It was a five hour round trip but we were rewarded with quite a few delicious finds, one of which was the Savagnin Verdelho 2010.

Dangars Creek Vineyard

Savagnin Verdelho 2010

Both the Savagnin and Verdelho grape lend this wine a beautiful tropical fruit aroma and lush melon flavours.  There is a hint of spice and a rich full palate experience with a deliciously creamy, crisp finish.

The wine is pale straw in colour and is well balanced, and fruit driven.  It is very easy drinking, and could be enjoyed either on its own or partnered with poultry, seafood or perhaps even a creamy pasta dish.

This will be the perfect refreshing wine for the upcoming summer barbeque and picnic season.

Cost per bottle: $12.50

Available:         At the cellar door

                     199 Spooners Ave, Kempsey

Tell me readers, do you buy your wine singularly, or do you stock up when you find something you like? I wish I had of bought a case of this wine but unfortunately I will be making the drive back to Kempsey for more.

 I hope you are looking forward to sampling another bottle of wine with me because it is time once again for Top Drop. This is a segment where you can play along at home, by sampling the wines I suggest, and leaving your thoughts as comments at the end of the story. I am happy to receive pictures of you enjoying the wine, these can be emailed. I will also happily link to any reviews you have written on my Top Drop wine.

Sherwood Estate

Verdelho 2005

 Take some time out for a lazy lunch to enjoy this delicious local Verdelho. Beautifully aromatic and showing typical Verdelho notes of passionfruit and tropical fruits flavours it’s a vibrant, crisp, clean wine. Showing a lovely medium straw colour, fresh fruit flavours and a dry flinty finish all emphasising the savoury aspects on the palate. The fruit is grown on Sherwood Estate’s own Macleay Valley property.

This is a flavoursome, everyday drinking wine which goes very well with food.

 Pair with; Seafood, oysters, goats cheese, through to light meats such as chicken, pork or veal.

Cost $17.00 or $14.45 for Sherwood Estate Wine Club Members

Available;        Kempsy IGA

                      At the cellar door

                     1187 Gowings Hill Road, Sherwood.

or online www.sherwoodestatewines.com.au simply download the price list to order.

So readers I am interested, what is your favourite white wine at the moment, or do you stick with red wine in the winter months?

"Tis the season to be Jolly, fa lalalala le la la la. It is the Christmas edition of “Top Drop”.  What have I been drinking this month?

With the heat of December I have been seriously enjoying the lighter style of wines. I have decided to review one of each variety this month, so regardless of whether you are drink, red, white or champagne I have a suggested wine. Please give one of these a go and let me know what you think.

2007 Villard Blanc, Two Tails Vineyard, NSW

$14.00

Pinot Noir, Oyster Bay NZ

$24.00

Sparking Chardonnay Pinot Noir, Banrock Station

$ 7.50

Villard Blanc from Two Tails

I have absolutely yearned for this wine.  I discovered it whilst attending “The Cheesemaking Workshop.” They served a glass over lunch and I was hooked. So much so that I made a special trip out to the vineyard for a wine tasting and stocked up on my favourites afterwards. I have now polished off the last bottle, so tried to purchase it at the local IGA liquor to no avail.

There aren’t too many bottle shops which stock local boutique vineyards but our local IGA does, they had every other variety in the Two Tails range, unfortunately, though the Villard Blanc was out of stock! There seemed to be no other choice than to take a 40 minute drive out to the vineyard. When I arrived there was more bad news.  The Villard Blanc was no more! Completely sold out! I had not even contemplated that my “Top Drop” of the month would have been completely consumed.

Thankfully all was not lost.  The vineyard owner informed me that he thought there may be a few bottles of the 2007 Villard Blanc. I started to relax a little. I was offered a taste of the 2007, (already nicely refrigerated,) and whilst it wasn’t the same wine as the 2008 it still had the crisp dry fruit that I have been enjoying. I had a few more sample sips and decided that it was equally as enjoyable. Then I discovered that by “a few bottles” the gentleman actually meant there were only three left! I am sorry to say dear readers that I have left no 2007 Villard Blanc at the vineyard for anyone else.  If you read this article and decide you may want to try this variety I am afraid you will have to wait... but not too long.

Whilst at the vineyard I was offered an extra little treat. I was poured a glass of the current vintage Villard Blanc to try.  The winemaker had just finished perfecting the blend and it was now in the bottling stage.  The sample bottle happened to be in the tasting room and I was offered a preview.

It was delicious, another very easy drinking, white wine.  It will be available for sale after Christmas and will retail around the $14.00 mark. I am looking forward to purchasing a few bottles before they too become scarce.

Pinot Noir Oyster Bay NZ

Thankfully this is a much easier wine to find as most bottle shops stock this wine.  It is a beautiful light red which is perfect for drinking through the day. I seem to always switch to a Pinot Noir as my red wine of choice in summer.  I find the usual, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz too heavy for our summer drinking, especially if you happen to want a drop at lunch.

Sparking Chardonnay, Banrock

This may seem like a strange pick for my champagne of choice but please let me explain.  Now I love my beautiful expensive bottles of champagne as much as anyone (maybe a little more… okay, maybe a lot more!) but lets face it, at this time of year we are all drinking rather a lot of sparkly, so it is not really the occasion to splurge, every second day for an expensive bottle.

This is a sparkling Chardonnay which can be found at any bottle shop.  It is light and easy to drink. It is not too sweet and is really rather good for the price.  It is not a cheap and nasty, although it is very very cheap. I have been buying this bubbly by the dozen just to keep in the bar fridge for the impromptu drinks when friends drop by.  So far it has been thoroughly enjoyed by all.  We are now on our second dozen. By the dozen the price was a mere $6.50 per bottle.

So there we go my lovelies, I hope you give some of these tasty drops a try over the Christmas period. Make sure to also suggest any wines you have come across, I am always looking for more "favourites".