Melbourne Food and Wine Festival Review : 3rd Edition

After a disappointing morning at the Prahran Market Flavour Fiesta, we headed over to Southgate Promenade for the annual Cellar Door at Southgate.  There was pretty much no way this event was going to the disappoint.  It was a beautiful day and most importantly, we were going on a wine tour of Victoria all within the confines of the city. 

I was pleased to see representation from all of the major wine regions across Victoria.  It was a great opportunity to taste new releases from undiscovered boutique wineries, grab a few sips of your favorites, and try some new varietals you might normally ignore. 

We were not disappointed with our familiar favorites, but I was delighted to discover a couple of new gems to add to my list:

Berrys Bridge Victoria Pyrenees Shiraz 2005 - I love that their single vineyard wines are estate grown and produced.  This intense shiraz is packed with the flavors of dark fruits, hints of spice so characteristic of Australian shiraz, and has a long earthy finish.

Downing Estate Shiraz 2005 - Another earthy and rich shiraz, it is surprisingly smooth.  Plummy with hints of chocolate to be noted.  I would assume this wine would continue to develop over the next decade.

Nearing the end of our day, we picked up a plate of local artisan cheese and nibbles at the adjoining Providores’ Market.  Enjoying superb local cheese and wine with a backdrop of the iconic Melbourne city skyline, perfection.

If you were in need of something a bit more substantial after a couple hours of tasting, Southgate restaurants were offering tasting plates for an additional charge.

On a humorous note, I was certainly drawn over to this winery for a taste... happy drinking.