The festive period was officially over as I had gotten back into my work schedule; along with the gym and touch footy in the evenings. It wasn’t long until the weekend came around though; and since we had worked hard for just under two weeks Cherie and I thought it would be great to go back to the Yarra Valley to do some very important and serious ‘research’.
We started the day on the other side of the Yarra Valley from where our tours operate, as we heard the scenery was beautiful that way. And it was! It took our breath away as we drove through the farms and past the vineyards. We even stopped at a random winery because it was nestled in the hills of this scenic route. It called Yileena Park and is a family run winery/animal farm. I absolutely loved it. We sat on the balcony over looking the Yarra Valley and had a tasting. The owners also surprised us with a free tasting of the homemade edible treats on offer too; oils, sauces, chutney, bread and cold smoked meats and cheeses. The owners chop up their old barrels and use the wood to smoke all their meat and cheese, such a great way to utilise the equipment! It was all so delicious, but the smoked Stilton was to die for, so I had to buy some! Here are some photos of the winery:
We’d spent over two hours there so decided we had to leave if we wanted to make it to another winery. We couldn’t leave without saying goodbye to Poppy and Freckles, the local celebrities, who also happened to be donkeys.
Next up was the chocolatery, where we ran in, grabbed the free chocolate and came straight back out. It was far too busy to stay in, so we got the goods and left.
Our final stop for the day was De Bortoli wines where we took in the gorgeous views and had another tasting. A lovely staff member called Mandy served us and she was fantastic! She taught us all about the wines, supplied us with cheese and even gave us a gift. This tour guide stuff is great!! I bought a cheeky bottle of Pino Gris and Cherie bought a Pino Noir and a Chardonnay, as well as blue cheese (since I made her so jealous with mine).
We then headed back into Melbourne as all the wineries began to close. I then used my cheese as the inspiration for dinner and came up with a tart, filled with; turkey, spinach, garlic, blue cheese and drizzled with truffle oil (which I had bought on my last tour). I genuinely feel like I’m in Come Dine with Me right now.
Anyways, it was delicious and the perfect end to a lovely day.
Love Food with Lucy 