After our terrific experience at this wine show last year, we kept our eye out for any local publicity for this year’s show, but none was to be found. So I emailed the organisation’s secretary a few weeks ago and found out it was on for Saturday just gone. So off we went, this time without the friends who came with us last year (he was in Melbourne for a meeting).
The entrance fee was a little more this year—$9 a head—but we got to keep our wine glasses! Similar arrangement to last year, with the wines entered into the competition laid out for you to help yourself. But this time, they added more. Not more wine–more other stuff! Like food stalls (preserves, chocolate, herbs, cheeses, olive oil, wood-fired pizza out in the carpark etc.) and some stalls set up by specific wineries. Oh, and live music. Just a single singer, and it was tame enough to not offend or to prevent conversation.
Our three favourite local wineries were there—each with a stall: Scotts Brook, Wattle Ridge, and Mandalay Road Estate. Mandalay and Wattle Ridge won medals for their wines, but Scotts Brook didn’t go in to the competition as the owner, Brian, was a judge. He figured that being a judge and entering too would constitute a conflict of interest. I found out that because this is such a small wine show (182 wines judged this year), all judges judge all wines.
Maybe it was because we didn’t have our friends with us, but I don’t think it was as good as last year. Had we not had existing relationships with the owners from the wineries mentioned above, and therefore spent quite a lot of time talking with them, I doubt we would’ve stayed very long.
Other changes this year included longer opening time (11am to 4pm), and it was in association with the Harvest Highway people, which is why there were food stalls etc. this year. I’m not complaining—it was just a different atmosphere to last year’s show.
Rhonda Bracey: At Random 