Our first full day to focus on wine tasting in the McClaren Vale had begun poorly. We had gotten lost in the suburbs of Adelaide. We followed that by tasting a few too many wines and topped that with a very average lunch. We were determined to not have such a below par day for the next and final day here.
The final day in the Adelaide area began very nicely. We had a small breakfast and gathered our things for the trip south to the McClaren Vale. We intended to visit two more wineries to taste wines followed by a light lunch and then a light dinner with Dave and Gail. The intention was to slow our pace so that we wouldn’t become a total balloons from all of the wine tasting and fine dining. We were to fail miserably.
The drive south was very pleasant. It was a warm, sunny day and the traffic moved quickly into the country. We arrived at our first tasting at Samuel’s Gorge in great spirits. It was an excellent start to the day. The wines were very good and the vineyard was a pleasant place for a short stroll. The ancient stone buildings, which had been faithfully restored, were beautiful and the view across the vineyards to the ocean was breath-taking.
As the day became increasingly warmer, we drove to the nearby vineyard of Oliver’s Taranga. The wines we tasted there were superior. One of the wines was so good, a 2003 Museum Release Shiraz, that I purchased a bottle for Dave and Gail.
We had decided earlier that, while it might be a rush, we wanted to try the restaurant Fino in the nearby town of Willunga. We promised ourselves that we’d try just a couple of things since we had a dinner. Well, our enthusiasm and the ambiance of the place carried us to a whole new level. We ordered an excellent bottle of Ashton Hills 2008 Estate Pinot Noir to go with the tasting menu. Three hours later was extracted ourselves from this lovely little restaurant.
Our feast began with a delicious portion of sheep’s brains and potatoes topped with fresh herbs. Second came a platter of venison carpaccio with pickled carrots. Next came a beet salad resting on a bed of fresh greens. Fourth was a bed of nicely spiced mashed potatoes topped with a piece of snapper, which was in turn topped with a poached egg, which was in turn topped with small sheets of fresh parmesan cheese. It was mouth-watering. The next to last course was a spicy rabbit sausage spread in a bed of poached rabbit and vegetables. Lastly was a portion of sliced duck on a bed of lentils, beets and broccoli. Yes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions and we did intend to not overdue this meal. Each course was delicious and we had so much fun comparing life’s experiences with the people at the table next to us that the time just drifted by. It was suddenly 3pm and we were to be at Dave and Gail’s at 4pm…for dinner. In a flash we paid the bill and were out the door and down the road.
Luckily, we didn’t get lost and we arrived for dinner in a timely manner. On the way we discussed how we hoped that Gail had not prepared too grand a meal. We arrived to discover that she had prepared a wonderful meal. I steeled myself for the challenge. While we couldn’t drink another glass of wine, we did enjoy a range of excellent local cheese and stuffed olives before dinner was served. Gail announced that she had prepared kangaroo for our meal. Dave opened the wine from Oliver’s Taranga and we enjoyed the light and tender kangaroo meat served with fresh greens and delicious herbed rice. The meal was quite a surprise and, even on a moderately full stomach, at least I devoured every bite. Yes, there was a, fortunately, light dessert of homemade ice cream and Pavlova (a New Zealand delicacy).
Now we were indeed satisfied for this day. The wines had been superior, the food outstanding and the company exceptional. However, at this pace, we really needed to leave Adelaide for a less friendly environment. All of this kindness might kill us. So, tomorrow we head south for more adventure.
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