God bless the man who fermented grapes

The day after the rugby match was one of the best days I’ve had in Australia so far:

2-hour cruise along the Swan River
3 award winning wineries in Swan Valley
More than 40 bottles of wine tasted
Outdoor lunch in a vineyard
Beer brewery
Margaret River Truffle Chocolate Factory
Temperature: reached 45.5 degrees Celsius

It was soooooooooo hot

Now, if you’re worried about the heat, rest assured, I drank plenty of water and had a sunscreen with SPF 70 (thanks Kathleen!). Still, by the time I got home, my ankles were so swollen.

The day was incredible….

We started off on a cruise along the Swan River, heading towards the valley. We sat on the bow, enjoying the sun, the heat, and yes, the wine tasting started at 10:30am on the boat. We sampled 4 wines from the region as we enjoyed our individual cheese platters. And we learned the 5 S’s: Stem, Sight, Swivel, Smell, and Sip. Now that’s some learning I can get used to!

Enjoying the cruise...especially the wind on such a hot day

It took about 2 hours for us to reach the Swan Valley by boat, and once we got there, the real deal started. We visited 3 wineries, tasting over 40 bottles, including some incredible bottles of Shiraz, which this region is famous for around the world.

Windy Creek Estate

Sitella

Chesters

Here is something I learned. It looks like the Aussies save their best and export their worse. Consider this: as I was sampling these incredible wines, I naturally found a few bottles I was particularly fond of and wanted to buy them. As I contemplated dragging half a dozen bottles of shiraz with me throughout the next 3 months of my trip, I realized that maybe the wine was taking effect, and maybe I should ask about their exports, and whether I could find any of these at the local LCBO. Answer: NO! Apparently, Canada taxes foreign wines at 85%! When exported to Canada, a $20-bottle of Western Australian wine costs another $17 in taxes, plus shipping and handling. It becomes a $50 bottle of wine, something the average consumer does not buy often. Therefore, to make it cost effective for the wineries here, they have to export their cheapest wine, in the largest quantity possible, in order to be competitive in the Canadian consumer market.

Now, it’s a little more complicated than this simple explanation one of the wine makers gave me. But you get the idea. Besides, this system protects local wine makers (e.g., in the Okanagan and Niagara regions). And so, only because I can’t enjoy these bottles at home (heeheehee), I tasted and bought to my heart’s content!

Lunch on the Sitella winery

Line 'hem up, boys!

At the brewery.....a little mixing never hurt anyone....at least not today!

Disclaimer: this next section of photos is dangerous for chocoholics. They were taken at the Margaret River Chocolate Factory, which we visited after the brewery. Proceed at your own risk….Anna, naturally, this is dedicated to you…..wish you were here!

Truffles, truffles truffles!

Dig in: it's free!