Sunday 10 February Making and tasting wines

David, Lily, Cathy (op not break of ankle)

fermentation vats at Glandore

barrels made in France

After yesterday's early start a lie in was called for. Instead we were up early for breakfast though we were still full from the barbecue and made only little in roads, mere country tracks, into the huge breakfast at the hotel, before hitting the road and touring a winery or two. A visit to Audrey Winthrop the oldest vineyard in the valley begun in the late 19^th century by an English emigrant family and probably the most beautifully situated on a hill overlooking the valley.

We revisited Glandore to watch Duane begin the processing of the grapes we picked yesterday. Hand picked grapes are superior to machine picked as they retain their juice until going into the juicing machine. Picking machines shake the grapes from the vine, leave the stalks on the plant, but bruise and burst the fruit, pick up snails, spiders and ants. Who can claim to make truly vegetarian wine if there are fauna in with the flora? The grapes were de-stalked with the juice and whichever yeast blend Duane had chosen for this vintage and pumped in to one of the vats we saw yesterday. On top of this they pump the skins which have been pulled off in the process. With the steel towers, lines of piping and high tech equipment a winebarn looks more like a laboratory than an ancient art. It was interesting to see their oak barrels for the ageing come from France.

lunch at Petersens winery

There was just time for a tasting and lunch at Petersens the top methode champenoise house in the region. It's good, but French champagne it ain't. Put it side by side with a Veuve Cliquot and it would have scuttled off with it's tail between it's legs in shame. Then we made the two hour trip home to find Jackster as snug and secure as when we left her 2 days ago.

Just as well because Glen and Cindy Kerunsky (Mystery Ship) had booked to stay with us this evening. Glen and Cindy had been in Brisbane to put Mystery Ship on a transport ship back across the Pacific to Costa Rica, closer to their native Canada. On their way back to Calgary via Sydney, they called in to see us. It was a great night of chatting, catch up, remembering where we met (Samoa), where we cruised together (Tonga, NZ, Fiji & New Cal) and when we last saw each other (New Cal 15 months ago). David and I had a chuckle at Glen 'lowering' his standards and staying on a mere yacht; Mystery Ship is 20m of gleaming, luxury passage maker. I don't think we'll convert either of them to sailing but neither did they say 'never again on a sail boat!'. Though I think Glen with is his 6'4” frame found the berth smaller than he's used to.