We moved into our fantastic new home three weeks ago this weekend and have been busy unpacking, moving things around, moving things around again and sweeping floors (the hazard of living on what is still a bit of a building site).
However, we have managed to spend some time settling in to our new area and are on the road to become true locals already!
Wineries
Scarpantoni - our nearest winery and the winery that stole us from a healthy Sunday afternoon walk and gave us lashings of beautiful wine. Bought a couple of bottles of The Brothers Block Cabernet Sauvignon - one for now, one to cellar and drink in
Paxton - great setting. Bought a bottle of their AAA Shiraz Grenache to go with our dinner. Must remember to return in summer for a bottle of their Late Harvest to serve over ice. Yum.
Maxwell - Had a delicious Sunday lunch of pate, Paris Creek cheese and lovely bread accompanied by a glass of 2006 Ellen Street Shiraz. Bought a bottle of 2007 Little Demon Cabernet Merlot to take home and enjoy in the next few weeks. Really enjoyed trying their Meads - defo must remember the spiced Mead served hot for cold winter nights! What a shame bonfire night isn't celebrated in Australia...
Mclaren Ridge - Stunning views. Really like the look of the luxury accommodation at this vineyard, especially the villa with its own pool. Bought a bottle of their Shiraz Cabernet Franc Merlot to keep for a few years and threw in a bottle of their straight Shiraz to drink now for good measure!
Fox Creek - Not sure why I expected this vineyard to be commercial looking but I was surprised by it being completely the opposite. Lovely little cellar door with a lovely cosy feel and wood burner to give you that rosy feeling. Sampled four of their reds and couldn't resist a JSM Shiraz Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet France to put away for a while and a Duet Cabernet Merlot to go with dinner!
Food
Willunga Farmers Market - what better place to do your weekly shop that Willunga Market? We've been here every Saturday morning since moving in and have signed up as members which gives us 10% off all our purchases. We've loved the fruit and veg we've so far purchased here and look forward to eventually getting around all the stalls!
Willunga Quality Meats, 8 High Street, Willunga - nice and local sort of butcher. Bought some minced beef to use in a spag bol and the usual bacon for Sunday brekkie!
Hamlets Meats and Small Goods, 33 High Street Willunga - A delicious 'smoked' smell hit us as we went into this butchers and we got some lovely bacon for our Sunday brekkie and a delicious fillet of pork that we used in a thai curry.
Mclaren Country Meats - We were tempted into this butchers by a special offer on their Wagyu beef and really enjoyed it for dinner that evening! Yum.
Salopian Inn, Mclaren Vale - we had the most fantastic evening at this lovely restaurant to celebrate Dan's 30th birthday. The highlight of the evening (other than the great service and brussel spouts cooked in butter and nutmeg) was getting to visit the cellar to choose our wine. We went for a delicious Gemtree 2005 Obsidian - (quite possibly the closest thing to heaven yet discovered) and a bottle of Rutherglen Muscat to finish.
Shops
Tall Poppy Productions, Shop 1/1 Aldinga Road, Willunga - a great little find that is full of lovely gifts (both for ourselves and other people!)
By the way, don't expect every post from here on to be this detailed - it has been en exciting first three weeks living in the Mclaren Vale wine region and I'm not sure we'll keep up at this pace (though it would be nice!)...
Who are we?
We are Dan and Becks. Just over 5 years ago we both individually arrived in Australia on a backpacking adventure. Within a few weeks we 'hooked up' in Sydney and spent our year-long working holiday visa falling in love with Australia.
When our visa expired, we returned to London where we settled for a couple of years. However, within a few months of getting back to the UK we both realised that Australia was calling us back... We looked into migration options and after a grueling two-year process we returned as permanent residents. The Great Escape tells of our migration experience and first year in South Australia.
Year two of our time in South Australia was focussed on building our new home in the beautiful wine region of Mclaren Vale. Wine has always been a joint interest and the excitement of moving to a wine region is undescribable.
We are now embarking on a new chapter in our lives together - a chapter that we have nicknamed "Living the dream". This blog will aim to capture our time spent in Mclaren Vale - the places we go, the things we love and our general musings of life as it currently stands!
Enjoy,
Dan & Becks x
PS. By no means is this blog meant to provide a review of Mclaren Vale or any kind of critique. We love everything about this place and simply want to capture the stuff we do. If we don't like something, it won't feature on the blog - it's as simple as that!
When our visa expired, we returned to London where we settled for a couple of years. However, within a few months of getting back to the UK we both realised that Australia was calling us back... We looked into migration options and after a grueling two-year process we returned as permanent residents. The Great Escape tells of our migration experience and first year in South Australia.
Year two of our time in South Australia was focussed on building our new home in the beautiful wine region of Mclaren Vale. Wine has always been a joint interest and the excitement of moving to a wine region is undescribable.
We are now embarking on a new chapter in our lives together - a chapter that we have nicknamed "Living the dream". This blog will aim to capture our time spent in Mclaren Vale - the places we go, the things we love and our general musings of life as it currently stands!
Enjoy,
Dan & Becks x
PS. By no means is this blog meant to provide a review of Mclaren Vale or any kind of critique. We love everything about this place and simply want to capture the stuff we do. If we don't like something, it won't feature on the blog - it's as simple as that!
Sunday, July 5, 2009
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