Wine Tour Hunter Valley

Welcome Back,

I'm writing to you from a café in Hua Hin where we're currently waiting to be picked up for an elephant safari. So I'm using this time to update my blog.

I already mentioned that Darya and I have booked a wine tour in the Hunter Valley, and today I'll tell you about our liquid and truly beautiful day.

We started relatively early at 6 AM, as we were picked up from downtown Sydney at 7 and had to take a bus there first.

After the pickup, we headed towards Hunter Valley with a bus and the whole group. The group consisted of a few scattered tourists and a large group of Irish women who had dressed up as if they were going to one of the trendiest bars in the city. They were very nice but by the end of the tour, they were so tipsy that Taylor Swift was heard singing in several octaves from the back of the bus.

The journey took about 2 hours, and on the way, I also saw my first kangaroos. Absolutely fantastic, and that was also one of my hopes to see them in the wild on this tour, as I shy away from visiting a zoo. So the trip was already a complete success up to that point.

At the first of three wineries, we received a short tour and were introduced to the background of the wine region. We were also explained how the wineries manage to keep the wine from boiling in the Australian temperatures, as the metal frames on which the barrels rest are embedded deep into the cement and ground, and through the connection of the frames with the metal straps of the barrels, they are cooled. A very clever system that works without additional cooling systems and electricity - very cool. I must also say that as a sweet tooth, I was very surprised by how many sweet wines were offered here. Darya didn't quite like it, as she prefers dry wines, but in the end, there was something for every taste during the tasting.

At the second winery, there was another tasting and lunch. Very, very delicious, and also urgently needed, as the wine was slowly going to my head, and I realized that we had already tried several bottles. I had ordered the nachos and only managed to eat half of it because the portion was really massive.

We sat there a bit longer, chatted with the other tour participants, and simply enjoyed the beautiful afternoon. Although it was generally quite crowded, it was pleasant to sit, and most of the groups were already beginning to leave while we were still there.

With a stop at the local market and another spontaneous tasting of a few liqueurs (because it wasn't sweet enough for me already ;) ), we headed to the last stop and the last winery, which is also the oldest in the region, as it has been in operation since 1853. Here we had the chance to taste the actual wine grapes, which was indeed my first time. Even in their unprocessed form, they were already very sweet and delicious.

And then it was time to head back to Sydney, slightly tipsy. During the bus ride, the choir of Irish women, as mentioned above, sang various Taylor Swift songs, and we noticed that they had been drinking quite a lot. However, I must admit that the song lyrics were on point and the voice quality sounded quite melodic.

Darya and I thought about whether we wanted to go out partying that night, but since we were already back in Sydney at 5 PM, we treated ourselves to some delicious ramen and then headed straight back to Manly to wind down the evening quietly. Neither of us felt like spending 5 hours in Sydney waiting for the first clubs to open their doors.

A wonderful and fluid day with some very, very tasty wines, which are more suitable for the sweet tooth among us.

The next day, however, I definitely felt the effects of alcohol and took it easy. Besides, my time with Darya was already up, and I switched back to my hostel in Sydney.

Your Britta