Christmas Eve with the Mullins

Christmas Eve 2020 is an enjoyable cocktail party with members of the Mullins family. Bronwyn wasn't happy with the six-foot tree. She wanted much taller. When the curtains are open, the huge windows behind us give a view of the gorgeous gardens.

This is Bronwyn's father Brian and her step father Richard having a chat. Both were pilots so likely the topic is airplanes or flying stories.

This is Bronwyn's niece, Emma and her husband and Emma's mother. She is married to Bronwyn's brother, Rodney.

Here Carol is chatting with Brian's wife, Suzie. Note the paintings of Louis and Tom on the far wall. Bronwyn is standing serving champagne, beer and wine. Meat pies and other hors d'oeuvres adorn the coffee table.

Seated are Rodney's son, Bronwyn's mother and a old friends of the Mullins who are motor homing around Australia. On the left is Louis but and on the right Neil's arm.

It was a short and sweet two hour afternoon event. We knew everyone there with the exception of Rodney's children.

Our Tomsey Street Flower Bed

When we first moved to Tomsey St in 2008, there were no bump outs on the street and cars zoomed along the short street. One neighbor, petitioned the council to install the bump outs and ten years later they are functional and decorative.

The one closest to our house has lantanas on the ends flanking a tree.

From left to right, James and Jackie's house, Deb's house, our house.

Tomsey St. Christmas Party in the Park

It is time for the Tomsey St. Christmas party in the park. We mess up. We arrive at six believing it starts at six. The invitation flyer had the start time at five. By the time we arrive, James and Jackie are ready to leave. We meet new people. 

Since we arrived an hour late, we'll end up eating the dinner we rolled down in the trolley back at home.

Godi La Vita

Carol had read about Godi La Vita a few times. Being in Unley, the first suburb south of the CBD, without a car, its like on the other side of the planet; even though we could walk there in 20 minutes. 

When the two guys at Kalleske, who had already demonstrated their competence regarding food and wine, told us about their fantastic meal, we made a booking while sitting at Kalleske. 

After two busy days is the Barossa, dinner out with Uber rides to and from is what we need. The restaurant is located on King William Road south of the city.

We begin with cocktails and arancini. We are not big fans of arancini. We like when they are good but  too often they are hard and dry. These are among the best ever, if not the best ever. CJ orders a limoncello margarita. Carol has an Aperol spritz. 

This place's claim to fame is cheese wheel pasta. They prepare the pasta inside of a cheese wheel, melting and gaining the flavor of the cheese as it cooks.

Such a delightful blend of flavors. CJ has a spicy pasta with sausage, It is the Piave Cheese Wheel and is made with spaghetti, pancetta, chilli, tomato, and brandy. CJ adds the Italian sausage to his dish.

Carol has the Parmesan Cheese Wheel Pasta a mushroom pasta where the pasta looks like octopus tentacles. It's made with curly fettuccine, field mushrooms, cream, wine, and brandy. 

It has taken far too long for us to try this place. It will likely become our favorite Italian restaurant that doesn't specialize in pizza.

Kalleske Tasting - Part 2

As promised, we return to Kalleske on the way back. It is located not far from the motorway in Greenock. True to her word, Alex is waiting with the special bottle she promised and a second wine.

There is a knowledgeable gay couple also in the tasting room. The wine we waited for was worth the wait. We purchase a special six year vertical of this Grenache.

One of the men recommends a restaurant in Adelaide. We'll dine there this evening.
 

New Era Wineries Gruner Vetliner

Today's Adelaide newspaper featured Iain and Bob Baxter, the story of the destruction of their winery and their recent award winning Grüner Veltliner.

We met the Baxter's at Cellar Door Fest, a wine exposition at the Adelaide Convention Center. It was our second day in Adelaide on this visit. They were in the special bushfire relief section. Their vineyards and winery had been destroyed. Only their home survived.

We visited Bob at the homestead to survey the damage. It was heartbreaking.

We have been purchasing their wines since. In fact, they currently stand in first place in the purchasing derby.

When Iain told us that a winery donated grapes and they made a Grüner Veltliner, we insisted on being among the first to sample it. We spent two hours in Bob's kitchen talking and tasting before declaring it "Klaus" worthy and making our first purchase. Who knew we'd soon be begging for more before the hype made it all gone. Good on them!

Today's Adelaide newspaper featured Iain and Bob Baxter, the story of the destruction of their winery and their recent award winning Grüner Veltliner. When Iain told us that a winery donated grapes and they made a Grüner Veltliner, we insisted on being among the first to sample it. We spent two hours in Bob's kitchen talking and tasting before declaring it "Klaus" worthy and making our first purchase. Who knew we'd soon be begging for more before the hype made it all gone. Good on them!

Seppeltsfield

Between Greenock where Kalleske is located and Tanunda where Langmeil, Rolf Binder, Z, and our lodging are located, is the beautiful little village of  Seppeltsfield. The heart of the village is the massive Seppeltsfield winery with large buildings crowned with medieval turrets. Although they've been making wines for more than a century and they have a huge historic sign in the Adelaide Railway Station, the wine is not renown. The village however, with its palm lined streets is picturesque.

Between the hamlets of Marananga and Seppeltsfield is the Gnadenfrei Lutheran Church established in 1879.

With the exception of the church, from this point all one can see in any direction are the vineyards of the Barossa.

Just prior to entering the village of Seppeltsfield there is a massive and out of place Greek structure. Carol correctly guesses that it is a mausoleum. It is the family mausoleum of the Seppelt family and was built in 1927. 

       

Morning Tasting Event with Kym Tuesner - Finally

With a loaf of bread from Apex Bakery in hand we begin the day with a 1030 tasting event at Tuesner Winery. This is not a place with a cellar door. This is a working winery. If you have had the wisdom to join Kym's wine clan, the Righteous Society, you can call up and get an appointment to sample their stuff. We are members.

Another way to ensure an invite is to order from them (three times on this visit alone) and spend a lot (nearly $3K before this visit).

We have been enjoying Kym's wine since we tried his GSM at a Sydney restaurant in 2007. It jaded our palettes for Australian GSM blends. We tried others but they were terrible. 

One year while tasting at Langmeil, always politically correct CJ mentioned to Tracy the wine host, that her GSM was good but not the best we experienced. She asked which was better and when we told her she broke out laughing. Seems if we had to pick one to be better, the Tuesner was the correct choice. Tracy's husband Mick was Kym's partner.

We first visited the winery in November 2017. Kym was called away at the last minute but Huon provided a tour of the winery beginning with climbing to the top of the huge outdoor fermentation tanks. The tasting was conducted in their business office. People at computers shuffling papers and Carol, CJ, and Huon tasting a row of wines seating along the top of filing cabinets.

For years CJ has wanted to meet the maker of these great wines and the fellow in charge of the winery that sends out entertaining and bizarre marketing emails. When CJ requested a private tasting, he was quick to point out that we did not need to climb all over the winery again, that the climb to the offices would be all the climbing we could take in one day.

Today we finally meet Kym. Things have changed. Tastings are now conducted in a purpose built boardroom. We are joined by their marketing manager. The wines we knew of before today are the large group of bottles on the left. There is another line of premium wines in the smaller group on the right. 

Kym spends the entire time with us telling us about his wines, answering questions and offering to open EVERYTHING. 

Not pictured but sampled is another small line that Kym calls his retirement wines. He has a small vineyard on very prime soil where he produces three single variety wines. When he eventually retires and gives the business to his children, to keep from going batty, he intends to retire to his small vineyard and make really good wine for friends and family and sale if there is any left.

Dinner at Vintners

We first dined at Vitners in December 2007. Not much has changed although they seem to be less supportive of local wine makers and more enamored with French and European wines. They are located in the country in the middle of the triangle of Tanunda, Angaston and Nuriootpa. 

Carol selects the kingfish ceviche. CJ makes the risky decision for a scallop pie. He need not have been worried. Four gorgeous, perfectly cooked sea scallops inside. Both entrees delicious.

Carol selects prawns as her main course. None of the mains called to CJ so he went with the Scotch Filet. It is perfectly cooked and tasty but you just don't seem to be able to get mouth watering tender beef in Australia; not here, not anywhere.

At Vitners, you pay a fixed price for the number of courses selected. Carol has selected the Tête de Moine, which translated literally as "monk's head". They use a girolle to get those paper-thin rosettes. We know we have one in Florida. For three years it went missing at the Virginia house.

CJ selected the passionfruit soufflé with caramel ice cream. The entire meal is delicious even if the beef is chewy.

Ever mindful of drink driving and the impact it would have on our visa renewal, we take a taxi both ways. The Barossa Valley has managed to keep Uber out.

Tasting in Tununda at "Z" Wines

After checking in at Tanunda Cottages, we walk to the main part of Tanunda in search of another wine tasting. Under most circumstances, this would be a simple walk, but after three wine tastings, the small climb seems like a mountain climb. There are picturesque heritage houses on the walk.

Alex has recommended Z Wines, a winery with a woman winemaker. We find it located in a quaint coffee shop on the main street.

This wine sampling is an extremely laid back affair. A new wine is poured every ten to fifteen minutes and you sit and soak up the atmosphere for a good hour and half.

The winemaker stops by with her two boys. Carol overhears that one boy has graduated from preschool to big boy school this morning. She congratulates him and gives him a five. That starts a nice conversation with the winemaker and appreciation from the server.

The original plan had another tasting stop. The new plan calls for checking out the inside of our eyelids.