We have been away for the weekend to the Hunter Valley.

This represents some of the dichotomy I find in my life in Australia (is that the right word, Mark?): I love the Australian way of life, the culture, the society, the opportunities.  Yet I miss some of my memories of the atmosphere of events in England – string quartets playing Schubert in stately homes, elegant gourmet occasions in beautiful surroundings, like our wonderful meal the first time we went to l’Enclume restaurant in Carmel,a few years ago – see my entry dated 24th August 2013).

Perhaps such occasions/opportunities are to be found in Australia, it is just that they are fewer and further between.

Margan Winery is a Hunter Valley business producing absolutely world-class Chardonnay and other varieties.  Even that sentence alone shows some of the difference between “New World” wines and the traditional producers from France (and to a lesser extent Italy, Spain, etc.).  Here in the New World of wines, they are known by the grape varieties,rather than the “terroir” – the area where they are grown.  It is much more straightforward and easy to understand.  Anyway once a year the winery has a “launch” of their premier wines, with a lunchtime event to celebrate the latest “vintage” – vintage being the time when the grapes are harvested.

The Hunter Valley is a lovely area of NSW.  It was the first area away from Botany Bay to be occupied by the white settlers, and they named the settlement after a coal producing area of England – Newcastle.  Even to this day the coal mines compete with the local farmers and vine-growers for influence over planning decisions.

The southern and eastern area of the valley (where we were) is very much wine country, though.

We stayed with some friends at a local rented property.

It had a truly lovely outlook, as seen here.

From this house it was short drive to the winery, where we met with a crowd (150?) of like-minded people.

Margan grow their own market-gardening produce as well as the grapes.  How on earth do they stop the local wildlife from eating it all, I wonder?

The food was excellent, and wines a good match….

Sue and I had a very good weekend away from our work, and were forced to buy lots of bottles of fine wine from Margan