Week six is over and done and what a week it was. The highlight of the week was undoubtedly our wine tour. We took a weekend excursion to Hunter Valley where we visited three vineyards and tried a variety of wines from all 3. Broken Wood, Margan, Ernest Hill were all amazing and I ended up buying wine from all three. Broken Wood was a modern vineyard with modern amenities and feel. I most enjoyed the Shiraz blend we had at Broken Wood, and the Steak Tartare appetizer I had after we were done. Next we went to Ernest Hill which had a mush more rustic feel. The tasting room was small and we sat on stools around several wine barrels. It was a much more intimate fee and I really enjoyed it. Additionally Earnest Hill had some of the best fortified wines I have had, and I learned at this vineyard that because almost 90% of faults in wine come from cork failure, most vineyards in the region have switched to screw off caps. Finally we ended up at Margan, which felt the most upscale of the three. I most enjoyed the Semillon from this vineyard. This was the largest vineyard we went too. The tasting was in their barrel storage room was a great experience, it made us feel like a part of the process. When in Newcastle we also visited the “Bogey Hole” which is a natural pool on the Newcastle coast. It was awesome to see the waves crashing over the rocks and the clearness of the natural pools.
