General Updates

Well, time certainly moves quickly here in Sydney. I’m not sure if it’s not having class on Mondays or what, but this second block of classes is zooming right by. On Tuesday, Sienna and I ventured out to find ramen after our first class, which was a journey. Sadly, Japan Town was closed (it seems they have a town for everything here, and I love it), so we had to resort to Plan B. The ramen wasn’t quite like the Top Ramen I’m familiar with at home, but it hit the spot. The food tasted extra yummy, especially after walking over a mile with my backpack. I had interviews this week for an internship placement in Singapore, and I hope to hear back soon. I definitely gravitate more towards one, but even if nothing comes of these, it was great interview experience.

Wine and More Wine

It will be pretty clear that the winery tours in Hunter Valley were the highlight of my week. Before I enter the winery experience, I want to highlight the small town we stopped in for lunch. Now, my town is what we call a ‘small town,’ but after seeing the size of this town, I might be from a town. The restaurant was great—I had a chicken schnitzel burger with cider, and it was delicious. We had time to explore the small town, which consisted of a museum, their supermarket/coffee shop, a dance hall, two local restaurants, and two mom-and-pop stores—not a franchise or big-box store anywhere. Nonetheless, the town seemed to be hopping. All the people were friendly, and it was just fascinating to see a different style of life, especially in a different country.

Now, onto the wine! Our first winery tasting was at Brokenwood Wines (my favorite). It felt the most commercialized but was my favorite because of our sommelier. To me, it’s the people and the connections you make that make a place special. Unfortunately, I missed his name, but from the moment we sat down, he was eager to know everyone’s favorite football team, as he’s a 49ers fan. Again, I can’t get over how much insight other countries have about the States. He was good about making eye contact and moving about our rounded table to make everyone feel like they had their own one-on-one experience. He got us to naturally discuss the wine with each other, and the entire experience felt very sophisticated.

You may be surprised—just as I was—that I preferred the red wines over the whites. I have been drinking solely Moscato since being here, so I assumed I’d like the whites. We got to sample a dessert wine, too, and I think that’s unfair to compare it to white or red, especially as it was honey-infused, and I love honey. That was quickly the star of the show across the board for almost everyone sitting around me. I also learned the correct way to hold a wine glass when it’s chilled vs. room temperature, the proper swirling technique, how to have a smolder after you take a sniff, and how to really look at the color (or at least that’s what I was looking at). Sienna and I had fun messing around trying to describe what we tasted. Interestingly enough, it’s unclear to me if this goes for all wine, but at Brokenwood, the extra flavors you get come from the grapes themselves—they don’t add anything additional, for instance, to get a hint of guava. The combination of the sommelier and his knowledge, especially his advice that when it comes to wine, there is no right way—so long as you enjoy it—made the experience even more meaningful. And I think that can be said for many things in life, so I will hold onto that sentiment.

Next, we went to Ernest Hill Wines, which was clearly a very family-oriented business. They focus primarily on selling to businesses rather than to individual consumers. The lady was very welcoming and shared a detailed analysis of the wines we tried and the backstory of how specific types of wines can be grown in the region. I found it fascinating when she revealed that only 5% of Australian wines come from the Hunter Valley because, driving around, there were lots of vineyards. At Ernest Hill, I actually made a purchase! I bought a Muscat. I’m not sure if it was because it was the last drink of the day, but it was delicious! It was compared to a port (both are fortified wines), so I thought this would be a great memento to drink on special occasions—to reminisce about my special time in Australia and so my friends and family could taste how great it was. This ties back to contemporary politics, which is about understanding food and drink and how they relate to culture. While not all of them can visit me here, I can bring an aspect of Australian wine culture to connect them to Australia.

Our third and final winery was Margan Wines, and it was beautiful. Luscious trees formed a tunnel upon entry, and I felt like someone should have been getting married. The building was made out of the soil they dug up to build the structure and had excellent geothermal properties. The winery was all about sustainability. We sat in a beautiful room with high ceilings, barrels and barrels of wine. By now, we had all become official wine tasters, and after each sip, we would describe the various notes and thoughts we had about the different flavors that shone through the wine. It’s a bit comical to realize how much we learned from a few tastings, but this experience will serve me well for the rest of my life. You won’t catch me holding a glass of white wine with my fingers anywhere but on the stem!

Thanks for tuning in! Time is quickly coming to an end in Sydney, but don’t worry—I have much in store to maximize every opportunity. Until next week.

Cheers!

-Alexa