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Ciavarella Wines - Mystery In A Bottle
It may well be the rarest patch of vineyard in Australia. Covering a miniscule plot
of one and a half acres, Ciavarella Oxley Estate’s ‘aucerot’ is a mystery grape
variety whose true identity has eluded many a wine sleuth. Essentials gives you
the facts of the case.
Students of viticulture can trace every grape variety in
Australia back to its European roots. Well, almost, but not
quite. At Ciavarella Oxley Estate there’s a grape that claims
shadowy origins and which seems to be the last of its kind
in the country.
 [download full article]
Evans Lane, Oxley, Victoria
Tel. 03 5727 3384
ciavwine@netc.net.au
The Hit List - Top Winter Accommodation Escapes
looking for an inviting place to get
together with friends, or to have
an indulgent weekend away with
your partner, North East Victoria has
some of the best accommodation
around. Essentials has lit the fire
and snuggled up on a cosy sofa with
a glass of red to make a list of the
top winter warmers.
The Buckland – Studio Retreat
Nestled within the grapevines, chestnut
groves and tobacco fields of the Buckland
Valley — and presided over by the smoky
blue, snow-capped heights of Mt Buffalo
— The Buckland is the ultimate in couplesonly
accommodation for those who prefer
their getaway more modern than rustic.
Sure, there are unimpeded views of the gumtrees
through the floor-to-ceiling windows of your
bathroom and an inquisitive wombat has been
known to press his nose against the glass,
but the mood lighting, personal espresso
machine, L’Occitane products, stainless steel
appliances, heated towel racks, heavenly
linens and softer-than-soft bedding (choose
from five different types of pillows) would put
the slickest of Manhattan hotels to shame. Not
only that, but The Buckland is proof that you
can enjoy the finer things in life while taking
good care of the environment. Each individual studio —
situated at least 60 metres away from
its neighbour for privacy — has been designed
as a contemporary take on the Australian
landscape, with environmentally friendly
features such as solar heat pumps, rainwater
tanks and double-glazed windows. While
snuggling in front of the slow combustion
wood heater, your mind won’t be on anything
though — apart from the person next to you.
It’s guilt-free romance.
McCormack’s Lane, Buckland Valley
(near Bright), Victoria
Tel. 03 5756 2383
www.thebuckland.com.au
Queen of Hearts Tarts
Leading food writer Matt Preston recently declared that Danielle Brooke of
Myrtleford’s Plump Harvest Produce makes a raspberry tart that ‘may be the
best in the state’. However, give it a taste and you might consider that he was
just being diplomatic in not openly declaring it the best.
72 Myrtle Street (Great Alpine Road),
Myrtleford, Victoria
Tel. 03 5752 2257
www.plumpharvestproduce.com.au
Talking Tea with Mr Twining
Jacqui Verrocchio talks with Stephen Twining,
10th generation of the famous tea family and
in Australia to promote the new Simply
Tea, about his personal tea drinking habits,
coffee culture’s impact on tea, the Ethical
Tea Partnership and why Yo-Yos are a good
dunking biscuit.
Q. Drinking tea can be a very emotional thing.
A. ‘I think you’re right. I think tea is sensual… it’s about the sense
of smell and taste. Coffee is quick, but the ritual of tea is something
that takes time, something you sit down over. To me coffee is like the
initial excitement of a new relationship, but tea is your best friend, your
favourite partner, and will always be there
Gigi's Of Beechworth - Dine With Love And Devotion
When you’ve lost the one-and-only, no one else
compares. Everything around you is reduced to its
own quintessence by default, and only metaphors
of love and heartbreak will do. At Gigi’s, you can dine and
drink accordingly.
When I give romance the thumbs
down, Gigi’s owner Allan Parker responds
without hesitation, ‘I’ll get you a glass of
wine, sweetheart.’ Pouring me a St Johns
Road ‘Julia’ Greenock shiraz — ‘It’s got leather,
tobacco — all the good stuff’ — he then asks
if I’d like to see the menu, or, ‘Would you just
like us to feed you?’ In certain circles, leaving
your meal to the ‘chef’s discretion’ is seen as
pretentious, especially if the diner requests it.
However, Allan’s offer has a bacchanalian lilt,
with a note of devil-may-care — like the cigarchomping
dominatrix, under whose tutelage
the high court judge for once isn’t obliged to
make a decision — and I accept immediately.
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