Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

On a recent ALDI Australia browse I spotted this Tulloch Wines Limited Edition 2018 Verdelho for $12 and thought I’d give it a whirl. There are 6 different bottle designs, each with a unique quote on like this one’s ‘calm is a superpower’ 🦸‍♀️

But that’s not all, if you unwrap the bottle on the inside you’ll find a Verdelho sangria recipe! I think I might need to get another bottle to try out the recipe 😜

Tulloch Wines have been making wine for over 120 years. They are based in NSW Hunter Valley Wine Region and produce a wide range of wines at various price points.

This one’s a bit of fun!

In the glass it’s a straw yellow-green colour. The nose is lined with notes of lime, green apple 🍏 and a sprinkling of fresh herbs. While in the mouth it’s smooth and silky with a crisp acidic bite to finish. Easy drinking and thirst quenching. Now to try it in Sangria form 🍹

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective & always evolving, so make sure you drink what you enjoy!

#tcweekdaywine #tctastingnotes Aldi Lovers Australia — 2 days ago

Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

Vermentino is where it’s at peeps. If you’re a newbie to this grape variety then this Empirica by Castelli 2018 Vermentino is a great one to start with. But buy at least 2 bottles as 1 bottle is definitely not enough 😉

A big thanks to Castelli from the Frankland River in WA’s Great Southern wine region for sending over this sample for us to try. It lasted all of 5 seconds unopened in our house 😂

The 2018 growing season in the Great Southern was excellent with near perfect conditions for grape growing.

In the glass I found it a very pale straw shade. On the nose it made me think of sweet citrus, grass and freshly cut apples/pears. While in the mouth it definitely sparks joy (I think Marie Kondo would agree!). It has the smoothest texture with crisp pink lady apples, a fresh mineral salinity and delightfully balanced candied grapefruit and lime hints. It’s one of those wines that both Mr Spittoon and I immediately went ‘mmmm’ upon the first sip 🤤

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective & always evolving, so make sure you drink what you enjoy!

#gifted #opinionsaremyown #tcweekdaywine #tctastingnotes
— 6 days ago

Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

Arlewood are located in Margaret River and I’ve been lucky enough to try a few of their wines and really enjoyed them. These guys started up shop in 1984 and are also known for their sheep 🐑 farming.

This 2015 La Bratta Bianco is part of the Vino Bambino portfolio and I couldn’t wait to try the sample they sent me. It’s made from mainly Sauvignon Blanc (79%) with a hint of Semillon (16%) and splash of Chardonnay (5%). French oak and extended time on the yeast lees were part of the making of this wine.

The name of the wine is inspired by the village La Bratta in Northern Italy where the family’s ancestors come from and where the family started making wine. Not to mention, this quirky little wine also received a mighty 97 points in James Halliday’s 2019 Wine Companion 🏆

In the glass, I found it a yellow with a bright highlight through it. On the nose it makes me think of grapefruit zest, hay, florals and passionfruit. As I sip it, I notice a juicy, creamy texture which covers the entire mouth, there’s a bite of acidity followed by a long fresh fruit forward finish. Thoroughly enjoyed this one!

You can find it on vinobambino.com.au for $38.

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective & always evolving, so make sure you drink what you enjoy!

#gifted #opinionsaremyown #tcweekdaywine — 9 days ago

Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

We discovered this little beauty on the weekend while on our vineyard retreat at Toms Cap Vineyard Retreat here in Gippsland. It’s a dry style Riesling that both Mr Spittoon and I picked out as our favourite from the cellar door tasting.

After the tasting we then went on to enjoy a bottle with our lunch, which matched wonderfully with my local rock flathead in light tempura batter with fries and fresh garden greens (aka fish’n’chips) and then went on to buy two more bottles 😂

Both of which have funnily already disappeared 🤷‍♀️

In the glass it’s a light yellow shade. On the nose it makes me think of fresh pears, sea breeze and orange zest. While in the mouth it’s smooth with tropical fruits but has a super crisp and refreshing acidity. So good!

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective & always evolving, so make sure you drink what you enjoy! #tcweekdaywine — 13 days ago

Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

Pulled pork bao buns and a Pinot Gris + Riesling + Gewurtztraminer white blend, what’s not to like about that combo 🤤

I didn’t realise how easy and quick bao buns are to make at home, I think I’ll be making these more often plus this bottle of Empirica by Castelli Estate Wines 2018 Fiore Del Campo made an excellent accompaniment and likewise so did the spicy potato pizza we enjoyed with the other half of the bottle for dinner 😋

This is another tipple from the ‘as close to perfect as we have ever seen’ 2018 vintage in WA’s Great Southern wine region.

I really enjoyed reading about the making of this wine;

“The softest press portion was fermented in stainless steel tank with the pressings portion fermented in old oak barrels as this aids the wines complexity and texture and softens the phenolic grip these varieties can develop. A new yeast (for us) isolated in Alsace (going by the great name 58W3) did a fantastic job with bringing out the aromatics and texture of the varieties.”

If you’re not aware, the 3 grapes used in this blend are the classic varieties grown in the Alsace wine region. I couldn’t wait to get stuck in.. here are my thoughts..

In the glass it’s a refreshing looking lemon yellow shade. On the nose it’s bursting with candied citrus fruits, a hint of anise and plenty of florals. Which makes sense since ‘Fiore del Campo’ translates to ‘field of flowers’ 💐. In the mouth it has a juicy texture with a refreshing lick of acidity on the finish. A great wine to have with food (it’s an especially great lunch wine) and plenty of laughter 😉

You can purchase this beauty for $22 via castelliestate.com.au

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective & always evolving, so make sure you drink what you enjoy!

#gifted #opinionsaremyown #tcweekdaywine #tctastingnotes — 4 days ago

Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

Saturday was Fizzy & Crackle’s 5 year adoption anniversary, so it seemed fitting to open this tipple. They’re very spoilt kitties too, that’s their luxe teepee ⛺️ in the photo behind the bottle 😹

A big thanks to Dialogue PR for this sample bottle. You ladies nailed it on the head, cats + wine = one happy TC!

The Fat Cat wine range is available at Dan Murphy’s and BWS and this is a new release in the range. The Cat Amongst the Pigeons 2018 Eden Valley Chardonnay sells for $29.

I found it a bright yellow colour with hints of gold in the glass. When I gave it a good whiff, images of white flowers, apricots and citrus came to mind. While in the mouth it has a lick of juicy melon and lemon with a slight syrupy mouthfeel and a nip of vanilla. Not as big and bold as I typically like my Chardonnay however I still finished every drop. If you like a light and fresh Chardy, this is for you!

PS: The cooler climate of the Eden Valley is ideal for making lighter style Chardonnay like this one. It’s also a top notch region for Riesling and Shiraz 😉

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective & always evolving, so make sure you drink what you enjoy!

#gifted #opinionsaremyown #tcweekdaywine — 8 days ago

Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

This was another one of the Toms Cap tipples we enjoyed on our weekend stay at their vineyard cottages here in Gippsland last weekend. This 3 Dog 2017 Chardonnay is barrel fermented yet retains a lot of crisp freshness.

We enjoyed a glass or 3 while in the spa pool at our cottage while the sun set, it was bliss! It is also nice that the cottages have decent glassware - they were Riedel 🙌

In the glass it’s a medium yellow shade. The nose makes me think of nectarines, vanilla spice, a sprinkling of almond flakes and a slice of honeydew melon. In the mouth I find it rather textural up front with a nice refreshing acid driven finish. A delicious balance of oak and citrus. $34 a bottle.

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective & always evolving, so make sure you drink what you enjoy! #tcweekdaywine — 13 days ago

Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

Happy Valentine’s Day wine lovers! Forget the roses 🌹 and opt for rosé today 🥂 (when is that darn rosé emoji coming!!).

Last night on the eve of V-day we cracked into this Mike Press 2016 Sparkling Rosé from the Adelaide Hills. This was my ‘birthday wine’ from The Wine Gallery - thank you 😘

Mike Press Wines is known for smashing out quality wines that wine critics absolutely gush about, all at bargain prices. Winemaker Mike Press has been in the wine industry for over 40 years, he’s worked alongside Max Schubert at Penfolds, at Seppelts, and in the role of chief winemaker for Mildara Blass. It was in 1998 when he started up his own vineyard. Head over to mikepresswines.com.au to find out more.

For me this dry Pinot Nour rosé is a strawberry 🍓 bomb. It looks like strawberry juice and it smells and tastes like strawberries! There’s also a wee hint of anise, cherries and lemon acidity to boot. Plus it has one of those plastic resealable sparkling wine closures in case you’re a weirdo and don’t drink it all in one sitting 😂

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective & always evolving, so make sure you drink what you enjoy!

#gifted #opinionsaremyown #tcweekdaywine #tctastingnotes — 5 days ago

Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

I received this Kiwi Pinot Noir for my birthday last month. It was a lovely gift from my brother & sister in-law and it’s one I haven’t tried yet so naturally it didn’t last long in our house unopened.

When I reached out to Soho Wine Co on Instagram to ask them on how they’d recommend serving the wine they said:

“It’s the cross dresser of wine, goes with anything but has a distinctive smoky ness”

Which gave me a good giggle. The Havana is a 2016 Pinot from the Marlborough region (near the top of the South Island) made by the award winning winemaker - David Clouston.

I served it up in my Pinot Noir specific Riedel glass where it looked a wonderfully vibrant cherry red colour. On the nose it made me think of dark chocolate, black cherries, a hint of smokey oak and a dollop of bacon jam 🤷‍♀️. While in the mouth those sweet cherries come through accompanied by some vanilla and a nice little acid flick of the heels on the finish 💃

On the Soho website the inspiration for this wine is listed as:

Havana, Cuba “Viva la SOHO Revolución”!

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective & always evolving, so make sure you drink what you enjoy!

#tcweekdaywine #tctastingnotes
— 7 days ago

Casey @ Travelling Corkscrew

February 9th (that’s tomorrow) is #WorldPizzaDay so I thought I’d get some practice in before the big day 😜🍕❤️

When #wine and #pizza matching, you really can’t go wrong with an Italian tipple. After visiting Tuscany back in 2011 it really sparked my love of Chianti and thanks to the team at Vino Bambino they recently introduced me to this Querceto Di Castellina 2016 L’Aura Organic D.O.C.G Chianti Classico.

QDC have been sustainable since 1998 and certified organic since 2012 🌱 You can buy it for $38 via the Vino Bambino website.

In the glass it’s an enticing juicy ruby red shade. The nose conjures up thoughts of red liquorice, berries and vanilla infused cherries. In the mouth it’s smooth and fruity with a dry, rounded, tannin infused + long finish with a distinct cocoa-powder note to it. Divine. Between the wine and the pizza (probably my most favourite food), and the company of my Mr Spittoon, I was blissfully happy ❤️

All opinions are based on my own taste buds. Wine is subjective & always evolving, so make sure you drink what you enjoy!

#gifted #opinionsaremyown #tcweekdaywine — 11 days ago