Food History

The most important stop on our mini-tour of the Yarra Valley was at De Bortoli Wines. De Bortoli started in the Riverina, I think, where there are immensely long intensely sunny days. They now have wineries in a number of regions and produce consistently good wines across a range of styles.

I hadn’t tasted many of their wines, though one of my favourite dessert wines for the last dunnamany years has been their Noble One. It’s one of those rich and sweet sunshine-in-a-bottle drinks. I first encountered it at the High Court in Canberra, which is another story entirely.

My parents sprung a surprise on me at De Bortoli’s. They asked the counter staff (who were unfailingly charming) about the cheesemaker, Richard Thomas. He came out specially to see us. Why? It turns out he’s a good friend of my sister’s, who he describes as “one of the best wine educators in Australia.”

Richard is one of the best cheesemakers in Australia. He’s also a pretty awesome educator. My mouth is still reeling from the cheeses he introduced us to and the wines that we tasted. Basically, he moved the whole food element of the day from my brain into my tastebuds, which was perfect. (And if my sudden access of praise worries you, it’s because you weren’t there - it truly was a very special tasting experience, from the staff* to the comestibles.)

If you can get hold of Richard’s goat’s cheese, do. It’s gentle and rounded and perfection. And if you can get to De Bortoli’s book a cheese session. If you can’t book a cheese session then at least get a tasting platter or buy some cheese to take home.

I nibbled on Ossau Iratty (a sheep’s cheese from the Basque country) and thought of the Song of Roland. Mum and I had their Valdeon again for dessert - it is such a perfect cheese to have with a slice of fresh apple and a glass of muscat.

As for wines, we only tasted three, because they were the ones we were thinking of buying. The De Bortoli Yarra Valley Estate Grown Viognier is very different to the Canberra cool climate wines I know. Very nice, though. I want to extend my Melbourne trip and help Mum drink her bottle.

I liked the Shiraz Viognier even better (and I’m not a shiraz drinker, by and large). It is just the perfect wine for cheese and Monday was the perfect cheese day.

Let me sigh a little sigh of pleasure and remember it for a moment. Perfect days are rare and special. The wonderful thing about perfect food days is that the memories include taste and scent and can last forever.

*we didn’t eat the staff, but I wrote this post when I was tired - just in case you were worried about my sudden discovery of long pig.

food, de Bortoli, Richard Thomas, cheese, wine, Yarra Valley