Sunday 17 November

At Gateway one could pick strawberries and taste chutneys

Off to Yarra Valley for a winery tour. We all got on the Cafe Bus tour with our friendly driver Charlie, and had a comfortable ride to the first destination, the Yarra Valley Chocolaterie. We tasted several types and had a hot drink. Then on to Coombe Farm winery for a lively introduction to sparkling, white and red wines. The Nellie Melba Blanc de Blancs was nice.

Then on to Gateway wine and produce shop where we could pick strawberries and taste cheese. A nice place. Next to the Dominique Portet winery where they blend wines from other wineries. The sparkling rose was nice.

Killara winery was set against the Dandenong Hills

We drove to Healesville for a picnic lunch of sandwiches, dips and cakes and saw birds such as ibis and cockatoo. We saw a large reservoir and dam there. Our next stop was the White Rabbit brewery where we tasted cider and brown ales. Our last stop was Killara winery where we sat down to antipasti and tasted Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Sangiovese. We bought 3 bottles there and enjoyed the view and the sun. It was a very pleasant trip.

We came back to the hotel to finish the crossword and have a rest. Sun again tomorrow, we hope.