Archive for the ‘Australia’ Category

Huge Australian Crocodile Destroys Large Lawn Mower – Australia

Wednesday, December 28th, 2011

I couldn’t resist posting this very interesting mainstream news story, at least in this part of the world, about an enormous 50-year-old crocodile that attacked a large lawn mower near Sydney, Australia.  He did major damage to it, to the point it can never be repaired although, the behemoth broke two of his own teeth during the mêlée, and then dragged the mower underwater and continually guarded it (this is a typical reaction to anything a crocodile captures). The keepers had to lure the animal away by giving it kangaroo meat in another part of the pool, while they hauled the lawnmower out of the water.  In the past, this beast has been known to eat two of his possible female partners, it is unknown if they had mated yet or not. This guy has a case of too much testosterone!

Video Link To: Crocodile Attacking Lawnmower

 

May in Western Australia Means Truffle Time – Australia

Friday, May 20th, 2011

Western Australian TruffleCooler weather is setting in, signaling the advent of black truffle season (May – September) in Western Australia, which combined with the French black-truffle season (November – March) doubles the overall season. With over 150 Australian growers a bumper harvest of over 10 tons is expected by 2013. Fetching over $3,000 dollars a kilogram the “black gold” is exported to 20 countries such as the U.S., France, Singapore and Hong Kong to mention a few.

Fonty’s Pool Wine Dinner, La Tavola Restaurant, Renaissance Hotel – Bangkok

Saturday, August 7th, 2010

Fonty’s Pool wines presented by Wine Connection, Tel. 66 2 234 0388, with special thanks to Darawadee Prom-in (Tie)

Fonty's Pool 1-1

Fonty’s Pool Winery

Cellar door opening 10am-4:30pm daily
Contact: info@fontyspoolwines.com.au
Website: www.fontyspoolwines.com.au
Winery address: Seven Day Road, Manjimup
P.O. Box 465, Manjimup WA 6258
Tel. +61 8 9777 0777
Fax +61 8 9777 0788

Fonty's Pool 2-1

Following is a listing from James Halliday Australian Wine Companion of some of Fonty’s Pool current wines from:

Fonty’s Pool has again been awarded 5 Red Stars from James Halliday
5 Red Stars is recognition for having a long track record of excellence
“Truly the best of the best a 5‐Star winery”

Single Vineyard Pemberton Chardonnay 2008 Bright straw‐green; a chardonnay with the precision of a Swiss watch, a highly fragrant bouquet ranging through citrus and white flesh stone fruit, the palate picking up those flavours, then adding a fine veneer of oak and a mineral backbone to the package. Screwcap. 13% alc. Rating 96 Drink 2017 $22 Date Tasted Feb 10

Lucia Limited Release Pemberton Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2008 Bright quartz‐green a 50/50 blend with some oak infusion; a totally brilliant winemaking exercise, the wine building lemony flavour progressively through the length of the palate and aftertaste in the manner of a great Burgundy. Screwcap. 12% alc. Rating 95 Drink 2012 $22 Date Tasted Feb 10

Single Vineyard Pemberton Pinot Noir 2009 Light crimson; fragrant red cherry and spice aromas, then a relatively light‐bodied savoury/spicy/cherry palate that has excellent texture, structure and, above all, length. Screwcap. 13% alc. Rating 94 Drink 2015 $19.80 Date Tasted Feb 10

Single Vineyard Pemberton Chardonnay 2007 Classic cool‐grown chardonnay with a racy mix of grapefruit, mineral and stone fruit, oak somewhere in the mix, although never obvious. Screwcap. 13.5% alc. Rating 94 Drink 2017 $22 Date Tasted Sep 09

Single Vineyard Pemberton Merlot 2008 Varietal character is first, second and last in defining the wine, fusing cassis, spice and a touch of black olive into a seamless and very well balanced palate. Screwcap. 13.5% alc. Rating 92 Drink 2014 $22 Date Tasted Sep 09

Single Vineyard Pemberton Cabernet Merlot 2008 This is a convincing cool region blend, with attractive cassis/blackcurrant flavours offset by fine, savoury tannins. A case of less is more. Screwcap. 13.5% alc. Rating 91 Drink 2016 $17 Date Tasted Sep 09

Single Vineyard Pemberton Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2009 Interesting wine; while the flavours are in the grass/citrus spectrum, the palate has more weight than many of this vintage, and a touch of tropical fruit; lees contact? Screwcap. 12% alc. Rating 90 Drink 2012 $19.80 Date Tasted Sep 09

Puddle Jumper Pemberton Sauvignon Blanc Semillon 2009 There’s lots of activity on the label, and lots of activity in the glass too; ripe tropical fruit is offset by touches of grass and herb great for a casual glass or two. Screwcap. 12.4% alc. Rating 89 Drink 2012 $15 Date Tasted Feb 10

Puddle Jumper Pemberton Merlot Shiraz Malbec 2008 Bright hue; a light‐ to medium‐bodied wine with an array of plum and fruit cake flavours, fine tannins and a touch of oak; no need for cerebral effort. Screwcap. 14% alc. Rating 88 Drink 2013 $15 Date Tasted Feb 10

Lucia Pemberton Sparkling Brut Chardonnay 2008 Well balanced and fresh, with plenty of citrussy fruit; not complex. Cork. 13% alc. Rating 87 Drink 2012 $26 Date Tasted Feb 10

paul4Paul McArdle, CEO, Fonty’s Pool Winery.  Paul’s long involvement in the wine industry has been varied:

He has been a lecturer for the West Australian Wine Education Centre, focusing on the specialty international wine courses. He also provides specialist international wine education for the sales staff at ‘Negociants Australia’ (National wine distribution company).

Paul is the consultant wine buyer and staff educator for the award winning ‘Must’ wine bar in Perth (since 2004). He writes a quarterly wine article for Box magazine and is a wine panel judge for Scoop magazine.  In addition, he earned a “Master of Wine” degree from the demanding UK based tasting exam in 2003. Mr McArdle is currently the CEO of Fonty’s Pool winery in Pemberton, WA.

La Tavola 1La Tavola Restaurant, Renaissance Ratchaprasong Hotel, Bangkok

Pasta course3

ArugulaAbove: a couple of Chef Fabio Polidori unique creations for the four course dinner.

I am usually not a big fan of Australian wines as the bottles I have sampled, over the years, were overall too heavy and some contained as much as 14 – 15% alcohol. Fonty’s Pool “cool climate” wines were a very pleasant surprise, displaying a great deal of finesse and elegance with most of the wines weighing in at a pleasant 12 – 13.5%. Especially good were the Sauvignon Blanc/Semillion and a delightful Pinot Noir.

Australia’s 100 Best Restaurants

Thursday, March 26th, 2009

I am reporting on the latest list considered by the Australian food magazine Gourmet Traveller as the Best 100 Restaurants in Australia. This magazine, in my opinion, is the most well-written gourmet magazine published today, so much so, that when I was living in America I subscribed to it.

  1. Quay, NSW
  2. Tetsuya’s, NSW
  3. Rockpool, NSW
  4. Vue de Monde, VIC
  5. Pier, NSW
  6. Marque, NSW
  7. Est., NSW
  8. Bécasse, NSW
  9. Claude’s, NSW
  10. Guillaume at Bennelong, NSW
  11. Aria, NSW
  12. Buon Ricordo, NSW
  13. Jacques Reymond, VIC
  14. Three, One, Two, VIC (Closed)
  15. Rockpool Bar & Grill, VIC
  16. Attica, VIC
  17. Sean’s Panaroma, NSW
  18. Pilu at Freshwater, NSW
  19. Bentley Restaurant & Bar, NSW
  20. Icebergs Dining Room & Bar, NSW
  21. The Botanical, VIC
  22. Yoshii, NSW
  23. Berowra Waters Inn, NSW
  24. Royal Mail Hotel, VIC
  25. Pearl, VIC
  26. Ezard, VIC
  27. Bistro Guillaume, VIC
  28. Lake House, VIC
  29. Bilson’s, NSW
  30. Café Di Stasio, VIC
  31. Flower Drum, VIC
  32. Vulcans, NSW
  33. Universal, NSW
  34. The Grange, SA
  35. Stokehouse, VIC
  36. Restaurant Balzac, NSW
  37. Verge, VIC
  38. Circa, the Prince, VIC
  39. Grossi Florentino, VIC
  40. Interlude, VIC (Closed)
  41. Absynthe, QLD
  42. Bistro Moncur, NSW
  43. The Manse, SA
  44. Lucio’s, NSW
  45. E’cco, QLD
  46. Darley’s, NSW
  47. Appellation, SA
  48. Star Anise, WA
  49. Montrachet, QLD
  50. Urbane, QLD
  51. The Melting Pot, SA
  52. Catalina, NSW
  53. Restaurant Two, QLD
  54. Lebrina, TAS
  55. Isis Brasserie, QLD
  56. Auge, SA
  57. Flying Fish, NSW
  58. Petaluma’s Bridgewater Mill, SA
  59. Vanitas, QLD
  60. The Wine Underground, SA
  61. Stefano’s, VIC
  62. Bistrode, NSW
  63. MoVida, VIC
  64. Bodega, NSW
  65. Billy Kwong, NSW
  66. Giuseppe, Arnaldo & Sons, VIC
  67. Longrain, NSW
  68. Mad Cow, NSW
  69. Nu Nu, QLD
  70. Glebe Point Diner, NSW
  71. Becco, VIC
  72. Lotus, NSW
  73. Otto, NSW
  74. The Press Club, VIC
  75. Esposito, VIC
  76. Four in Hand, NSW
  77. The Grand, VIC
  78. Restaurant Assiette, NSW
  79. Comme Kitchen, VIC
  80. Forty One, NSW
  81. North Bondi Italian Food, NSW
  82. Vasse Felix, WA
  83. Pacific Dining Room, NSW
  84. Fish Face, NSW
  85. Foveaux, NSW
  86. Astral, NSW
  87. Taxi Dining Room, VIC
  88. The Boathouse on Blackwattle Bay, NSW
  89. The Loose Box, WA
  90. Buzo, NSW
  91. Baguette Bistrot & Bar, QLD
  92. Sailors Thai, NSW
  93. Bar Lourinhã, VIC
  94. Longrain, VIC
  95. Sourcedining, NSW
  96. Gianni, QLD
  97. Glass, NSW
  98. The Courthouse, VIC
  99. Rock, NSW
  100. Gills Diner, VIC