The Grower's Basket

Canberra is a happening suit and tie city that encompasses the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). Jean and I are lucky to have a good friend who lives in the city, and being only a few hours from Sydney, it was a perfect first stop. Not only is it home to the capital city of Australia but another reason to visit is to journey through the 140 vineyards and 30 plus wineries that surround the city. What makes this region so special is the range in temperatures, soil types, and elevation giving the wines a cool climate advantage over most other regions around Australia. Our first visit was Lark Hill Biodynamic Winery . Jean and I had tried their wines before and were excited to finally see the vineyard and taste more of their offerings. The property definitely had a boutique feel with a stone building covered in crawling vines, hens scratching around the gardens, and a clumsy Great Dane puppy who greeted us on arrival. The owners were at the Cellar Door happy to pour wines and...

If there was ever a time in my life which could represent feelings of happiness, satisfaction, and fulfilment it would be the time I have spent in Australia.   Over the past 2 plus years I have been living and working in Mudgee, NSW for Lowe Wines . Most of my allocated vacation time was spent going back to Canada to visit friends and family, and of course a short vacation to Nepal. As my 15 month anniversary in Mudgee crept up I began to wonder, what’s next? Travelling has always been on the post Australia agenda and it was now time to think about making a strategic exit. I decided after my 2 year work contract was up I would spread my wings and fly. Of course, not alone. My partner, Jean had also confided in me about his feelings of ‘readiness’ to move on from Mudgee. There was a sense of guilt lingering in the air as we chatted around our dining room table when we decided we would leave before the new year in 2016, which also meant leaving just before vintage. I didn’t wa...