So, last weekend me, Ol and our two pals took a trek through the undulating hills of the Central West to the Orange Wine Region. Surrounded by the breathtaking landscape that looked freakishly similar to the background of Windows XP, we sipped on delicious local plonk, chatted to the winemakers and inevitably wound up pretty bloody sloshed.
We were chauffeured from each winery in a limo, arrogant I know, but it actually worked out cheaper than booking a tour. Plus, we got to choose which wineries we went, how long we spent at each and indulge in Croser, cheese and crackers during the ride. We picked three cellar doors; Ross Hill, De Salis and Cargo Road.
First, Ross Hill. Some real weird looks getting out of the limo, I think the locals were trying to work out if we were celebrities, yuppie wankers or both. From the slick polished concrete interior to the relaxed and personable staff, this place was totally my vibes. Scott looked after us; a generous spirit with very generous pours. He spoke in detail about each wine, the climate/terrain and production process, all the while managing to avoid sounding like one of those wanky wine guys.
He seamlessly wove in personal anecdotes to give feeling to each wine. My favourite; the story of how he met his now wife five years ago when she came for a tasting, he won her over her with a red, and I could see why. The reds were definitely the hero at Ross Hill, my cheeks flushed as I met each one and fell in love. Pro tip for anyone that goes red and rashy while getting tipsy like me; wear a turtleneck, you can cover that shit up while looking like a hipster beatnik/singer from DEVO. I popped my Cab Franc cherry, and my god it was good, delicious peppermint notes, great depth and full body.
Jess and I were disappointed we couldn’t try the Jessica Rosé (for obvious reasons) but pleased when we heard it was because this had all gone to the Fratelli group in Sydney (Ross Hill are now supplying their house wines). These wines are delicious, the wine makers are passionate and switched on, and deserve your patronage and support.
We left Ross Hill with a buzz on, we hooked into Jess’ delish cacao muffins, had a bit more champagne and made our way to De Salis. Ah my favourite....each time I visit this winery my fondness and admiration for it grows. Mitch the winemaker, son of owners Charlie and Loretta is one of Ollie’s mates and treated us to a great time. His knowledge regarding all things wine is expansive and plentiful like the sprawling acres which the winery is set.
De Salis create natural, funky, interesting wines with no added nasties. Their wines have layers of complexity and strong foundations which make them perfect for cellaring, or if you’re like me drinking straight away....I feel less guilty about this since Mitch told me over 90% of the wine bought at cellar door is consumed within the first three weeks. I copped a stern talking to from Ollie, he’s determined to lay a few down and see how they evolve, he’s even created a “not for Rachel consumption” section on our wine rack, he must be serious.
I’m utterly obsessed with De Salis chardonnay (wild, lofty or straight); it's not too acidic, creamy and oaky yet fresh and vibrant. I literally dream about drinking them. But this time around I found a new favourite, the playful Pinot. This flirty drop is full of fruity flavours and fun AF. It’s the kind of wine that gets the party started. It's adaptable; could be enjoyed on a hot or cold day, and with any type of meal. Try it, you won't regret it.
You can pick De Salis wine from the elegant, artfully crafted label. It has a classic family crest which has been cut in half in contemporary fashion. Mitch explains it’s bad luck to cut a family crest in half, but to me the label is indicative of the winery's perfect balance between old and new. De Salis were ahead of the funky orange (skin contact) wine scene that is all the rage in Sydney hipster wine circles. They're OG natural wine producers, but they ain't cagey or elitist. They've worked with up-and-coming sommeliers/winemakers; Enrique Mendoza and Sally Rainbows and they nurture and encourage their fellow innovators.
We spent a little longer than anticipated at De Salis, so had to rush to the next winery, Cargo Road. But I feel we needn’t have bothered, Cargo Road wines simply put were sickly sweet. Like imagine the cheapest, sweetest bottle of Prosecco you’ve ever bought then add like ten spoons of sugar. It didn’t matter the varietal, we tried everything from Riesling to Merlot, it was all saccharine sweet. The winemaker explained she liked to drink the wine with ice cubes on a summers day, that kind of sums it up. If you’re into sweet things; cocktails or punch more than wine, this place should be your go to. I guess the view was pretty nice....
Despite the hangover which lasted half a week, and the guilt of eating Maccas twice on the trip home. It was a great wine weekend, I highly recommend visiting Orange wineries. I know being a local, I'm a little bias, but it’s just so much prettier than the Hunter and far less commercial. You get more time one on one with the producers, and there's no annoying kids.