Who is the Travelling Corkscrew?
I am a Kiwi with itchy feet who typically always has a glass of wine in hand! After growing up in the Bay of Islands in New Zealand with an afterschool job at a local winery my passion for the world of wine began. I’ve lived in Finland, Thailand, Dubai and now Australia, and I can’t seem to shake this very expensive hobby I have, it just keeps growing! Even when I was living in the Middle East of all places, you would think that my love of wine would drop (not out of choice of course) but it was actually in Dubai where I worked selling the world’s finest wines, studied towards my Intermediate and Advanced Certificates through the Wine & Spirit Education Trust and my wine blogging began. On my way back to NZ, my partner and I stopped off in Perth for 2 weeks, and now 2 years later we are building a house here! I have fallen mouth over wine glass in love with this city and all the fantastic wines Western Australia can offer! Travellingcorkscrew.com is a blog to celebrate wine and our own personal tastes. It’s about drinking a wine because YOU like it and having fun with it. Wine doesn’t have to be stuffy and pretentious.
How would you describe the Perth wine scene?
There’s a good mix of hot little wine bars in the Perth CBD selling fantastic international and local wines however with the Swan Valley on our doorsteps it means visiting wineries is almost part of the WA culture. It’s also great to see plenty of wine festivals like UnWined WA, City Wine and the Good Food & Wine Show coming to Perth to really get the city excited about wine.
Your top 5 WA Red- Now this is a hard one, as certain moods, situations and occasions call for different wines in my books. However what I’m loving right now are:
1. Evans & Tate 2011 Redbrook Shiraz from the Margaret River
2. Upper Reach 2011 Petite Verdot from the Swan Valley
3. Olive Farm Wines 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon from the Swan Valley
4. Woodlands 2006 ‘Robert’ Cabernet Sauvignon from the Margaret River
5. Barton Jones 2008 The Big Wig Shiraz from the Geographe region.
Your top 5 WA Whites-
Likewise, another hard question! However here are some of my favourites:
1. Myattsfield 2011 Methode Champenoise Sparkling Wine from the Perth Hills
2. Rockcliffe 2011 Chardonnay from the Great Southern
3. Sittella NV Sparkling Blanc de Blancs from the Swan Valley
4. Castelli Estate 2010 Botrytis Riesling from the Frankland River
5. Evans & Tate 2010 Redbrook Chardonnay from the Margaret River
Your favourite wine region?
I love the convenience of the Swan Valley; being so close to Perth means I can live the dream of living in a wine region whilst still pursuing my career in the city. However I have to admit the Margaret River has me weak at the knees, it’s such a beautiful part of the world. We are really so lucky in WA to have all these fantastic wine regions around us.
Your Favourite winery to visit? This is a hard one, as every winery has a uniqueness to it whether it’s the stellar wines on offer, the awesome customer service or the fabulous food available. One place that I think has all those characteristics is Olive Farm Wines and The Cheese Barrel. Wine and cheese will always be a winning combination in my books!
The Cheese Barrel
Catch the TC on her blog at www.travellingcorkscrew.com or on Facebook, Twitter or Google+.
LOVE PERTH LIFE 