Hello Matt;
I have taken note of your suggestions - of course, there is more than a year
till that voyage will bceome reality. Still: I have so far only tasted one
of the majestic Rutherford Muscats. As a rule, I don't go heavy on the
fortifieds, they being too alcoholic for my delicate palate - the one I
tried had a certain similarity to the Portuguese Moscatel de Setubal. So
help me, I find a note of curry in them both. Very good with dark chocolate,
I'd say. HAd it as dessert wine in excellent eatery Fish at the ROcks.
There is little comparison with the third ilk of fortified Muscats, thsoe of
Southern France (Beaume-de-Venise, Fron tignac etc).
IIRC, Yarra is the coldest wine producing area in Australia - I believe it
can be _really_ cold there.
We will hit the area late November - beginning of summer down under, then.
TAsting Australian wines on their homeground has certainly widened my
perspectives a lot, the ones we get up here tend to be too fruity-sweety,
too oakey-pokey ... those we had there were as a rule much more interesting,
not to mention palatable. It IS a pity you can't drive to Australia with
your Volovo. SOmebody will have to look into that. As well as this crazy
thing with the clock, you'd expect them to have sorted that out by now? I
mean, that the sun is shining brightly when it is obviously just a little
past midnight?

Cheers

Nils Gustaf