Trip to Australia with “La Chaine des Rotisseurs Pernod Ricard and Gaggenau”

Departure from London Heathrow on Friday 21st of January at 22.30 Weather 0C and rainy

Arrival in Sydney on Sunday at 10.30 am The weather is beautiful and so sunny, 31 C

Checked in at The Continental Hotel, my room was at the 18th floor. I had some free time so I took the opportunity to spend the entire day visiting and trying to get as much sun as possible around the ever so famous and amazing Opera House, Harbour Bridge and the Rock’s area….

In the evening I met a True Gentleman call Steven Marks ( Bailli Delegue, Membre du Conseil Magistral, Commandeur) and his lovely wife who took me to around Sydney and invited me to this to a really good restaurant called “Kingleys”

On Monday morning I met Nigel Dolan and Peter Lokan from Orlando wine company own by Pernod Ricard and together we flew on a Helicopter to the Hunter Valley the view we had on Sydney and on the Valley was just outstanding and we landed to Whyndam Estate where we had a presentation including a tasting and then we had lunch at the Estate.

We came back by Minibus to the Intercontinental Hotel in Sydney around 6pm.

A couple of hours later Stephen Marks came and picked me up at the Hotel to go to Shangri-La Hotel we went to the bar situated at the 36th floor which is offering one of the best view of Sydney over the Opera House and The Harbour Bridge, where I also met Francis R. Cochrane ( Echanson d’Australie)

Then we went to one of the very best restaurant in Sydney called the “Number One” where we had a fantastic meal with some of the finest Australian wine…

On Tuesday it was already time to leave Sydney and to go to Barossa Valley… We went straight to Jacob’s Creek Estate where we arrived for Lunch, we met Mr_——-

Who gave me a special tour and a private wine tasting with Mr Bernard Hickins where I had the privilege to taste some mature vintages of St Hugo including the 1986 (my date of birth)… On the evening we had a meal on the restaurant of the winery with some exquisite wines from Jacob’s Creek Estate included the Yohann Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon and the Steingarten Riesling….

The following day I went to Adelaide Hills to enjoy a tour of the Region and few vineyards with Hamish Laurie and his lovely wife from Deviation Road winery. We visited Shaw and Smith and Barrat Estate before to have a wonderful lunch at Deviation Road Winery

In the evening I went to Adelaide City where I checked in at the Hilton Hotel. A Gentleman from la Chaine called Nicholas Papazahariakis came and picked me up and invited me to his own house where I met his partner who cooked the best moussaka I have ever eaten and really they both welcomed me like a member of their own family… Then Nicholas showed me his restaurant “Chloe’s” with an outstanding wine cellar including one of the best Penfolds Grange collection I have ever seen.

On Thursday we flew to Melbourne, we arrived on the morning at the “Crown Metropol Hotel”

Around noon, 2 fantastic people from Gaggeneau (I do apologize I do not remembering their names) took me to one of the very best restaurant of Melbourne called the “Ezard” where I had one of the best meal ever…. Outstanding!!!!!!!

In the Afternoon, I had some free time, I picked the opportunity to Catch up with a really good friend of mine living in Melbourne and working at Circa…. On Friday I went for lunch with my friend again to Rockpool Restaurant where they won the award of best wine list in Australia.

In the afternoon we went to see the semi final of the Australian Tennis open: opposing Andy Murray up against David Ferrer

On Saturday Morning, I went to Yarra Valley to visit few wineries, I was welcomed by in Giant step winery by Cameron Mackenzie (Director- Sales and Marketing) who took me around the Vineyard and we had a lunch at the winery eating the local product made at the Estate including bread, Pizzas, Pastas, coffees…..

We then went to Yarra yering winery which is offering one of the best and traditional way to look at and to understand Australian wines, from my opinion (after Jacob’s Creek obviously)…. In the evening it was time to take a last plane back to London and to the cold….

I would like to thank everybody from Pernod Ricard, La Chaine des Rotisseurs and Gaggeneau for their warm welcome and for the wonderful organisation, that has been provided to me, before and during the trip, in particular to Adrian Atkinson and Philip Evins….

Again, thank you so much. I greatly appreciate your generosity.

Best Regards,

Clement