The month of May... busy times!

May has been an unusually busy month for me, beginning on May 5 to go to Margaret River for a long weekend for dual purposes: first, celebrating the release of John Gladstones’ imperious Wine, Terroir and Climate Change, which can be purchased through the website at a discount of 20% from its RRP, although that is absolutely not the reason that I sing its praises. Secondly, I was the guest of Vasse Felix, which in turned staged a very large subregional tasting of over 70 wines from the six unofficial subregions of Margaret River proposed by John Gladstones way back in 1989.

Then on May 12 I headed to Noosa for the Noosa Food & Wine Festival; a glorious event from start to finish, with equally glorious weather. This alone would have been reason to get out of the Yarra Valley, but all those who have participated in this event want to come back. I chose the wines for the Qantas Ultimate Wine Dinner at berardo’s on Sunday night with a string of stellar chefs from all around the world, Australia’s contribution from Tetsuya Wakuda.

A dash into Melbourne on May 18 for various meetings and events, the next day travelling to the Canberra District for the 40th Anniversary of the Australian National University’s Wine Symposium (and another long weekend), choreographed by Kiaran Kirk, one of Tim Kirk’s (Clonakilla) elder brothers.

Another four days have gone and today I head of to Western Australia as the guest of Matilda’s Estate. It is a very long time since I have visited Albany and Denmark, the southernmost (official) subregions of the Great Southern, so the visit is well overdue. I am praying devoutly that Qantas will get me back late on Sunday night for meetings on Monday with my dentist, followed by a far more enjoyable meeting with Hardie Grant, before I leave on Tuesday headed to Greece for a 10-day visit to the best wineries of the country, with more than a bit of island-hopping.

The flights to and from the far south west of Western Australia, and to and from Greece will be fully occupied with my work on an upcoming book with a deadline of July 6, before I leave that day to fly to Paris for a wonderful 50th Anniversary of Bollinger RD.