Emma Farrelly, Director of Wine for the ground-breaking rebirth of Perth’s historic State Buildings (main photo above), takes us on a personal tour of the west’s capital. As always, it’s a tale told through the lens of five favourite drinks.
Emma Farrelly at Petition Wine Bar in Perth’s State Buildings.
Historically, Perth has been painted with the small country town brush. However, if you scratch beneath the surface, even just a little, there is a plethora of things to do, eat and drink. And it’s only getting more and more vibrant. You can have a pretty ripper time here, backed up by the fact that it is a tale of two seasons in old P-town (luckily, we get about six months of summer). I have two boys, so much of my time off is spent with them, generally trying to tire them out!
We spend heaps of time down here. Scarborough used to be pretty sketchy, but it’s been revamped recently. So now there’s heaps of stuff for the boys to do (if they’re not surfing), and it’s pretty vibrant. After an action-packed day, we can relax at El Grotto with a Tommy’s Margarita (for me) and tacos (for the boys). It’s great for people, and sunset, watching.
Clean, fresh and salty with a green herbal edge and hint of citrus.
At probably one of the most beautiful spots in the city, you can do some pretty amazing bushwalks among the wildflowers and native gardens. The grassy area in Kings Park that overlooks the city is a very popular picnic spot to smash a Re Store feast and bottle of fizz. Just beware the very brazen kookaburras who have a penchant for Vacherousse d’Argental.
Made by Garth Cliff who rallies champion varieties such as chenin blanc and grenache from the Swan Valley. Fun and bright with sherbet, grapefruit pith and delightful minerality. The ultimate shower for your mouth.
Vino Volta’s range of wines.
An absolute classic when it comes to date night – old-school Italian food and service that is traditional, sincere and grown up. Order the meatballs, the duck and some Barolo and be happy.
Wood-fired duck at Galileo Buona Cucina.
Aromatic, broody and delicious, this wine has inky red fruits, iron and dusty herbs, bound by fine yet muscular tannins and pristine acidity.
The highly anticipated Perth arts festival happens every year in February, and it’s a great opportunity to see some incredible musicians. This year, I have my eye on Briggs and Evelyn King. One must always start a Perth Festival night at Lalla Rookh to indulge in Jez’s outstanding wine collection.
Lalla Rookh’s wine store and bar
One of my favourite producers who never disappoints. There is brightness, lifted energy and a compelling salty tang that washes over the palate and grips you in an almost cerebral manner. Outstanding.
The final scene of any rowdy night, ending up at Joe’s is often the greatest and worst idea of the evening, where the behaviour is generally reminiscent of that scene in Gremlins (you know the one). The music is loud, the place is dark, and the floor is dirty, but many a late night has been spent there with out of town friends when you just don’t want to call it a night (I’m looking at you, Yoko), drinking cheap beers and whiskey sours. You always wake up with the taint of regret but know you’ll be back the next time someone says, ‘One more at Joe’s?’
For me, a whiskey sour is about velvety texture and perfect balance. I like Tiger Snake Whiskey that’s distilled down in Albany. It’s very creamy and has beautiful spice nuances.
The Wineslinger 2021 list of Australia’s top places for wine fun is here, and Sydney’s Top 20 venues have got it all, from the classic to the experimental. Wine has long been fundamental to the DNA of Sydney’s bars and restaurants, but the paradigm has shifted in recent years away from a focus on big names, star regions and marquee varieties, bringing smaller producers and more esoteric, low-intervention expressions into the fold.
Pat Underwood, the winemaker behind the Little Reddie label, and founding member of the Boomtown Wine cooperative in the old Castlemaine Woolen Mill, gives us the inside running to the people and places of Castlemaine. As always, it’s a tale told through the lens of five favourite drinks.
With a raft of exceptional new venues sweeping the nation’s capital over the last few years, few can deny that cold old Canberra is turning the heat right up, leaving locals and guests suddenly spoilt for choice. The Wineslinger 2021 list of Australia’s top places for wine fun is here, with Canberra’s Top 5 showing just how exciting a wine destination the nation’s capital is right now.
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