Four Winds and a Prayer

This was the first free weekend we all had as a gang to pop out to Four Winds Vineyard for our annual 'New Year's' do. The colours and crisp autumn weather were delightful; the pizzas were plentiful; the wine was superb; the company was excellent: what a way to spend a day.

 

 

Four Winds Winery Lunch

Mr & Mrs Lovely Bonkers

 

I played about with the above picture on my phone photo app to make the following images.

 

 

 

And when we got home we were met by this fellow at the front door.

Mornington Peninsula

The day before New Year's Eve, we had a relaxing day driving down to the Mornington Peninsula with friends. We started at Sorrento, which supposedly has a rich history and is believed to be the first European settlement in Victorian. Now it seems the beach is all that holds anyone's interest.

For us, however, it was all about the wineries. We began with The Cups Estate, where a charming old gent talked us through the wines as we tasted various examples. 

Wine tasting at The Cups Estate

The Irish Red tasting the pink

Our next stop was Red Hill Estate, where we tried the wines, picked a favourite and had a glass each while sharing a picnic platter on the lawns.

Red Hill Estate

The Sassy Blonde and the Irish Red

And for a break from wine, we visited the Red Hill Brewery - an independent microbrewery with some spectacular beers. The Temptation and the Wheat Beer were my favourites of the afternoon.

Where the important stuff happens

Hops!

Him Outdoors with Tasting Tray

Sassy Blonde with wheat beer

Obviously

Spring hopes eternal

Spring is coming - slowly but surely. I love the inevitability of seasons and wouldn't want to live somewhere that didn't have them. Here are some images from our back garden.



I see a dragon in the grape vines



Even Chester is happy. One might even go so far as to say smug.


Did you say Chester or Cheshire?