Melbourne

Bright lights, big city. Did a winery tour today, not something we have ever done in California, but hey it's a different country. Varietals have different expressions here. Several merlots we tasted were almost unrecognizable as merlot, with less juicy fruit and more complexity. Pinot noirs are more familiar, some with what we call 'old tire' on the nose, a kind of burnt rubber aroma that is not as unpleasant as it sounds, an aroma we know from Santa Barbara pinots for example. Cabernets tend to be softer, and less oaked than what Napa fruit can handle. And the food scene here is a happening thing. We went out on Saturday in the pouring rain (yep it's still raining here) to a place that specializes in wood-fired pizza, and had fabulous thin crust pizza, done the way it is supposed to be done, and with a lot of very interesting, innovative, but 'within the tradition' topping combos. It was a trip, as we sat at the bar and watched this place buzz.

Music in the background has been entertaining too. In the last two days, we have heard The Doors - Light My Fire, Janis Joplin - Break Another Piece of My Heart, Creedence Clearwater, Neil Young - Heart of Gold, Bob Marley - No Woman No Cry, and Ella Fitzgerald and Frank Sinatra dreaming of a white Christmas.