Tips for Sydney?

CellarTracker Main Site

Tips for Sydney?

View related threads: (in this forum | in all forums)

Logged in as: Guest

Users viewing this topic: none

Printable Version

All Forums >> [Cellar Talk] >> General Discussion >> Tips for Sydney?

Page: [1]

Message

<< Older Topic Newer Topic >>

Tips for Sydney? - 10/14/2023 3:53:31 PM

Zweder

Posts: 181
Joined: 10/8/2007
Status: offline

Nov. 2nd and 3rd I will be in Sydney. (I’ve never been in Australia before.) I will go on an organized wine trip and after that I will stay for a holiday of a few weeks. Can anyone give me some tips for Sydney? What is a nice restaurant where they have some nice wines. (Preferably not top notch, but just good quality is perfectly ok.) All suggestions are appreciated! Thanks in advance!

Post #: 1

RE: Tips for Sydney? - 10/14/2023 3:58:51 PM

Zweder

Posts: 181
Joined: 10/8/2007
Status: offline

Sorry for posting this twice. I got a time out message, so I tried again.

(in reply to Zweder)

Post #: 2

RE: Tips for Sydney? - 10/15/2023 12:12:54 AM

jmcmchi

Posts: 3210
Joined: 8/6/2013
Status: offline

If you have a few weeks I’d go to Adelaide or Melbourne instead.

We spent time there, Adelaide and Melbourne on our first trip, and have avoided it (apart from an occasional connection) since

(in reply to Zweder)

Post #: 3

RE: Tips for Sydney? - 10/15/2023 1:20:48 AM

pclin

Posts: 1911
Joined: 5/29/2012
From: Exile in my own country
Status: offline

Bentley Restaurant + Bar has an impressive wine list and decent prices too.

< Message edited by pclin -- 10/15/2023 1:23:04 AM >

_____________________________

Alles hat ein Ende, nur die Wurst hat zwei

(in reply to jmcmchi)

Post #: 4

RE: Tips for Sydney? - 10/15/2023 3:12:01 AM

BenG

Posts: 842
Joined: 5/5/2009
From: Australian in Idaho
Status: offline

Hi Zweder,

What price point (per bottle/per glass) are you comfortable with? Are you aiming to try as many as possible (by glass) or would you like to experience how the wine develops over a few hours (by bottle)? Where will you be for the few weeks you will be on holiday (just Sydney or other parts of Australia/New Zealand)?

A good place to find restaurants with good wine lists is the Wine List awards -

https://www.winelistoftheyear.com.au/

This shows the top restaurants for wine lists all over the country and many of them are in Sydney. Keep in mind that Sydney is very large geographically, so restaurants may be a long way from where you are staying in Sydney. If you know what part of Sydney you are staying in and what your price point is, I (or others) can let you know which ones are close.

(in reply to pclin)

Post #: 5

RE: Tips for Sydney? - 10/15/2023 8:33:04 AM

Zweder

Posts: 181
Joined: 10/8/2007
Status: offline

Thank you for the responses!

A visit to Adelaide and Melbourne and some wineries in those areas are part of the wine trip. I will taste many wines, so that is great and I am looking very much forward to it. Most of my tasting notes will find their way to Cellartracker eventually. :)

Now I am planning the days I have around that trip. A start in Sydney and then probably by rental car to Melbourne and a bit further west. I have bought a good travel guide, but tips from wine lovers are always very welcome. I remember a tip from Serge B. when I traveled to Las Vegas and he had a perfect suggestion for a Vietnamese restaurant where they had mature German Riesling for an affordable price. I am still grateful for that suggestion. After the wine trip I will end up in Sydney and then I have three weeks. So what to do? It is a beautiful dilemma :). The Blue mountains NP is not to miss, but then…. Go south, or go north? I want to make most of it. So I am still open/flexible for nice suggestions.

Thanks in advance!

Cheers, Zweder.

P.S. BenG, Since I will arrive in Sydney before the wine trip I am not aiming at trying as many as possible. Maybe after the trip… That depends. My most perfect tastings are with friends when we can experience a few wines over several hours. That is imho the best way to taste/judge a wine.
Thank you for the link! Very useful! Cheers!

(in reply to BenG)

Post #: 6

RE: Tips for Sydney? - 10/15/2023 12:10:11 PM

jmcmchi

Posts: 3210
Joined: 8/6/2013
Status: offline

Driving to Melbourne…hmm

Stop by Clonakilla (Canberra region)

Detour to the Pyrenees….Dalwhinnie and or Best’s Great Western

If you are there a while, maybe worth considering a flight to Perth (but it is a long way). Local to Perth quite a few interesting wineries and Fremantle) then a few hours drive to Margaret River. Not worth doing unless you can afford a week

PM if you want my experience on any of Yarra, Geelong, Mornington, Adelaide Hills, Barossa/Eden Valley, Clare, MLV. no idea on Coonawarra

(in reply to Zweder)

Post #: 7

RE: Tips for Sydney? - 10/15/2023 1:09:02 PM

Sir LaL

Posts: 13
Joined: 5/23/2018
Status: offline

I do not know if it is already in the planned wine tour, but if not, check out Hunter Valley. It is about 3.5-4 hours drive from Sydney.The vines are pretty Hard to find at least in Europe, and are famed for their whites, however I think their reds are good too.

< Message edited by Sir LaL -- 10/15/2023 1:11:51 PM >

(in reply to Zweder)

Post #: 8

RE: Tips for Sydney? - 10/15/2023 10:10:13 PM

skifree

Posts: 3407
Joined: 3/14/2010
From: SE King County, Washington
Status: offline

I adore Sydney, visited because Qantas is located there. My favorite experience has nothing to do with wine, it is the Sydney Harbour Bridge climb of the iconic bridge where they shoot off the fireworks on New Year's Eve. It is safe, as you are roped to the bridge the whole way. There are lots of steps, but - what a view at the top!!!

I would fly to Melbourne. It is a great city, but easiest to fly not drive from Sydney.

Margaret River, my favorite wine area in Australia, is closest to Perth. I have not been there, so take this with a grain of salt.

_____________________________

So much wine, so little time

(in reply to Sir LaL)

Post #: 9

RE: Tips for Sydney? - 10/15/2023 11:22:38 PM

Paul852

Posts: 2650
Joined: 6/27/2018
From: Hong Kong
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: skifree
I would fly to Melbourne. It is a great city, but easiest to fly not drive from Sydney.

Well flying is easier, but I rather enjoyed the drive a few years back when I did it with an overnight at some little town about half way (although you could do the whole drive in one long day). Note though that small Australian towns are basically closed for the night by 8pm!

< Message edited by Paul852 -- 10/15/2023 11:23:03 PM >

(in reply to skifree)

Post #: 10

RE: Tips for Sydney? - 10/17/2023 7:49:36 PM

Geerath

Posts: 35
Joined: 2/3/2022
From: Sydney, Australia
Status: offline

Yeah it does depend what you are after, I had some great late night dining in Surry Hills (trendy inner city locale) at Pellegrino2000 https://pellegrino2000.com/ a month back with an Il Poggione 1989 BDM and a 2000 Bruno Giacosa Falletto Barolo. Nearby is a little hidden spot for casual lunch called Alberto’s lounge. A wine bar to check out called “Love, Tilly Divine” if you’re feeling hip . Don’t forget you can eat in the Opera House itself at Bennelong Restaurant, which is a classic option with Australian wine pairings. I would suggest getting to the coastline however as that’s where the real beauty is. Highly recommend Catalina’s https://catalinarosebay.com.au/ on the water. Depending on where you are based you can catch a Sea Plane there or get water taxi to or from the dock out the front of the restaurant . There are a lot of casual options as you go out towards the beaches, like Manly Beach (numerous), Newport (Bert’s Brasserie) and Palm Beach (boat house, or Jonah’s at Whale beach), Bondi (Sean’s panorama) . Seek out some not to be missed Tasmanian Oysters (particularly from Bruny Island), they are next level with a bottle of Krug NV or your favourite glass of Chardonnay . Someone recommended Bentley dining in an earlier post which has a great aged wine list and you can take away from their cellar for something back at the hotel. Sydney does Asian cuisine quite well (eg. Mr Wong’s ) due to the population influence, there’s tons of choices. Just forget about the money and the cholesterol, take your hat and have fun!

< Message edited by Geerath -- 10/17/2023 9:22:41 PM >

(in reply to Zweder)

Post #: 11

RE: Tips for Sydney? - 10/18/2023 9:41:08 AM

Zweder

Posts: 181
Joined: 10/8/2007
Status: offline

Thank you all very much for your input so far..:)

To tell a bit more about my trip. I will be in Sydney a few days before the (fully organized, but not by me) wine trip starts (I will stay in The Ultimo), so I was looking for some nice suggestions for those few days. After that wine trip I will stay in Australia for some weeks to see (a small part) of the continent. Wine is during those weeks holidays not the first priority, but I will drink a nice glass when I can find it ;-).

I will rent a car in Sydney and don’t mind driving. So up to now going south seems the most obvious. Go to the Blue Mountains first and then south. Or the coastal route to Melbourne and then the inland route north and on the way back to the Blue Mountains. I have three+ weeks, so I am not in a hurry. And around Melbourne there are a few nice spots as well if I am not mistaken…

December 10 I will fly to Hong Kong and spend a week there. Never been there before either, so all suggestions for that part of the trip are welcome as well. ;-)

Cheers,
Zweder.

(in reply to Geerath)

Post #: 12

RE: Tips for Sydney? - 11/10/2023 3:36:18 PM

BenG

Posts: 842
Joined: 5/5/2009
From: Australian in Idaho
Status: offline

Hey Zweder, how's your trip Down Under going?

(in reply to Zweder)

Post #: 13