What a way to spend a Saturday!
I had an amazing day out with family and friends on a wine tour if the Bickley Valley in the Perth Hills, driven around by the beautiful Monique from Hidden deTours.
I didn't know there were so many wineries out there, having mostly ventured to the Swan Valley. There are loads of beautiful little wineries and cider houses and seeing them on a Hidden deTour is the best way!
We were picked up at Crown Perth, a pretty central location without having to go into the city. In these crazy times, I always think of how a business is observing COVID-19 protocols - while it was obviously difficult to keep 12 people 1.5m apart in a 12-seater bus, we did all know each other so that wasn't a problem, Monique did have us use hand sanitiser before stepping on the bus.
On the way to the Perth Hills, we had music and Monique piped up with some fun facts about the areas we were driving through.
Our first stop was Core Cider in Pickering Brook, a fourth-generation, 40-acre property home to orchards full of apple and pear trees, along with so many more. On the balcony of the Harvest Room, we sampled five of Core's sparkling ciders, Apple, Pear, Lemon, Apple & Ginger, and Berry & Lime. The views of the orchards are incredibly beautiful and have to be seen to be believed!
Next stop was the Packing Shed at Lawnbrook Estate in Bickley. At this beautiful location, we sampled 7 of Lawnbrook's amazing wines with the owner, Bruce. We also had a yummy lunch on the verandah, consisting of antipasto platters and pumpkin arancini balls, with a glass of the Lawnbrook Semillon Sauvignon Blanc of course!
After lunch, we headed to Tonon Wines in Carmel, the only grower and producer of Prosecco in the Perth Hills. Here we again sampled 7 wines, with vineyard owner, Dan Tonon, as he talked us through the family history of bringing Prosecco to Perth and their vintages.
Our last stop was to Jadran Wines in Orange Grove. Here there was no real set tasting schedule, you could pick what you wanted to taste from their extensive list of varieties, from sparkling wines, whites, and reds, to fortifieds and ports and liqueurs. Everything was scrumptious (and I may have spent a decent amount of money there - everything was delicious and so cheap!) You can even buy some items in flagons!
It was an amazing day out, one to remember. It was great visiting the amazing locations and not have to drive (I'm usually the designated driver if we go out) and to spend it with friends and family, all kept in line by our amazing driver and tour director. I thoroughly recommend a Bickley Valley wine tour with Hidden deTours.
If you'd like to get in on a tour with Hidden deTours make sure to get in touch and we'll make it happen!
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