Excellent Decision Making or Pure Stupidity? Newsletter #2 (July 2020)
Turns out I did not do so well on the whole “monthly newsletter” plan.
Luckily, I can’t imagine that anyone was really missing my updates for May and June. If you were, I sincerely apologise, and I hope that you found much more interesting things to read about in other, less murky, corners of the internet.
In my defence, nothing has really happened in the last few months.
Like everyone else in Australia and around the lockdown world, I spent most of May inside, and got really into my hobbies. I took so many walks that I wore through my favourite sneakers, baked so much sourdough that I can’t remember what else I used to eat, and did so many free online courses that I am know an expert in everything from quantum physics to Confucius. (Okay, maybe not an expert. But hey, I certainly know more about electrons than I ever expected).
I also moved to Melbourne!
I know… not the best timing. Since then, Melbourne has come out of lockdown, only to go back under in the last week. What can I say—it seemed like a good idea at the time.
And for a while it was! I got a job as a sommelier at Ten Minutes by Tractor, a restaurant on a winery in the Mornington Peninsula (about an hour away from Melbourne). So, for a few weeks, I was happily going to the beach, eating delicious food, and sipping wines I couldn’t normally afford!
Hopefully I’ll be back in 6 weeks when our lockdown ends. For now, it looks like it’s back to sourdough!
If you’re also in lockdown or suffering the Covid blues, I hope my monthly round up can give you something to read, do, listen to, and just make you feel like you’re not alone in this. Much love and wine. X
Monthly Round Up
In My Kitchen:
My sourdough is getting goooood. They say that practice makes perfect, and with all this extra time in the house, I have definitely been practising. If you are struggling to get your starter started or just want a better recipe, I’ve hit success with this start-to-finish sourdough guide. My neighbour has challenged me to a sourdough bake-off, so now it’s time to start experimenting with different flours and seeds!
In My Belly:
Like many at-home cooks, I’ve been taking advantage of the lockdown to experiment with some new recipes! Check out my banana cake with coffee and cardamom if you also want some sweet snackage. Outside the house, in that beautiful and brief window we had to dine out, I visited Park Street Pasta and Wine in South Melbourne. Although (in my opinion) the wine list under-delivers on value, that pasta was tasty; and perfectly al dente!
In My Glass:
As part of my new job as a sommelier at a restaurant in the Mornington Peninsula, I’ve been stuffing myself with the wines from that region. It’s a beautiful part of Australia (see photo), and the wines here are unique; unlike most of Australia, which has a warm and Mediterranean climate, Mornington is much cooler, with a marked maritime influence. I reckon some of the best cool-climate pinot noir and chardonnay in the country is made here. Expect a blog post all about this region soon.
In My Ears:
Luckily, we are still allowed to leave the house for exercise. I’ve gotten into the habit of taking long walks every day, which also gives me plenty of time to catch up on my growing list of podcasts!
I’ve been trying to educate myself about the structures of systemic racism highlighted by the BLM movement and protests around the world. As part of that effort, I’ve been loving the pods released by Wine For Normal People (a long-time favourite of mine) focusing on ethics in the wine world, specifically within wine qualification bodies like the Court of Master Sommeliers (CMS) and the Wine and Spirits Education Trust (WSET). As someone who has invested quite a bit of time (and money) in WSET courses, it was a bit of an eye opener!
On The Blog:
I’ve been spending the last few months focusing on fleshing out my wine-related content. If you want to learn about the Spanish wines you should be drinking right now, check them out! They’re fit for learners of all levels, whether you’ve never heard about wine, or you’re a professional somm, I promise there’s something here for you. Check out my ultimate guides to Rioja, Sherry Wines, Priorat, and Ribera del Duero. You can also take a squiz at my tips for decoding a Spanish wine label!
Thanks for reading this month's Newsletter!
Thanks for reading this far. I hope that you’re happy, healthy, and staying sane while locked indoors or under quarantine. Until next month (I promise), I hope you stay well fed and watered! I’ll be spending July trying to beat my neighbour’s sourdough efforts, and learning all I can about the wines of the Mornington Peninsula (stay tuned for blogs about this in the near future!).
For now, stay tuned on my Instagram for more regular updates.