Home Hill Winery & Kate Hill Wines

What could be more Gallic than two couples in their Peugeots touring local vineyards on the first day of Autumn? Imagine, if you will, one driver's scarlet scarf trailing in the breeze as she pilots her chic convertible, roof down, through the lush green countryside in search of pinot noir and Chardonnay, closely followed by the tres elegant Mme Supérieure Tête de L'essence Moyenne ... .

Hold on a minute! Whilst it is true that She of the Scarlet Scarf's fellow Peugeot driver is very stylish, there isn't a beret and stripey tee shirt wearing cyclist in sight - let alone one with onions draped over his handlebars - and both Pugs are driving on the wrong side of the road for France! Just as well they're actually heading down to Tasmania's Huon Valley, thirty minutes south of Hobart!

This week's expedition features She of the Scarlet Scarf, her friend who's a boy (but is not her boyfriend - AKA the former second best forensic photographer in the state) and the UMPHs, and began with the pleasant drive along the Southern Outlet, up the Huon Highway past Lower Longley, through Grove and into Ranelagh. It was there, in Ranelagh, that the faux-Frenchies had their first stroke of luck, managing to grab a table for lunch at the very popular Home Hill Winery and Restaurant (38 Nairn Road, Ranelagh - ph: 6264 1200 - homehillwines.com.au).

Only their mothers can tell them apart

The restaurant is in a beautiful rammed earth building that features an open kitchen and views of the surrounding vineyards and adjacent farms. It often hosts weddings and concerts, as well as being a highly regarded eatery and wine tasting centre.

Everything on the lunch menu looked good. However, the F-Fs only managed to sample a couple of the many dishes on offer, with two opting for mains of crispy-skinned ocean trout and the other pair choosing five spice duck breast. Home Hill has two award winning vintages of reserve pinot noir, both of which were sampled. Opinion was divided as to which one was better but all agreed that each was excellent.

Crispy-skinned ocean trout

The duck

A very short distance from Home Hill is the eponymous Kate Hill Wines (101 Glen Road, Huonville - 6223 5641 - katehillwines.com.au), whose Riesling is favoured by Mrs UMPH. The winery also produces very creditable pinot noirs, a cabernet - merlot and a sparkling pinot noir - chardonnay. The F-F's visit coincided with a southern Tasmanian open cellar and wine route weekend, meaning that they were fortunate to have the opportunity to sample the wines whilst speaking with Kate herself.

Never leave a wine tasting empty handed!

Another short drive from Kate Hill Wines is Huonville's own chocolatier, The Cat's Tongue, situated just off Main Road (3/11-13 Wilmot Road - 0428 411 455 - the catstongue.com.au). Here the F-Fs drank some warming hot chocolates before heading home. The drinks were well received, as by then the weather had begun to turn. The cafe also offers a very tempting array of chocolates and pralines, as well as what their own website describe as " ... an offbeat breakfast and lunch menu," whatever that might mean.

The Cat's Tongue, 3rd from left

Get more country than that! The Pug outside the Huonville CWA

One thing is certain: the F-Fs are very likely to be touring the Huon Valley again, quite likely soon. Like so much of Tasmania, it's within comfortable driving distance, there's great food and wine to be had, and the scenery's great! Au revoir for now.

U M P H

(uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au).

EJ or EH Holden? (Up-dated December, 2022)

EJ or the later EH? Several years ago, I posed the question: Can somebody please explain the difference between an EJ and an EH Holden ute or van? The response at the time wasn't overwhelming, so I did a bit of Googling and ferreting through my photos and came up with my own rough guide to EJ and EH identification. Sedans and wagons are easy to tell apart ; the EH's vertical rectangular tail lights are a dead give-away. However, the workhorse versions of both models share the rear-end treatment of the earlier EJ, making it harder to identify one from the other. No super obvious hints here. Or here ... . It turns out that the main clues are in the placement of the front H O L D E N lettering and GMH lion emblems, the style of the radiator grille and the width of the vents in front of the windscreen, with all EJs - sedans, wagons, utes and vans - having one combination and the EH line-up having their own . So what exactly are those diffe

Vick Auto Prima Fiat X1/9 Brakes: An Owner’s Assessment

At the end of 2022, I fitted a set of Vick Autosport Prima front brakes to my mildly worked 1.5 litre Series 1 Fiat X1/9 . I was fortunate, having picked them up at a very, very reasonable price, brand new but surplus to the needs of a fellow X1/9 Australia member who had imported them from the US. The kit included: New single pot callipers , new vented rotors (standard X1/9 front rotors are smaller, non-vented items), DOT approved stainless steel brake hoses, and all the necessary mounting hardware. They are a value proposition, being particularly well priced compared to other manufacturers’ packages - even at RRP - with everyone I’ve spoken to saying they’re made to a high standard, too. Here's a link to a piece that I wrote about them at that time, including some costings: https://uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com/2022/11/the-x19-gets-prima-brake-upgrade.html . Initial Assessment: I was a little underwhelmed by the brakes' performance, finding that although they had a tiny

Random # 301: Nanna-Spec KE36 Corolla

Once upon a time - six or seven years ago, actually - there was a lovely pale yellow GC Galant station wagon getting around Hobart. It was totally nanna-spec; its paint was umarked, the chrome work and hubcaps were immaculate, and its very original interior was pristine. Then someone stuck feathers in its dashboard. Next, the windows were adorned with Tibetan prayer flags. And a hubcap went missing. And the the rear bumper was pushed in, mangling the bodywork behind it. And a mudguard got dented. And rust set in. I fear for this sweet, innocent KE36 Corolla. Somebody please save it before it's too late. Nanna needs you to do it. U M P H (uppermiddlepetrolhead.blogspot.com.au.) Photos by GlamRock.

Upper Middle Petrol Head:

Search This Blog