Wine and Spirits Travel

Greg Stirling, Head of Brand Sites &  Visitations for Orlando Wines , a division of Pernod Ricard, picked me up in Adelaide for the scenic drive up to the Barossa Valley in South Australia . It is one of the country’s top wine regions and home to his biggest brand – Jacob’s Creek. I had spent some time with Jacob’s Creek (the wine and the people who make it) during the Australian Open , but this was my first visit to the winery and grounds. It began with a bit of history on my way up about Johan Jacob, the pioneer that purchased this land over 200 years ago. Greg also explained to me about the area, Roland Flat, which is also the translation of Jacob’s son, Orlando. It would be “Orlando Wines” that Jacob’s Creek was launched under in 1976, before Pernod Ricard would buy the brand. The land was hilly with brown grass in between that showed signs of the dry summer, but it didn’t make the valley look any more beautiful.  It was an area where kangaroos and emus run free, as the s

My two weeks in the Australia state of Victoria were filled with mostly tennis at the Australian Open .  The budget for this trip was tight and last minute cancellation of plans because of Oprah’s trip draining the economy here made it even tighter. I did get to see quite a bit of the city while I was hotel hopping, walking and taking the tram to Melbourne Park for the tennis matches, but I didn’t go to any restaurants or clubs -- with one exception. I had one night out at a Melbourne club, The Long Room , with the press crew from the Australian Open.  It was one of the many perks Tennis Australia provided us with and I am most appreciative.  It was a nice to enjoy a bit of Melbourne nightlife, especially with my follow writers, broadcasters and photographers.  I then got a good night sleep and spent my last day in the city walking around Chinatown and the Greek section of the city, enjoying a Spinach Pie for lunch before heading to the Australian Open for the final match. I