First.
Let me preface this post by saying, I do not condone excessive drinking or alcoholism or underage drinking or drinking under many medical conditions, WHICH MEANS YOU SHOULDN'T ACTUALLY TAKE THE TITLE SERIOUSLY IF YOU FALL UNDER ANY OF THE AFOREMENTIONED CATEGORIES.
I also fully support abstaining from drinking while also living every day to the fullest. Drinking doesn't mean you'll have a good time, and is in no way necessary to have a good time.
Anyways, let me continue.
Living out in Western Australia to some extent is like living in wine country in Napa Valley. When there is so much local variety available, how could one not try all the area has to offer?
(Again, see paragraphs one & two)
So here are some photos of vineyards and wineries and cider drinking and such.
Gambling & drinking with 50 lashes cider.
A note on cider: if you like apples or pears, this is the stuff for you. Alcoholic, bubbly, and usually reasonably priced pints. But, it's also usually too sweet and bubbly for more than a midi.
Then there are all the meaderies. Hello fantastico.
Love honey? Prefer sweet wine? You've come to the right place.
I ended up buying a bottle of which the name escapes me.. But this was easily one of the most delicious places I've ever been to.
Full of honey and wine and bee paraphernalia.
And then there was the cutest darn winery down south of all time.
Winery/garden/cafe combo.
It was a little slice of heaven this side of Mount Barker.
Welcome to Gilbert's Winery.
This family owned & operated quaint little place was fantastic.
While waiting to start a tasting, Mrs. Gilbert suggested we wander through the garden and try a fig.
Easily one of the most delicious pieces of fruit I've ever eaten.
Where can one obtain fresh figs?
Does anyone have a fig tree I can bum from them?
Side note: can you tell that we're a bunch of tourists from this photo?
Gilbert's was adorable and delicious. And an incredibly inviting experience.
Each of us ended up buying a bottle of something sweet.
The best part was that the Gilberts didn't hesitate on giving a bunch of weary travelers the star treatment.
The most interesting story we heard? Behind the naming process of the Three Devils wines -
appropriately named after their three sons.
Three Lads developed after they had all matured some.
How adorable is that?!
If you happen to be down south, consider this a must do.
In stark contrast to our experience there was the following weekend in Swan Valley.
We stopped at a place where the first red flag should've been a charge on the tasting.
My expectations were already too high.
With each sip, I regretted every (figurative) penny spent.
**Note, pennies don't actually exist here. Numbers are rounded to the 5. Unless you're the bus. The bus does what the bus wants on the bus pass**
While the wine was overwhelmingly disappointing.
There were numerous times throughout the tasting where I legitimately started gagging.
The spit bucket was mostly full by the time our gang was done.
Beyond that, we were given negative attention by the sommelier.
There were quite a few other parties looking to try wine, but you could see we were bottom on the priority list of being treated and he didn't even bother asking if we were interested in anything after our tasting had finished.
A slight rant, but an experience in stark contrast to the others.
I'm not fond of beer.
But, back to a more positive note.
Beer.
Let me rephrase, I don't like the taste of beer. In theory I like beer. I like the imagery of hangin' out and crackin' a few open. I even mostly enjoy the smell of beer.
But man, can I not get over how awful it can taste.
So, maybe somebody should've stopped me from ordering the sampling tray at this super cool restaurant?
But that would completely ruin the point of drinking for the sake of drinking in order to fully live by the when in Rome philosophy.
So, carpe diem, bitches?
Conversely:
http://www.aa.org.au/new-to-aa/message-for-young-people.php
Major photo cred to Anastasia and Kelsey <3
XOXOXO
