Lyrebird Ridge Winery and B&B
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A brief spell at
Lyrebird Ridge is an ideal way to relax and escape the hustle and bustle of city life.
My boyfriend and I spent three nights at the winery/B&B, located 15kms west of Nowra. We received a warm welcome from Anne, who's owned the estate with her husband Greg for 7 years. They live on the property, along with two self contained cottages for overnight stays.
Each morning we ate fresh eggs from the farm, as part of the complimentary breakfast which also includes bread, cereals, milk, tea and coffee. The cottage has a fridge, TV (with lots of videos), kitchen utensils, hotplate, microwave, fireplace, torch and maps of the Shoalhaven Region. There's no phone or TV reception until the main road, which is a 5 minute drive. This might bother some people, however we felt it added to the charm and "escapist" feel of the B&B.
The Cellar Door wines are all organic. They sell a Chambourcin and a Port and will add a blend to next year's range. The Chambourcin grape is a French hybrid, with a strong colour and fruity flavour. The wine is light, lovely, chemical free and only 10% alcohol.
We had the cheese plate ($25 with wine tasting and a full glass of wine), which featured a cheddar, a round of local brie, and two yummy local tapenades: chilli olive and pumpkin jam. My boyfriend, being French, and I, being pretentious, were not overly impressed by the brie, though it was nice to keep it for sandwiches the next day. The Cellar Door is open on weekends, public holidays and weekdays by appointment.
We sampled the Devonshire Tea during our stay: six scones straight from the oven with jam, cream and black tea. The scones were delicious and fluffy; a recipe Anne had learnt from her grandmother.
We'd brought food for the BBQ, but as it was too cold and windy we cooked our meat on the hotplate and potatoes, corn and onions, wrapped in foil, in the fireplace. On our final day we cooked lunch on the BBQ. The chickens had been let out of their coop for the day and roamed the area with Anne's two friendly dogs, Molly and Sunny.
Visitors are welcome to explore the property's wide expanse of fields and bush, though we were warned snakes lurk in the bush. There are picnic tables scattered around the cottages, to eat lunch, Devonshire Tea or read in the sun. Each cottage sleeps 4, with a double bed and bunks, and is thus a good place to take the kids, although it's close quarters. Otherwise the winery is good for a day trip: a bit out of the way, but inviting, fun and with good wines.
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125813 - 2023-06-13 02:46:03