The scenic Swan Valley in Western Australia is a treasure trove of delectable treats, as Raul Dias recently found out
Sadly, it was my penultimate day in Western Australia and after a fun-filled 15 days in the land down under, the last thing I wanted to do was get on a plane and embark on a grueling 10 hour flight back home to be welcomed back by tons of work, toil and yes… the beginnings of an oppressive Indian summer! I just had to do something that would pre-emptively soothe my future frayed nerves. And the Swan Valley Food and Wine Trail—a 32-kilometer scenic loop just a 25 minute drive from Perth was to be my salvation.
Taking in more than 150 wineries, lively breweries, fine restaurants, bustling cafés and quaint specialt
y stores, the Swan Valley Trail seduces visitors with a rich fusion of all things decadent. My first stop on this hedonistic odyssey was a rather altruistic one. Being a confirmed non-coffee drinker with tons of friends and family addicted to their daily caffeine fix, it was off to the Yahava Koffee Works store to pick up some artisanal blends of roasted coffee beans as gifts to take back home. The store offers a mind-boggling smorgasbord of coffee beans all roasted and packed before your very own eyes.
Purchases made, I set off on a very selfish mission to satiate the chocoholic in me with a treat that my now-thicker waist won’t let me forget in a while. The Margaret River Chocolate Company is a chocolate-coated jewel of the Swan Valley that produces a tantalizing array of premium quality chocolate products. It also provides an interactive chocolate experience with free chocolate tastings that I literally OD’d on! From the scrumptious cookies-n-cream filled centres to the fiery chili bon-bons, I saw them all off in one clean swoop, while toting bags of the stuff for future sinning.
Then it was off for a spot of lunch and wine tasting at the Sandalford Wines magnificent property perched on the placid Swan River. So, after a round of swirling, sniffing, sipping and yes, spitting, I sat down to a delectable lunch of medium rare medallions of venison accompanied by a rabbit and pear terrine that worked superbly with Sandalford’s best Semillon. A quick free tour of the winery was next on the agenda as I ambled along learning more about the winery that was established in 1840 and is today one of Western Australia’s oldest and largest privately owned wineries.
With just a smidgen of space left in my tummy, I couldn’t resist the charms of the Cape Lavender Swan Valley concept store that literally drew me in from the road with its heady lavender fragrance. A tradition at this store—that sells almost everything from jams, wines and even toiletries made from lavender—is the afternoon high tea, complete with lavender-infused tea and the über-colonial lavender scones topped with strawberry jam and lashings of clotted cream.
Tea over and done with, I literally waddled my way out of the store ready to take on all that life was about to throw back at me!
(First published in DNA)
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