http://www.trocchiowines.com.au/

Trocchio Wines, Ferntree Gully, Melbourne (2026)

05/06/2026

We certainly saved the best till last to finish off our Vietnam trip. When one of the best restaurants in Hanoi is in the hotel that you are staying at, it would be rude not to have dinner there. Welcome to Le Beaulieu, the French influenced restaurant, driven by seasonal local produce.

We opted for the tasting menu and I had the matching wines. We were pleasantly surprised to find that the meal was themed. Chef Charles Degrendele who has worked in Tokyo and New Zealand has very cleverly woven in honeys from around Vietnam into each course. There were even little cards presented at each course that provided details on each of the honeys.

The menu and my notes on marching wines are in the comments but something that was missing from the printed menu was an additional treat - a dish inspired by a desert (calissons) from the chef’s home in Provence - Black garlic base, shredded Hokkaido crab encased in an avocado mousse and topped with smoked milk and caviar. In a beautiful full circle moment, calissons were included in the Mignardises at the end of the meal.

The setting was stunning with more fresh flowers than the Chelsea flower show. The staff were so friendly and the service was attentive and polished. The food and wine were exquisite and we even got to meet Chef Charles who was gracious enough to have a chat with us. A perfect meal to belatedly celebrate my wife’s 60th.

21/05/2026

A cultural experience like no other!

Well, we certainly weren’t expecting this when we were looking for a place to have our final dinner in Hue. Strap yourself in, this is going to be a long and fascinating post!

After we checked the Thien Mu pagoda, we battled the rain on the six minute walk to the restaurant (Ben Xuan Garden House Theatre). However, it wasn’t a restaurant, it was someone’s home. Owners Ngo and Camille welcomed the two drowned rats by name. After we dried off, Ngo took us on a tour of the spectacular grounds. When we asked whether we should wait for the other guests before continuing, we were told that we were it, so with glass of refreshing hibiscus juice in hand we continued. Ngo explained that when he and Camille returned from living in Switzerland, they built the property from scratch - wait, WHAT?
Turns out that all the materials for the house that looked like it had been around for centuries had been lovingly up-cycled. So their future could be built from “fragments of the past”. We’re talking every brick (broken or whole), broken ceramic plates used in the mosaic structures - you get the picture.
Camille is an artist and she designed the buildings and the garden that flank the Perfume River. Her artwork is on display throughout the property d you would be forgiven for thinking that the property was built to display her artwork but you’d be wrong. We entered the impressive and ornate music building where we were to be entertained. We knew that there was entertainment included but weren’t prepared for the recital was to come. Not only is Camille a skilled artist but she is an accomplished musician and singer and performing with her were three classical music professors from Hue University. They performed a repertoire of classical Vietnamese pieces played on traditional instruments. There were classical poems that Camille put to musical score and even some western pieces adapted for traditional instruments. Each piece was introduced by Ngo who the English translation for what we were about to hear. This was an old fashioned recital and we were the guests of honour.

Continued in the comments…

12/05/2026

‘Koto’ meaning “know one, Teach one”
We’ve had some great experiences in Vietnam over the last few days but I felt like this is worth sharing.
vietnam is a social enterprise training restaurant set up 20 years ago by Jimmy Pham for disadvantaged and at-risk youth in Hanoi to provide them with a stable income and training for a career in hospitality. It has grown from its initial intake of nine kids and has graduated over 1,200 students, many of which are “paying it on” through mentoring or teaching.

The food was excellent and the front of house staff (with training wheels) were endearing and super pleasant. We shared a starter which was delicious. For the main, I had the crispy fried sturgeon and the boss had the battered tofu with soba noodles.

The wine list wasn’t huge but the Chilean Sauvignon Blanc I had was very nice. I didn’t see a Somm on the night but I know that they also run Sommelier courses which is fantastic.

This is a great initiative that makes you feel good knowing that dining here is supporting the foundation and empowering these young adults break the cycle of poverty.

Side note: the restaurant overlooks the breathtaking Temple of Literature (last frame) which we visited just before going to the restaurant - hence the hot and bothered look.

The world needs more of this!

01/05/2026

Another great wine dinner hosted by

This time the venue was where the food pairings were right on point. Harry partnered with the restaurant to showcase some of his European imports. The focus is on small family producers that embrace sustainability as part of their philosophy.

Wines included:
NV Jerome Blin Champagne Colette Rose
Verdejo
2023 Cantalapiedra Viticultores Chiviritero
2023 Cantalapiedra Viticultores El Espejo
Blend
2020 Ansitz Dolomytos Sacker Weiss
Tempranillo
2022 Bendito Destino Amphora
2023 Cantalapiedra Viticultores Arenisca
Sangiovese
2021 Tenuta la Novella Chianti Classico
2021 Fattoria di Bacchereto Carmignano

Wine of the night for me was 2020 Ansitz Dolomytos Sacker Weiss. A blend of Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Blanc, Assyrtiko, and Petit Manseng from the South Tyrol region. Beautiful complex and nuanced organic wine with a long finish.

Honourable mention to the classy Cantalapiedra Viticultores El Espejo which was an excellent match for the pumpkin agnolotti with burnt butter, sage and lemon verbena - called early by

However, I can’t forget the intense ruby colour on the Champagne Rosé made exclusively from Pinot Meunier with extended maceration and zero dosage.

The reds were extremely good too but I was feeling the whites more. Maybe it was the weather?

Such a fun night meeting new Melbourne based wine loving foodie friends and catching up with valued friends. Bring on the next dinner!

24/04/2026

WA Wine Dinner
I had the pleasure of attending a wine dinner at the WACA last night - an iconic venue that will be familiar to those with an interest in cricket. It was pretty cool to be able to start the evening with oysters and bubbles on the hallowed turf before heading into the stands for the main event.

The six course dinner featured 12 wines from two Western Australian wineries: from the Great Southern region and from Margret River.

The friendly banter between Tom Hill (Juniper CEO) and Tom Wisdom (owner of Plantagenet) aside, both agreed that the event was all about showcasing the diversity of Western Australian wine and celebrating regional influence.

The event was MC’d by the supremely talented and funny who despite coming from Melbourne, is a genuine champion of Western Australian wine. Cyndal”s ability as a storyteller to share her passion is truely infectious.

As for the winner on the night? Well that’s easy - Western Australian wine!

Rushed tasting notes in the comments.

17/04/2026

Downtime in Darwin
After a pretty intense week of travel around the country, it was good to get a chance to do a wrap up with the work crew in Darwin

Pre-dinners drinks in a pretty cool winebar called This former o***m den had a great selection of wines and the staff were very friendly. I enjoyed a beautiful from South Australia which was on par with some of the Italian versions I’ve tried.

The staff recommended a local Greek restaurant just up the adjoining street art covered alley you’d associate with the hipster regions of Melbourne or Sydney.

The smell of charcoal in the air was a sign what was to come. We ordered a bottle of a soft and fruity Greek red which suited our meat platter perfectly.

Two good spots to visit if you ever find yourself in Darwin.

26/03/2026

What a great night at the Cellar Series featuring

I was put onto it by who brought more class to an already classy night which was hosted by TMBT owner, Martin Spedding and Head of Wine at Society, Loïc Avril.

The format for the evening was four courses paired with seven wines - sparkling with the first course, two Chardonnay’s with course two and two Pinots with each of courses three and four.

All the wines were had power and weight while retaining the finesse we associate with TMBT wines which were taken to the next level with the quality of the well considered food pairings (check the menu and you’ll see what I’m talking about).

Having worked there I’ve always being biased towards the wines not just for sentimental reasons but because they are world class IMHO and validated through international accolades.

Martin (who I haven’t seen since I worked there) provided great insights into the philosophy and the winery’s journey. He has not lost any of his drive for the pursuit of excellence such as trialing close planted Pinot Noir that produced the 2022 ‘Trahere’ Pinot which was runner up Double Gold in the 2025 Global Fine Wine Challenge - the most exclusive wine show in the world. (their McCutchen Single Vineyard Pinot was awarded Wine of Show just quietly).

Hard to pick a wine of the night but the 2021 special cuvée Blanc de Noir with its 39 months on lees (yes you read that right) struck a chord which surprised me because I always gravitate towards the still Pinots.

As we are right in the middle of Vintage here in Victoria, Martin also brought along some grapes that were picked on the day and freshly crushed juice for us to enjoy. A pretty unique immersive experience for diners.

Thanks so much to for suggesting this and providing the best company and wine discussion 🙏🍷

❣️

17/03/2026

Happy St Patrick’s Day ☘️
Here’s little bit of Irish Wine Trivia for you…

🍷Sam Neil , owner of Two Paddocks winery in Central Otago, was born in Tyrone.
🍷The challenge of Paris was won by a Californian winery Chateau Montelena owned by the Barton family from Ireland - their wine casks are used to mature Jameson whiskey.
🍷The Bordeaux style bottle was invented by an Irishman in France
🍷Many famous “French” wine families actually have Irish roots, originating from the “Wine Geese”—Irish merchants who fled to Bordeaux in the 17th-18th centuries. The invention of Grand Cru Claret was attributed these Irish wine merchants.
🍷Hennessy brandy was founded by Cork man, Richard Hennessy who fought and defeated the English for Luis 15th
🍷An Irishman invented the corkscrew
🍷Although I have done a number of posts on this, some people may not be aware that Ireland has a burgeoning wine industry with commercial plantings going back to 1985.
🍷Some Australian wineries with Irish links:
Leeuwin Estate
Jim Barry
Clonakilla
Cullen Wines
McGuigan Wines
O’Leary Walker Wines
McWilliams
Reilly’s Wines

28/02/2026

I hadn’t planned on doing a post on last night (hence the lack of food and wine pics) but had to share one of Melbourne’s best value nights out.

is situated under the stand in what was the old Waverley Park football ground. They host the TLP Disco night a few times during the year.

The very reasonable entry price covers beer, wine and soft drink, gelato cart, photo station, door prizes and makeup session. Yes there was finger food (mortadella panini, beef sliders, calamari, gnocchi, house pizza, fish & chips). The quality was excellent and it just kept coming!

80’s and 90’s disco, super friendly staff and dancing with friends made for a really fun night. Watch out for the next one!

Thanks for suggesting it.

22/02/2026

It’s been a while between drinks at but we were back to celebrate a friend’s birthday.

I opted for a delicious Garganega from Veneto with the antipasto and a Valpolicella Repasso with my main.

They had a new desert option which generated quite a bit of conversation on our table. After skilfully and diplomatically fielding some, let’s call them ‘observations’ 😂, from my wife, our waiter Mirco, said that if she could come up with a suitable name, they would put it on the menu!

Next thing we knew, the good natured chef came out seeking some of her ‘sage like’ guidance 😂

Over the years my has thought me that she is always right but secretly I was thinking, you don’t take on someone with an exquisite moustache like chef had in matters of creativity!

Great banter + great food + great wine = a great night!

Trocchio Wines

05/06/2026

21/05/2026

12/05/2026

01/05/2026

24/04/2026

17/04/2026

26/03/2026

17/03/2026

28/02/2026

22/02/2026

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