Trocchio Wines

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Trocchio Wines

Australia’s smallest winery. Sharing insights into wine appreciation and the winemaking process with wine lovers in a fun and informative way.

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.

Address

Ferntree Gully
Melbourne, VIC
3156

Website

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

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