Salt to Summit: Day 19 - Booze - Rutherglen Wine Tasting

Links between cycling and wine go back for centuries. In fact, alcohol was the original performance enhancing drug. In early editions of the Tour de France, domestiques would stop at hotels and commandeer whatever alcohol they could for consumption by the team, while they raced. Even now, who hasn't raced their bike home from the pub after a few beers. It works!!

We will we be testing out this theory today.

First stop was Stanton & Killeen. What a fabulous lineup of wine and fortifieds, very ably promoted by cellar door guru, Joe Duncan. Joe is a wonderful ambassador for his organisation.

While all the grog was of a high standard, the highlight was some of the age ports together with a side-by-side tasting of the muscats through regional, classic, grand and then rare. The Grand and the Rare muscats in particular had an intensity and complexity that is difficult to describe.

Then it was across the road to Campbells. They have a larger selection of white and red wines, and varieties that you don't see everywhere, which made for some additional interest. I thought their Cabernets were great, but the highlight was the Rare Muscat, which retails for $120 for 375 mls. The best Muscat I can remember in some time.

Back to reality tomorrow, with three, maybe four, days to go. A little bit anxious about the amount of climbing to be done. 500 m over 100 kms tomorrow, then 1500 m over 90kms on Saturday and 2500 metres of climbing over only 75 kms on Sunday. That will be an intense day, I'm tired just thinking about it.