Grumpy's 80th Birthday Weekend Part II

If you didn't read yesterday's post, make sure that you do so that you know what I'm talking about. 

Continuing on, we celebrated the 80th birthday of this woman (below) for the second time on Sunday afternoon. 
**The photo below is from Christmas, not the past weekend**

On Sunday right before noon, the family bused out to McLaren Vale for a fancy lunch at Chapel Hill Winery. MaLaren Vale is a wine region that is 40 minutes from the city. I've driven through the area, but I've never actually been to a winery there until a few days ago. 

It was a perfect day.

We had the dining room all to ourselves, and the view of the winery was brilliant. 

We stood outside on the terrace and took some photos before returning inside to taste some wines. 

At McLaren Vale, the vines sprawl out to the sea. You can see the water if you look carefully. 

We could have spent the afternoon outside (and gotten sunburned), but we were also excited about the lunch. I love any meal that includes personalized menus. 

I started with a glass of pinot grigio during "cocktail hour", but I switched to a rose once we sat down. The wine was called "il Vescovo Sangiovese Rose", and I will jump on ordering anything with "sangiovese" in the name. I first fell in love with the variety while I was studying abroad in Italy. I hardly ever see it in Australia, so I was so excited when they offered it to me. I also may have brought a bottle home with me...

I was with a fun bunch. Below is Gramps, Auntie Fel and cousin Jack. 

Hamish, Ayzsa, cousin Alice

Uncle Nick, Anna, Uncle Chris (and Uncle Tim in the corner)

Uncle Andy

Of course, there were speeches. We did a toast at the beginning of the meal. Later on, before dessert, we all went around the table and said something we loved about Grumpy. We had a lot of fun with that. 

The food, as we expected, was fit for a king. Course one (as described on the menu): a salmon, potato, dill and caper tart. 

Actually, the first thing on the menu was focaccia with olive oil and dukka (spices), but I forgot to take a photo. It tasted like it just came out of the oven, and it was sooooo good. No bread is better than warm bread. 

Here is the tart after I dissected it. It tasted like fancy mashed potatoes mixed with cooked salmon in a light pastry. I loved it, and I almost cleared my plate. One of my favorite parts of the dish was the caviar (the orange balls). I know a lot of people are afraid of this delicacy, but I really enjoy eating it. I love how it pops when you bite down (I know I just grossed people out). 

Course two: 5hr slow cooked beef cheek with grilled eggplant, rocket and buttered mushrooms. I took this photo after I added salad and roasted potatoes to my plate. 

This dish really makes me want to buy a slow cooker. The flavors soaked in perfectly to the beef. I wish there were more mushrooms on the plate, because they tasted wonderful with the sauce. The wines below are NOT all mine, by the way. I do admit that I had a separate glass of red wine to go with the meat dish (I think it was a merlot). I think Andy just wanted to add more decoration to my picture. 

Course three: Indian doughnut and fresh peach, with a lime and toasted almond ice cream. 

I'm delighted that Grumpy chose this dish, because it wasn't something that we assumed would be on the menu. Cake would have been wonderful, but we would have expected it. The doughnut hole didn't taste like it was fried. It was moist and cakey with beautiful spices and a hint of rosewater. It came together beautifully with the ice cream and the peaches. 

We concluded the meal with plenty of coffee, tea and Devil's Tawny (port). There is a good chance that I escaped with a bottle of this as well. A very good chance. 

We didn't forget to take a group photo on the way out. 

We took the bus back to the city and unloaded at Penny and Jamie's house. Some of us didn't want to return to reality yet, so the fun continued in the back yard. 

But alas, it was a Sunday night. The majority of us had to get up very early the next day, so we couldn't continue with the party forever. 

Three cheers to a wonderful time! Hip-hip-hooray!

Grumpy is celebrating her final party tonight with another group of her friends, and then the 80th festivities come to an end. I'm sad that it's all over, but it does make me hope that I can party the same way when I'm 80. Guys, I'm already looking forward to Grumpy's 90th birthday celebrations!