We couldn't have asked for a more glorious backdrop than the Derwent Valley as the trees began their autumn shift. We spent our morning wandering through the Valley Autumn Festival in New Norfolk, and it felt like the entire town had come out to celebrate. There were marquees everywhere and a real buzz in the air, especially since they haven’t been able to run the event for the last three years.
It was a bit of a scramble to find a place to park among the crowds, but seeing everyone enjoying the sunshine made it worthwhile. The kids would have loved the energy there, but we had a very special reason to peel ourselves away from the festivities and head just down the road to Granton.
The main event of our day was celebrating our 40th wedding anniversary. We decided to treat ourselves to lunch at the Derwent Estate Vineyard, which is a fair bit more up-market than our usual roadside stops! Before we even looked at the menu, there was the matter of a certain milestone gift. Forty years is the ruby anniversary, so it felt only right to mark it with something sparkling. Lisa was absolutely thrilled with the new necklace and earrings; the red stones caught the light beautifully and are a lovely reminder of how far we’ve come since we first said "I do."
We settled in for a long, lazy lunch overlooking the vines. The restaurant itself is a striking timber building that sits perfectly against the landscape. We started with some delicious little crumbed bites that were perfectly golden and crisp on the outside.
Steve is usually a "meat and three veg" man at heart, but he was more than happy to dive into the fancy fare here. One of our favourite dishes was the sliced duck, which was served on a bed of grains and topped with a rich mound of dark berries. The combination of the savoury meat and the sweetness of the fruit was a real winner.
The table was soon full of local Tassie produce. We shared a beautiful piece of white fish served with shaved greens, some roasted potatoes, and a side of broccolini. It was the kind of meal where you find yourself slowing down just to make the flavours last a little longer. Lisa particularly loved the freshness of the greens, while Steve was quite content making sure not a single scrap of those potatoes went to waste.
Between courses, we made sure to grab a photo of the two of us. It’s not often we get dressed up and head somewhere this posh, and the Tasmanian sun was doing its best to make us look respectable! Behind us, you can see the golden hues of the vineyard stretching out towards the hills.
The whole estate has such a peaceful feel to it. There’s a long gravel pathway that leads you past an old white farmhouse toward the modern cellar door and restaurant. The contrast between the old stone and the new timber buildings is really something, all tied together by those rows of vines that are just starting to turn yellow for the season.
By the time we finished our wine and looked out over the lawn, we felt very lucky. Forty years has gone by in a blink, and sharing a meal like this in such a beautiful corner of the world was the perfect way to toast to the next forty. We might have to go back to simple toasted sandwiches tomorrow to balance the budget, but for one afternoon in Granton, we lived like royalty.
