Buying Wine - COOLY LIQUOR, Queensland, Australia

Holidaying on the Gold Coast is something many of us do. I grew up there, so visit as often as I can. At the southern end there are a plethora of beach side apartments to choose from. If you choose this style of holiday, with your own kitchen and spectacular views, you'll need a supply of decent wine. Here's where to buy wine:

COOLY LIQUOR.

Funny sounding name, especially if you're not a local. Funny looking wine displays too:

Excellent service. The staff here have always had excellent wine knowledge, particularly Australian wines. Most of the shop space is dedicated to sub $20 wines with the next biggest allocation $20 - $30 wines. Just about all the white and rosé wines are chilled. There is a small, but well-selected range of reds and Champagne at higher price points if you're looking to splurge. Plenty of Penfolds on offer too.

Cooly Liquor have three outlets on the southern end of the Coast and are my number one tip for take away bottles of good Aussie wine.

COOLY LIQUOR - Coolangatta
Ground Floor / Showcase On The Beach Shopping Centre
72 Marine Parade, Coolangatta 4225
Phone: (07) 55 896 811
OPENING HOURS: Mon to Sun 9am - 10pm
map: http://goo.gl/maps/abx3p

COOLY LIQUOR - Tugun
Cnr Kaleena & Kallara Street, Tugun
(opp Tugun Bowls Club)
Phone: (07) 55 250 835
OPENING HOURS: Mon to Sun 10am - 9pm
map: http://goo.gl/maps/1bsY5

COOLY LIQUOR - Rainbow Bay
Ward Street, Rainbow Bay
(next to Dee and Pauls Rainbow Cafe)
Phone: (07) 55 994 777
OPENING HOURS: Mon to Sun 10am - 9pm
map: http://goo.gl/maps/92jTD

I have no commercial agreements with Cooly Liquor. I am just sharing a top tip with you! Do you have a tip for me? Comment below or email me at ladyoenotria@gmail.com

My 12 Wines of Christmas, penned from Melbourne, Australia

Enjoy my quick and easy food and wine matching, easy buying guide. Cheers!

Lady O's 12 Wines of Christmas:

1) Champagne! My tip for those who want a crowd-pleaser? Bolli, darling! Buy from Vintage Cellars http://bit.ly/18QecU5

2) Savvy B. for fresh steamed prawns with lime, Chain of Ponds Black Thursday buy from Wine Selectors http://bit.ly/18jf17q

3) Chardonnay for the shellfish, from Oakridge Wines Local Vineyard Series. Buy at http://bit.ly/1brY3ON

4) Riesling. Because it is Summer of Riesling. Dan Murphy's stock more than 200 via http://bit.ly/18jfE0O

5) Pinot Gris for drinks with friends. Try De Bortoli Wines La Boheme, http://bit.ly/18xQwy2 buy from their Yarra Valley cellar door

6) Prosecco. For ALL the finger food. I cannot choose just one. Ask the reigning Prosecco Queen, GastronoMel for her top tips!

7) Pinot Noir for all the pork products. Check out the 400+ global range at Prince Wine Store http://bit.ly/19dzw3R

8) Moscato. For fun. I can't go past Innocent Bystander pink moscato. It even comes in a can. http://bit.ly/1feH9YR

9) Cabernet. Cullen Cabernet Merlot '12 from Rathdowne Cellars. Esteemed producer, wallet-friendly. bit.ly/1byavkv

10) Shiraz. Langmeil Winery 2010 Orphan Bank. Seriously good value for super old vines in the Barossa. http://bit.ly/18xN9tX

11) Fortified. For the plum pudding. Try Penfolds Grandfather Rare Tawny from Cracker Wines http://bit.ly/18jhRsW

12) Sticky. Says Christmas. Try with cheese. Bass River Winery's Iced Riesling- a stunning choice. http://bit.ly/IZuI84

*This post is about my #12WinesofChristmas. I have no commercial arrangements with any of these producers, they are all just good booze. As previously mentioned, I do sell wine for WineSelectors, however I get paid via direct sales and not from you clicking on a link.

About Me

New World adventurer, boutique wineries advocate and personal wine shopper. May 'talk wine' at length with others.

I have a rather grand passion for wine, travel and writing. I am good at writing, better at travelling and best at wine tasting! For me, the wine industry is about people, places and stories. Drinking wine should be fun. It brings people together and is a key ingredient for laughter.

I do not wish to ever be a wine critic however I do like to find out the reasons why I like some wines more than others. I love Champagne. I believe every wine has a time and place. My biggest wish is to be able to share the world of wine with others in a fun and enjoyable way.

To fund my passions I act as a Private Wine Buyer, or Wine Valet, buying interesting wines in smallish quantities for a select few. Occasionally I am requested to put together wine lists or act a wine region tour guide. To keep my finger on the pulse of the Australian wine industry, I also moonlight as a Sales Agent for Australian Wine Selectors.

Feel free to join me on my adventures, comment on my ramblings or just drop an email to say G’Day.

Catherine A, aka Lady Oenotria

Oenotria

LadyOenotria

Recline, Wine & Dine

Just about as soon as I became of legal drinking age I discovered the delight of Hotel Lobby Bars. My gal pal and I decided that we'd like to frock up and head out to drink pretty cocktails in elegant surrounds. We lived on the Gold Coast, certainly weren't staying in any fine hotel, and chose the Surfers Paradise Marriott (Lobby Lounge Bar) as our first grown-up drinks venue.

This was to be the beginning of a life long hobby. Hotel lobby bars are usually grand, exaggerated, architectural masterpieces. Luxuriously fitted out, with a fine attention to detail by way of accessories, flowers and cocktail lists. The clientele is always greatly varied, with an ambiance of confident, worldly, happy people.

Recently, I discovered The Travellers Bar in the lobby of the Rendezvous Grand Hotel (previously Duxton Hotel) at 328 Flinders Street, Melbourne. They have an impressive cocktail list plus a wine list covering local and international wines.

The bar snacks are tasty, on-trend and tapas-style so that you can mix and match flavours as you wish. I have visited on Friday evenings where the vibe is 'Playful Elegance' and mid-afternoon on a weekday seems to be more 'Recline and Wine'.

As you'd expect with a hotel that was built in 1912, the décor is simply beautiful, complete with stained glass windows partially muting the busy Flinders Street view. The ornate ceiling trims perfectly offset the fresh, modern lounge furnishings and the staff look dapper in waistcoats and ties.

The Travellers Bar perfectly fits the bill for relaxation, rest and the opportunity to Recline, Wine & Dine. It is a venue that I will have on high rotation over the Spring months and I look forward to trying most of the wine list. For a Lady that likes to stop mid-dailygrind at any time of the day, Hotel Lobby bars are the bomb. Email me via LadyOenotria@gmail.com to share your favourite Recline, Wine & Dine venues.

Sparkling, Happy & Thoughtful

I remember the first French Champagne I ever purchased. It was a bottle of Veuve Clicquot NV. I selected it because it was made by a woman. A woman who appeared to have become a phenomenally successful wine producer despite the horrendous odds of her time. I was about nineteen years old and fiercely pro girl-power. It was the most delicious beverage I had ever drunk.

Over the years I have discovered Champagnes that are cheaper, nicer, prettier and better produced. However I will always be a raving fan of the yellow labelled, Veuve Clicquot. It was my first. It was there for new jobs, new homes, life's wins and life's loves. It was there on the morning of my birthday and all manner of special and fun occasions. It was there as a motivating reward for goals set and it was there as a well-known constant. It has never let me down.

To me, Veuve Clicquot is Sparkling, Happy & Thoughtful.

When you are faced with the often daunting task of buying wine as a gift, think of the recipient first. Ask yourself, what do they like? Recall the wines poured during some of your fondest memories together. It may not be the best or the most expensive wine, but it may be the wine that makes them happiest.

Or, think of what the wine represents. Perhaps choose from a local region or a lusted-after wine maker. Possibly a wine that has a story which resonates with the drinker. Maybe the vintage was a significant year for the two of you. If starting a new relationship, try a wine that is new to both of you.

Wine can create memories. You may not yet know what those memories will be when buying your wine gift, but you will be forever thankful that you took the time to put a little effort into your purchase.

Prestige Cuvee Champagne

A 'Prestige Cuvée' is a champagne at the very top of a producer's range. It is the highest quality, the most refined - and the most expensive - champagne that the house offers. What makes these champagnes so special? Since there are no official guidelines for designating a Prestige Cuvée as there are for other categories of French champagne, this question can only be answered by understanding a champagne house's wine making philosophy and tasting the end result of the wine maker's best effort.


Which are your favourite decadent drops?