Dead Man Espresso, South Melbourne

Dead Man Espresso was a great start to my Tuesday.
 An easy going cafe with really good people who serve really good coffee. Looking around the room i note that the patrons are a mix of cyclists, yoga mums, trainee doctors, office workers, a couple of bums like me with a good book and one interesting guy who was sipping 3 cappucinos infront of him.
Ahh.... this must be the place where coffee snobs go to get their coffee.

 I ordered a double ristretto flat white on skim.  Their coffee blend was good, balanced and naturally sweet. The milk was perfectly stretched and carried the coffee well. It was good.

 For brunch I ordered the "Green Pancakes" which, according to their website is "green veggie pancakes w edamame bean salad, citrus butter, smoked salmon & poached egg"
 

It was really good! I loved the portion size. It looks healthy, delicate and light, but the protein from the salmon, edamame and egg kept me full for the next 5 hours. The green pancakes were moreish with a mixture of onions and some other unidentifiable green stuff (and potatoes i think). Egg was runny on the inside and I appreciate the decent amount of smoked salmon on the plate. I really liked the greens. I think they could have been wild rocket? Not sure, but they were peppery and went well with the dish.

Definitely a place i'd like to visit again
deadmanespresso.com.au
35 Market Street
South Melbourne
03 9686 2255

Adina Pinot Grigio 2012

Oh! I forgot I had a wine blog!

How horrible of me. And since my last post I have been enjoying a lot of new wines, but always drinking in moderation. In fact, I think I’ve been drinking less. Towards the end of last year I’ve wanted to get healthier and fitter. As a result I’ve started drinking less. But drinking well at the same time.

I’m currently sipping on:

Adina Vineyard

Pinot Grigio 2012

Lovedale (Hunter Valley Region), New South Wales

Wine maker: Daniel Binet

Alc/Vol 12.5%

Approximately $22 a bottle

Pinot Grigio and Pinot Gris wines are generally sweeter on the palate. This particular Pinot Grigio tastes like a mix of pineapple, strawberry with an end note of kiwi fruit to give it an acidic finish. It’s a pale straw yellow and as it slowly adjusts from fridge to room temperature it begins to have an ‘oily’ appearance.

It’s really quite a nice wine as an aperitif. I had dinner a few hours ago already but the touch of acidity is making my mouth water!

The nose is floral and sweet. I think it’s a good bottle to introduce to friends who are trying to escape the wave of cider blends and instead are looking for something more delicate.

I had it over several days and it went well with seafood, Asian dishes as well as yum cha.

I've finished the bottle. So obviously it was a good one!

Moorebank "Sheila" Black Sheep Shiraz 2009

Moorebank Private Vineyard

“Sheila” Black Sheep Shiraz 2009

Pokolbin (Hunter Valley), New South Wales

Wine maker: Gary Reed

Price: $30 a bottle

I like winemakers of the relaxed type. Gary Reed, you have done well. Sheila is a deep purple-red shiraz originating from Pokolbin in the Hunter Valley Wine Region of  New South Wales.

I drank this bottle over a few days and I have found it to be a versatile dinner-party-friendly wine. There’s been green chicken curry, roasted five spice chicken, stir-fry, chocolate, bruschetta, and steak (with a jus made from the Sheila Shiraz) The nose reminds me of warm cherry pie I once bought on a long drive from Sydney to Brisbane. It’s relatively sweet and the aromas continue into the mouth and develops depth that is added by the oak it is preserved in (only a slight sweek soft oak.. not like you’re drinking wood at all). The velvety tannins are a genius finish as the wine pulls away so as you swallow you’re left salivating and wanting another taste so that you can experience the journey all over again.

At $30 a bottle I would recommend you to keep 1 or 2 in your cellar to drink in the next year if you want to impress. It’s one of those bottles that will make you look like an avid wine critic as it seems quite hard to find now. Nevertheless, poke around the website and see what you can find :)