Old vines make for a tricky 19th hole at the Moonah Links golf course!

It's Monday morning rush hour but the Melbourne roads are clear because it's Labour Day. So, a smooth start to our journey through the winelands of northern Victoria.

Spent the weekend with the 'rellys' as they say here. The in-laws. And their baby vineyard on the sand dunes of Mornington Peninsula. A very cool climate zone. The wind blows constantly. Mostly straight from the Antarctic. Their little vines are having to be very brave. On top of the daily buffeting they have to cope with the driest year ever. They are irrigated of course but that drips straight to the roots. The leaves would dearly love a little moisture in the atmosphere. But they will survive somehow. Amazingly resilient plants, vines. Next to the vineyard is a golf course; Moonah Links where the Australian Open is played. Its a new course and where the sixth fairway now is used to be a vineyard. And it's driving the groundsmen nuts. Whatever they do, those old vines keep sprouting again and again through the immaculate grass! Vines are that tough.

Tony Jordan came down on Saturday from the Yarra Valley where he has run Moët et Chandon's Australian winery; Green Point, for 20 years. Knows what he's talking about Tony does - and he said the vineyard was just right for producing a good sparkling wine. Just as well because its planted with the Champagne trio of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier ... to make a sparkler.

Stayed with Tony and Michelle last night in the Yarra. Talked of old times. It was with Tony that Laithwaites started the phenomenon called 'Flying Winemakers'. Back then Dr. Jordan was an immensely respected consultant and teacher. One of the leading lights of the industry in the sixties/seventies when Australian wine began its amazing climb from being a joke to being the most dominant and influential voice in wine. Just a few blokes did it. I'll get him to write the

There was I, '86 vintage in my Bordeaux winery at La Clarière, stirring the starter yeast in a bucket and in walks Jordan. " G'day, G'day. What in *****'s name you think you are doing? Give it here, you ******. Pom" With those immortal words was born the notion of Aussies and other antipodeans generously giving up their winter holidays in Europe to show us Euros (or Brits at any rate!) how to make wine.

The following vintage Tony sent over the first 'flyer' and in the next years we made huge amounts of fresh, super-fruity lively wines in those cellars where only dull flat stuff had been before. Tony himself was snapped up by Moët to launch their Aussie venture. So he never got to 'fly' himself. Pity. Tony retires from Moët this year. Am sure he'd like to get back to showing us how to do it.

Anyway ... off to Ned Kelly country, the wilds of northern Victoria. story one day. My involvement came later.