The parade route was warmed up by the Dykes on Bikes, a lesbian motorcycle group that encourages its members to “ride with pride.”  There was plenty of honking, whistles, lights and leather. After they roared through, there was a fairly long intermission before the parade began.

The parade was kicked off with two dancing boys (pictured here) in a cage not unlike a the wheely luggage rack that a bellhop uses to deliver your bags to your hotel room. I wonder what kind of tip these two would fetch?

All sorts of groups were out to show their support for the gay and lesbian community. There were enforcement types: the navy (naturally), and karaoke-singing cops belting out “I Will Survive.”  There were emergency and health officials including nurses, firefighters and lifesavers in Baywatch-esque swim gear doing a choreographed line-dance down the streets.

Community groups were also out. Teachers carried placards demanding equity in schools. There were equal rights lobbyists and the Femme Guild of Sydney danced to Dolly Parton’s “9 To 5″ dressed as Rosie the Riveter or other such takes on J. Howard Miller’s “We Can Do It” character. There were sports groups including a rugby and water polo team in the line up. A ‘rainbow bus’ chugged along on behalf of state transit.

There were jolly, gay Jews and a somber group of Christians holding signs that read “sorry, we were wrong.”  Queer Atheists also made an appearance. A groovin’ group of dancing ladies in head dresses also made way for a convertible with a caricature of Osama bin Laden  singing into a penis-microphone under a banner that read “Osama is coming out and putting the ‘fun’ back into ‘fundamentalism’!

One of Australia’s major banks, AMP, had a troupe of dancers well-dressed in silver and matching mirrored helmets, mimicking disco balls. Their group line dance was also one of the stronger ones on the route. A float for George Michael, who performed in Sydney earlier in the week, blasted out his greatest hits, while at least three colour-coded teams of 50 dancers trailed the float with a line dance. Another winner of a group dance troupe followed the float that read “Four Queens beats a Straight.” There were four Queens waving from the flat-bed float and the trailing dancers wore shirts with either a club, spade, diamond or heart on the front.

The Sydney Homotones, a community band, played from the flatbed of a truck. A group of kilted Scots came all the way from “AberQueen,” according to their signs, and were ready to show spectators the “Cock Ness Monster.” Representatives from San Fransisco Leather Week made sure that the gear, fetish and kink factor was taken care of. Thank goodness, because I would not have found my Mardi Gras experience to be complete without having viewed men in ass-less leather chaps whipping each other.

I was considerably under-dressed for the occasion, but a topless fellow with black wings strapped to his back was kind enough to offer me some gold glitter. A group of onlookers in front of us were well-prepared with sparklers to wave on the parading groups. And to our left there was a group armed with bubble wands and they kept a nice canopy of bubbles floating over our section.

More photos are available on flickr.

We discovered jewellery, fashion, shoes galore, antiques, boutiques, galleries, cafes, delis and charming garden terraces set back from the streets offering afternoon refreshment in this affluent neighbourhood.

We decided on Zigolini’s, a cafe claiming to be “simply a place of fine food,” at 107 Queen Street. It served a late lunch at reasonable prices (keeping Dad happy), some air conditioning and water colour paintings (keeping Mom happy), and had a fair wine list (keeping me happy).

After a savory lamb panini (Mom), some chicken pasta (Dad), and a grilled asparagus, tomato and artichoke salad (me), we were refueled and ready to explore the shops and side streets.

It was the perfect day for a city stroll, so we continued to walk along Oxford Street through Paddington and finally back to my sister’s place in Darlinghurst.

For more photos from Woollahra, check out the set on flickr.

The ferry departs from  the quay right beside the Opera House. As the ferry makes its way towards Manly through the harbour, passengers are afforded prime views of Sydney’s skyline, the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House and all the sail boats gracing the water. This pauper’s cruise takes just over 30 minutes.

Once in Manly, it is a short promenade through the town’s tourist strip to the beach. Not just any beach — Manly Beach. Complete with Manly Lifeguards keeping an eye on many Manly surfers.

There is a ocean-side walkway and we decided to follow it. It wound us around a lovely shore over to the secluded Shelly Beach, which I later found out is known for nudes. I guess we did not arrive at the appropriate gawking hour, as the beach-goers we saw were all suited up.

We took our time strolling back from Shelly to Manly, enjoying the wall of the walk that was studded every now and then with a fish, bird or surfing figure. In the distance, snorkellers finned their way around and surfers paddled, occasionally catching a wave.

Getting into the relaxed vibe (a shockingly easy thing for my family to do), we decided it was time for a drink. Back near the dock we found the Bavarian Bier Cafe and enjoyed a cold one before boarding a return ferry to Sydney.

More photos from this trip are available on flickr.

The bronze sculpture pictured sits at Dolphin Point, with a view to Wedding Cake Island in the background. The sculpture was erected in 2003, one year after a bomb in a Bali nightclub killed 202 people, including 20 vacationers who were residents of Coogee and neighbouring communities. The three pillars symbolize family, friends and community and are bowed in sorrow, but joined in strength.

If you’re hungry while at Coogee, beware the “chocolate” gelato at the Coogee Bay Hotel. A poo sundae was served to customers in 2008 after they complained of poor service. Which serves as a reminder to be nice to the people who handle your food, for crap’s sake.

For more photos from Coogee, check out the set on flickr.

My Dad had come to meet us, caught the third period and the last couple rounds of Coopers Pale Ale. Then we headed off to Heritage Belgium Beer Cafe to have some fancy beer and mussels. Vancouverites beware: prices in Sydney will intimidate you. A bowl of mussels with a side of fries costs $26.50 and a 330ml bottle of Judas is $12.90. But it was all delicious!

In the evening we went out to celebrate my Mom’s birthday at A Tavola, a delicious Italian restaurant. All the pasta is made fresh daily and a charming Italian waiter explained each dish on the chalkboard menu to us. All washed down by a crisp, refreshing Soave wine.

Day two: beach time. Check back soon!

Upon my arrival we’re heading straight out to the Martin Place Bar to watch the Canada vs. USA Olympic hockey game. It’ll be Monday before noon there, and I’ll get to see how the ex-pat Olympic spirit in Sydney compares to the patriotic vibe here in Vancouver.

Be sure to check back to hear about how the trip goes! Or subscribe to my blog using the RRS feed. Cheers!

On Sunday, January 31, CRU Restaurant will host a fundraising four-course, wine-paired dinner. Staff are volunteering thier time and 100% of the profits will be donated to relief efforts in Haiti. It starts at 6:30 and costs a $100 donation. There will also be a silent auction.

Quinta Ferreira Estate Winery has also announced that it will donate 10% of all their wine sales from January 15 to February 15 to the Haiti disaster relief effort. This includes wine sales from private liquor stores, VQA stores, restaurants and direct from the winery. Obra-Prima, a big, black cherry red is an especially delicious offering from Quinta Ferreira.

In Vancouver, it’s available at Village VQA Wines, among other outlets. Its wines are also availabe for sale online.

The Loire Valley is one of the most beautiful areas of France — think moat-encircled Châteaux, a stunning landscape of rolling hills and rivers, and important architectural heritage. Plus the wine, where they make excellent dry Chenin Blanc and sweet, botrytis-affected wines (yes, sweet wine from rotten grapes — but the good, noble kind of rot). Their sparkling wines are also good, but not world class. Things continue downhill to the reds and rosés.

On to the whites it was.

We started with a duo and were told to figure out which was which. There was a  a Chenin Blanc (tends to be more full-bodied and rich, less crisp, more ripe fruit and has an aroma of beeswax and an oily character), and a Muscadet (dry, light, more acidic, very steely, crisp, lean with some tart green apple character).

The first wine was a pale lemon-green in the glass with some youthful notes of citrus, green apple, grass and steel on the nose and palate. It was dry with high acidity, fairly light body with a short finish. We thought it might be a good wine to choose to wash down some fried, breaded oysters.

It turned out to be the Muscadet. A 2007 Haut-Censy Muscadet Sèvre et Maine Sur Lie ($16), to be exact. Sur Lie means that the wine was left on the lees (dead yeast cells that sink to the bottom of the fermentation vessel when the wine is made). This is supposed to give more flavour to the subtle grape.

“You could water your flowers with it. It’s not that great — come on!” jokes Cluer to our class. “Left on the lees? My advice — keep leaving it.”

Wine number two was a pale lemon hue with more developing, riper aromas of citrus, mineral, stonefruit, honey melon, banana, hay, butter … more wine snob words means a more complex wine. With medium acidity and body and a waxy or oily character in the mouth, we pegged this one as the Chenin Blanc.

Indeed, this was a wine of that grape. From Vouvray, an area famous for their Chenin Blanc, the 2006 Château Gaudrelle ($25) did not dissapoint. Although Chenin Blanc is on par with Riesling for it’s agability, we thought that this one was made to drink now.

Next another white duo of Sancerre (your quintessential dry white wine made from Sauvignon Blanc from the Sancerre area of the Loire Valley), and another mystery grape common in the South of France.

Inside glass number three was another pale lemon-coloured wine with some developing aromas of grapefruit, pear, citrus, and some vegetal characters such as asparagus or grass, along with a mineral or mushroomy note. On the palate there was a bit of an unripe apple thing going on with a chalky-steelyness along with some of the same characters from the nose. It was fairly high acidity with medium body.

Those unripe, vegetal notes pointed to a Sauvignon Blanc, and this was it. The bottle of 2005 Pascal Jolivet Sancerre that we tasted goes for $38 … but you could get two bottles of New Zealand Sauv Blanc for that price, making this wine “not good value for money” according to Cluer. Hard to disagree there!

The mystery grape in glass number four made a white wine of a darker lemon or pale gold colour. The nose was fairly intense with honey, riper fruit like peach, melon, apricot and mango, and some white flowers. On the palate it was less intense than one would have expected after smelling it. It was leaning towards full-bodied, and the finish was slightly bitter.

This turned out to be a Viognier (2006 Gérard Bertrand Classic, Vin de Pays D’Oc, for $15), a grape that often makes wines that show off more on the nose than on the palate. The bitter finish could have been caused by the grapes being pressed too hard and allowing the bitter extract from the seed oils to come out when they were over-crushed.

Next we left the Loire and headed to Burgundy — home of the best Chardonnay you’ll ever drink. If you can afford them.

We started with a 2006 William Fevre Grand Cru Bougros from Chablis, which sells for a mere $64. For me, there was something pretty funky going on when I smelled this one. To try to put a finger on it, we threw out mushroom, steel, mineral, and wet stones. There was also some apple, citrus and a light creaminess to the wine.

It was a dry wine with fairly high acidity, but it was not sharp or tart. It had medium body and a medium finish that left a mineral flavour roaming around your palate. Cluer said this wine could be aged for eight to 10 years.

Next we upped the stakes with a 2005 Louis Jadot Monopole Clos del la Garenne from Puligny Montrachet ($116). It was slightly darker lemon-coloured in the glass and the nose was much more complex. The oak treatment of the wine gave it notes of butter, toast, smoke, vanilla and sweet spices. There was also tropical fruit, peach, citrus, honey, and mineral.

Cluer told us this was “one of the best Chards you’ll have” so I enjoyed it while I could. For $116, I doubt I’ll be having it again any time soon. It had so much going on. Dry, high acid, fairly full in body, long length, and delicious multi-layered flavours. It’s another Chard that you can lay down and age.

The 10th Annual Wine Press Northwest Platinum Judging is a competition between wineries of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and BC. Wineries are invited to enter wines that have already won gold medals. The panel then tastes the gold medal wines against each other to determine who will win Platinum. In order to get the award, three of the four judges must agree, if a wine goes four for four, it gets a Double Platinum award.

JoieFarm cleaned up in this competition, with their 2008 Riesling and their 2008 A Noble Blend finishing 1st and 2nd overall. The Riesling took the “Best of the Best” title as well.

Additionally, five BC wineries won three Platinum’s each:

• Domaine de Chaberton of Langley, B.C. (2008 Canoe Cove North Bluff White – Double Platinum; 2008 Bacchus – Platinum; 2006 Canoe Cove Shiraz – Platinum)
• Gehringer Brothers of Oliver, B.C. (2008 Private Reserve Riesling – Platinum; 2008 Minus Nine Ehrenfelser Ice Wine – Platinum; 2008 Schonburger-Gewurztraminer – Platinum)
• Inniskillin Okanagan of Oliver, B.C. (2007 Discovery Series Tempranillo Ice Wine  – Platinum; 2007 Riesling Ice Wine – Platinum; 2007 Discovery Series Malbec – Platinum)
• Jackson-Triggs of Oliver, B.C. (2006 Proprietors’ Reserve Shiraz – Platinum; 2007 Proprietors’ Reserve Sauvignon Blanc – Platinum; 2007 Grand Reserve Riesling Ice Wine – Platinum)
• Wild Goose of Okanagan Falls, B.C. (2008 Mystic River Pinot Gris Double Platinum and top Pinot Gris; 2008 Pinot Gris – Platinum; 2008 Mystic River Gewurztraminer – Platinum)

Wine Access magazine’s December issue announced its top 101 Favorite Wines for 2009. Six BC wines made the list:

• Sandhill 2007 Phantom Creek Vineyard Small Lots Program Syrah (#52)
• Sandhill2007 Osprey Ridge Vineyard Small Lots Program Viognier
  (#70)
• Quails’ Gate Winery 2007 Stewart Family Reserve Chardonnay (#71)
• Gehringer Brothers 2008 Minus 9 Ehrenfelser Ice Wine (#79)
• Church & State 2007 Hollenbach Family Vineyard Pinot Noir (#82)
• Stag’s Hollow 2008 Sauvignon Blanc/Sémillon (#86)

Outside of the competitions, there was a lot written about wines this week. Anthony Gismondi made some recommendations for hostess gift wines in the Vancouver Sun. James Nevison, the Province’s Wine Guy, recommends a trio of cheap and cheerful party wines for the holiday party season.

Tim Pawsey admires the art of the wine label in his column in the Vancouver Courier, while Jurgen Gothe treats himself to some Beaujolais in the Uncorked column of the Straight. David Scholefield chooses Heggies Chardonnay 2007 this week in Vancouver Magazine and John Schreiner samples a line up of Blue Mountain wines at Salt in Vancouver’s Gastown.

Wondering what the ladies of wine are up to? On her blog, Joanne Sasvari wonders about some women’s taste in bevvies. Amy Rosen tries to find out whether marketing-driven wines will corner the chick wine market. A story from the Montreal Gazette looks into what women want in wine.

If there is a favourite American wine that you have had on your wish list, but could not find for sale in Canada, FedEx has just announced that it will be able to help you get your fix…maybe. It seems that FedEx did not jump through all the regulatory hoops necessary and the announcement was a bit premature. The hope was that a new “direct purchase” scheme would allow U.S. wineries to send their vino to your home in BC, Alberta or Ontario. But don’t hold your breath for that special Cali Cab, as the future of the project is unclear. This will be an interesting story to follow on WineLaw.ca

In lighter news, The Province’s Wine Guy, James Nevison offers some affordable, drinkable solutions for doing your part to solve the wine glut — a world wide surplus in wine. He suggests Finca Flichman 2008 ‘Oak Aged’ Shiraz, Argentina ($10.99); Cooralook 2008 Chardonnay, Australia ($17.99); and Carpineto 2006 Chianti Classico, Italy ($21.99).

In the Vancouver Sun, Anthony Gismondi writes the second part of his holiday wine-buying guide, which concentrates on red blends. He also includes a varietal Malbec — a long-time favourite of mine –  Punto Final Malbec.

The Vancouver Sun also included some food and wine pairing tips from Joanne Sasvari. She gave some additional guidance about pairing wine with cheese, which is informative reading for your upcoming holiday entertaining! If reading isn’t enough, there is also a Wine & Cheese 101 class coming up in Vancouver.

In the Vancouver Courier, Tim Pawsey sheds some light on Kiwi wines, which will be a featured theme at the Playhouse Wine Festival in 2010. Jurgen Gothe rounds up his “BOYs” (Best of the Year wines) in the Georgia Straight. In Vancouver Magazine, David Scholefield chooses Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Sun Rock Shiraz 2005 as his Wine Pick of the Week.

Keep your eye out in BC Liquor Stores for the winter issue of Taste magazine. It is set to feature secrets from Bordeaux, wines of Chile, tips on cellaring wine, a who’s who in BC wine and plenty more. Wine Access magazine recently published the 2009 Canadian Wine Awards. You can check out the winners online, or pick up an issue.

In and around BC, John Schreiner reports on Mission Hill’s proposed $80 million expansion, and Master of Wine James Cluer talks to Glenn Fawcett at Black Hills Winery.

After all this reading, I’m sure you’ve downed most of that bubbly by now and you may be feeling a warm glow, or maybe you’re tipsy? Balmy? Pam Freir explores the many ways to explain your buzz all around the world.