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Barossa Region
Adelaide Australia |
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In this series,
we will discuss some of the world’s finest wine regions visited by
us:
Barossa and
Margaret River, Australia
Marlborough
Sounds and Napier, New Zealand
Maipo Valley,
Chile
Loire, Alsace,
Bourdeaux, Provence in France
Neckar Valley,
Germany
Chiante,
Piedmont and Veneto in Italy
Napa Valley,
California
La Rioja, Spain
Switzerland
Austria |
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The idea is not
a connoisseur’s wine column, but some interesting notes on the region, its
towns, food and wine and its people.
The Barossa
Valley is one of Australia’s most famous wine growing areas, north east of
Adelaide. We suggest you spend 2 - 3 days in this region, because there is
much more to it than only wine.
First settled
in 1842 by German immigrants, villages were established at Bethany, Tanunda
Lyndoch and Hahndorf. Soon, winemaking became the focus and today some 50
wineries are found in the region.
One will find a
good balanced variety of excellent white and red wines grown in this area.
Some of the wine farms visited in the Bethany Region are:
Schrapels
- Planted their first grapes way back in 1847, among their best whites
(barrel fermented Chardonnay) and reds (the late picked fortified Grenach).
Grand Burge
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The initial release of their first Shiraz Meschach in 1988 neatly focused
attention on the new world approach towards red wines.
Lanzerac
- Produces some excellent reds: Shiraz and Port and also host an up market
Ala Carte Restaurant, similar to the Constantia Uitsig’s and Haute
Cabbriéres of the Cape.
St Hallett
- Some of the younger vintners, Bob McLean, with award winning Old Block
Shiraz, Old Crock Tawny Port and Chardonnay. Labels designed by well-known
Australian artist similar to Mouton Rothchild of Bourdeaux.
In the Lyndoch
area are:
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Peter Lehmann
- Award winning whites (both Chardonnay and Riesling) as well as his Shiraz
that has been crowned as best value red wine in Australia.
Kies Estate
- Another long-established Barossa grape growing dynasty: all wine is
made from grapes grown on the Kies’ two vineyards. Winemaker, Trev Jones, is
intensely proud of a limited production of Sparkling Burgundy.
A bird’s-eye
view in a hot air balloon is the perfect way to discover the beauty of the
Barossa in early hours of dawn. The quietness and peace experienced together
with the beauty of the scenery is well worthwhile the cost and early rise! |
A visit to
Maggie Beer in Nuriootpa to sample her well-known Pheasant Farm’s Pâté is
recommended. Another two main attractions to the region are the National
Motor Museum (housing Australia’s largest collection of vintage cars since
1899 to present date) as well as Toy World (a barn full of hand made toys
and the largest rocking horse advertising the unique shop at Woodside).
The popular
tourist town of Hahndorf, in the Adelaide Hills, was settled by German
settlers in 1837. This unique German-style village is listed heritage area
and houses some very interesting art and craft shops and reputable
restaurants.
The Cedars,
home to Australian landscape artist, Hans Heysen, is today a studio-museum
open to the public.
Places to stay
that can be recommended are:
Miners Lodge
with hosts, Brenda and Godfrey, near Gawler (a restored stone miners cottage
with the Whispering Wall nearby).
Lawley Farm
a 1950 original cottage in Tanunda under the watchful eyes of Sancha and
Bruce.
Gumtree Cottage
near Hahndorf (hosts Gai and Brenton), a freestanding stone cottage next to
a pond of water in the middle of peace and beauty.
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