Barossa Valley

The Barossa is about an hour’s drive north-east of Adelaide and is the State’s most famous wine region. Apart from the vineyards, it’s a warm, charming and intimate place full of lovely 19th century architecture. There are a number of delightful little towns to stop for lunch, many fine restaurants and around 50 wineries, big and small, that welcome visitors.

You can’t miss the early German settlers legacy in the architecture (solid, bluestone buildings and tall-spired Lutheran churches) and even in the food (wurst, sausages, bread and cakes).

Just before you get to the Barossa, southwest of Lyndoch, near Williamstown, is the Whispering Wall. This amazing acoustic phenomenon allows whispers to be heard 140 metres away. Now, who was the first one to figure that out, and why?

The southern gateway to the Barossa Valley is the town of Lyndoch. Between Lyndoch and Tanunda there are a number of wineries including Orlando and the Grant Burge Winery, one of the showpieces of the valley. Nearby is Krondorf (terrific whites) and Rockford's, a boutique winemaker of fine reds. The tasting rooms here are in the quaint 1850’s stable and cottage.

Tanunda is the heart of the wine region. The Barossa Wine and Visitors Centre here traces 150 years of winemaking and it’s just a grape’s toss from the wineries of Peter Lehmann, Richmond Grove and Basedows, among others.

The tiny settlement of Bethany was the original German settlement. It has a pioneer cemetery and a medieval-style traditional thatched barn. The Landhaus (once a shepherd’s cottage) offers a unique and rewarding dining experience. The Bethany Winery has great views and is owned by the Schrapel family, descendents of the original settlers.

Turn off on Seppeltsfield Road (halfway between Tanunda and Nuriootpa) to Seppelts, nestled in one of the prettiest corners of the Barossa.Fortified wines are a speciality and this is the only winery in the world with vintage ports for every year from 1878. Penfolds is just before Nuriootpa and for a gourmet nibble (pheasant farm pate, quince paste, etc.), visit Maggie Beer’s Farm Shop.

It is hard to recommend any particular winery as wine is a personal thing. Henschke at the upper end of the valley has a range of great reds and whites, but don’t head straight there, as there are many delights along the way.

Beyond Angaston is Collingrove, ancestral home of the Angas family since the 1800s. George Fyfe Angas was responsible for setting up the valley in the 1840s when he invited winemakers to the area. Classified by the National Trust, Collingrove is open for overnight guests and tours.

To get ‘high’ in the region, as opposed to tipsy, hot-air balloon flights float over the villages and vineyards in the early morning.

Barossa events include Barossa Under the Stars and the Oompah Festival (February), Tanunda Show and Essenfest (March), Barossa Vintage Festival (odd-numbered years in April), Spring into the Barossa (September), Barossa International Music Festival and Brass Band Contest (October).

I find the habit of spitting wine into buckets untidy and, well, a waste of wine, but with strict drink driving laws it can be a necessity. The Barossa Wine Train offers a delightful alternative from Adelaide.

The train has beautifully restored 1952 carriages, and you can enjoy a glass of wine as the scenery trundles by before joining a coach tour to sample various wineries and lunch in one of the historic townships. You can also cycle through the Barossa, do it in style in a limo or take a coach tour from Adelaide.

While ‘officially’ in the Adelaide Hills, if you are driving, you can continue through Eden Valley and Mount Pleasant to Hahndorf, the picture-perfect village founded more than 150 years ago by German settlers.

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