Travelling North.. Australia: Barossa Valley Tour

Friday 19/2/21

Barossa Valley Tour

Today was our much hyped (by Paul) Barossa Valley Tour. We were doing the same tour he had done on his last trip to Adelaide on a Microsoft junket with the boys. They had really enjoyed this tour. So obviously the perfect tour to take your wife.

We were picked up right on time and found that instead of the 20 people normally on this tour, there were 6 of us. Two of the 6 were employees from another wine growing area looking for ideas. The other 2 guests were 2 young 4th year pharmacy students going to Alice Springs for a placement research thing. The obvious question was why are you young people on this bus trip. Something different and thought they would have a look at Adelaide before Alice(?)

So we had a bus trip for 4 guests, 2 wine experts and the driver, Ashley who was very informative. He liked to wave his arms around while talking and driving. Only one of the two is appropriate.

Of some interest is the fact that all buildings in Adelaide are made of stone because wood is not usable due to borers and wood type insects.

It turns out that COVID (global pandemic) has caused a late change to which vineyards we can attend. So we wont be able to go to Langmeile, which was the main reason for us being on this tour, from Paul's previous trip. Disappointing.

However we are assured the replacement is even better. So we drive an hour out of Adelaide to the Barossa Valley through the Adelaide hills. All very pretty and so much information to take in. Apparently the barossa is a dry irrigation area as they have very little rain and do not irrigate their vines except for the first 4 years. This results in small berrylike grapes with intense flavour leading to premium quality expensive wines.

Chateau Yaldarra is our first vineyard. One of the first in the valley and so much history you can look up if interested.

little grapes:think intense and expensive wines

The buildings were amazing. The barossa was built by European migrants who built in the styles they had left behind in the 1800s. And no wood. This was a beautiful cellar door.

Before heading off to the next vineyard, we stopped in at Tanunda, a cute village in the valley. We were encouraged to have coffee, use the facilities and have an ice-cream.

Tick, tick, tick.

nice house in stone of course

pretty rotunda in Tanunda

archway. very popular here.

And then to Peter Lehmans wines. He was a major player in the early days of Barossa and saved many of the smaller vineyards through the wine crises in the 1970s.

His tasting room was more modern, but still beautiful:

Paul at the bar, comfortably

This vineyard was our lunch stop. Lunch was a platter of meats and cheeses to share making one of us very happy. I did however enjoy the special sour dough with shiraz in it. A beautiful pink colour. This is the platter for 2 after a few minutes. And of course accompanied by a beautiful Cabernet Savignon (and water).

No time to dally as off we went to our 3rd vineyard. By now, i was starting to feel less interested in tasting every wine. Not so for everyone.

Before our 3rd vineyard, we stopped at a lovely spot looking over the barossa valley.

There was even a sculpture park that was supposed to be an annual event but didnt quite work out. Some odd sculpture.

Lamberts was a beautiful, modern organic winery. It even had a lift. (multiple ticks for that). We were assured that they had a very special chocolate port designed by their Peruvian owner who had successfully blended chocolate and port, some sort of holy grail of the port industry. It was called Chocolatier and was unbelievably good. It would be nice over ice cream.

the lift is behind the huge flight of stairs

very pretty labels

We were almost disappointed that we had another winery to visit. However it was Wolf Blass which was very special and integral to the Barossa.

I barely remember it but i think i tasted some wines. It was full of wines but was an odd looking winery.

i forget who he is.

It was great to be on a small tour as it took less time to do the tastings and we got to try special things and there was no one else around. thankyou COVID (global pandemic)

After our exhausting day, we thought we would try to find the Adelaide Fringe festival as we were told it was pretty good. So we walked to rundle mall as there were meant to be some events there. None that we could find but we decided to go to a Fringe activity called 'Gluttony' recommended by one of the local wine experts on the tour. We found the Speigeltent but there really wasn't much of interest so we went back to our local alleys and wine bars and restaurants. All the 'cool' places are in the alleyways.

This was a pretty nice building

We found a cool wine bar and had one drink with tapas like all the young cool people were having.

On leaving we decided we were seriously hungry and needed proper food not just some nibbly #$%.

This was not easy but we found a place that was really cool with cool staff and cool drinks and shots. But they also made cool pizza in an oven in the alley.