Near Adelaide, we explored the Barossa Valley today. It’s a LOT like Napa Valley in California – in the summer the vines are green and the hills are brown, and in the winter the hills are green and the vines are brown!
Wine has been in Barossa since 1842, and there are now 550 wine-growing families and 170 wine companies. Barossa Shiraz and Eden Valley Riesling are their historical heroes, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Mataro, Grenache, and Semillo all playing an important role. See more info at SouthAustralia
We visited three wineries and had a wonderful lunch at the Harvest Kitchen at Artisans of Barossa, which served Mediterranean-style shared plates. The Moraccan spiced lamb with hummus and flat bread was our fav.
We visited three wineries: Kersbrook Hill (in Adelaide Hills), St. Hallet, and Rockford Wines.
In the picture is Brett, of Rockford, is serving us a ‘2013 Basket Press Shiraz’ which was so tasty, we bought a bottle to take home and open in 10 years! Steve Kernaghan tipped us off about Rockford, and we agree, it’s a great “cellar door” to visit while in Adelaide.
It was also fun driving the back roads to the Barossa Valley through the Adelaide Hills. There were lots of signs warning us of kangaroos or wallabies near the roadway, but we didn’t see any in the middle of the day. Perhaps they were at the wineries already!