If you’re visiting or planning a trip to the wonderful Barossa in South Australia you’re in for a real treat. It is not only a spectacular place to visit for the landscapes but the wine and food available in the region is world class. On a recent trip to Adelaide we’ve been able to come back and give you a perfect itinerary for a day trip to the Barossa.
Getting there
One thing that we loved about basing ourselves in Adelaide was the large range of hotels available in the city but also the fact we were rather central for the wine regions. Heading towards the Barossa takes a little over and hour, Mclaren Vale is around the same too. It’s an easy drive and the views along the way are just jaw dropping, rows of vines looking like a perfectly formed rug cover the hills and you can’t help but be excited on the way to your first destination.
St Hugo
A relatively new cellar door in the Barossa is St Hugo. This destination has been built around the wine experience. When it comes to the wine tastings; wonderful decks for enjoying your wine outside or staying inside in front of a fireplace is awfully tempting and comfortable.
Tastings are provided at a very small cost and offer two levels. We recommend the Premium range because they are wines you are not going to easily find outside of this building and they’re sensational.
While we were there we took a moment to personally present the EFTM Best Drop Award for 2016 to Dan Swincer, the Chief Winemaker at St Hugo. We awarded it to the 2013 Shiraz which you can try on the lower priced tasting (or buy in stores now).
After the tasting we highly recommend moving into the dining room and enjoying an amazing degustation lunch. The fantastic thing here is that again, the wine is central to the experience.
The Chef continues to update the menu but the wines stay, so pairing is crucial. The food here is not just fantastic for the Barossa, it is some of the best food we have ever enjoyed nationwide. One real treat is enjoying some 1972 Tawny straight from the barrel with dessert. One small tip here is perhaps asking for a seat at the bar looking into the kitchen, it’s a privilege to see your food lovingly prepared and served to you.
While you are there… keep an eye on our vine too. It is on the left as you enter the building. Send your selfie with the vine to us on twitter @EFTM.
Steingarten Vineyard
This is a bit of a best kept secret but we love our readers and want them to experience the best of the Barossa. Steingarten is a Jacobs Creek brand and Jacobs Creek is dominant in the Barossa, their vineyards are spread all over and have a real presence. This little location has no cellar door, no staff, no electricity and… no wine. It is one of the best locations at the top of a hill that separates Eden Valley and the Barossa Valley. You’re alone among nature, it’s quiet and breathtaking.
The vineyard at this location grows the grapes for Steingarten Riesling and our tip would be to pick up a bottle from the Jacobs Creek Visitor Centre, head up the hill and enjoy a glass looking over the vines it came from. You’ll ideally need an SUV for this dirt road trip, please close the gates behind you and don’t harass the kangaroos.
Rockford
This lovely old destination is a real gem in the Barossa. The location has stood the test of time, the cellar door building is a clear example of Barossa history and their wines are coming home with you. The location itself is one you can enjoy observing, you can feel the history of the place, the energy is different here. The wonderful staff will talk you through the story of Rockford and introduce you to some really special wines. Their sparkling red is rather surprising and their Basket Press 2012 Shiraz is spectacular.
Maggie Beer
Sadly not a destination where you will find beer to drink but plenty of great food. Maggie Beer is well known for fantastic home style cooking, fresh produce and local ingredients. Maggie Beer is a great destination for afternoon tea, a light lunch or to watch a cooking class. We enjoyed a fantastic gourmet sausage roll while watching the turtles watch us eat. A great little stop when you need a break from all the wine tasting. PS – you can enjoy wine here too if you like!
Notable Mentions
Grant Burge is a great stop if you have time, while many of their wines are available in your local bottle store today, they also have plenty of wines you won’t find elsewhere. We absolutely loved the 2009 Meshach, a real treat.
Henschke is again one of those places that you could skip because many of their wines are available outside of the Barossa, but like Grant Burge, not all of them. This is also the place where you could buy what is likely the most expensive wine in the Barossa called Hill of Grace. We highly recommend their GSM called Henry’s Seven, it is absolutely full of flavour, great value and you only need to taste it – you can buy it almost anywhere!
Lastly…
Stay safe, be merry, bring some home to enjoy later.
