Dragan Radocaj
South Australia
The BarossaThe Barossa is both a world-renowned wine region and an area of spectacular beauty and heritage; where charming historic buildings and passionate producers turn out award-winning wine and food against a background of rolling vines and pristine forest.
Just an hour’s drive north-east of Adelaide, the Barossa is a feast for the senses. Steeped in European and Aboriginal history, today it is a thriving region for world-class wines, artisan food producers and a local tourism industry that flourishes on the mix of both. The food and wine philosophy in the Barossa is very much guided by the seasons, with passionate producers crafting award-winning products that celebrate the local region, fertile soil, agrarian culture and distinct climate. It is one of the oldest wine regions in the world and boasts around 150 wineries and cellar doors. Many of its wineries are household names, with Jacob’s Creek, Penfolds and Seppeltsfield all calling it home. The area is famous mostly for its hearty shiraz, thanks to its cool summers and rainy winters. Before the vignerons moved in, the Peramangk Aboriginal people roamed the region, sharing the northern section with the Ngadjuri people. The area was given its present-day name in the 1830s by Colonel William Light, who led the first European exploration party into the region. It was settled in the early 1840s by a Prussian community avoiding religious persecution in their own country and the Barossa’s heritage is evidenced almost everywhere you go. Many cellar doors are housed in historic buildings, beautiful Lutheran churches crown small but vibrant villages, and wineries like Seppeltsfield are steeped in tradition, such as releasing a 100-year-old wine every single year.
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Visit Seppeltsfield Estate
Seppeltsfield was established in the Barossa Valley by Joseph and Johanna Seppelt just 15 years after the European settlement of South Australia. Steeped in rich Barossan heritage, the estate is considered a true national treasure that helped shape the history of the Australian wine industry. Seppeltsfield is most famed for the Centennial Collection - an irreplaceable and unbroken lineage of Tawny of every vintage from 1878 to the current year. The estate remains the only winery in the world to release a 100-year-old, single vintage wine each year. The estate also boasts a remarkable collection of Apera (Australian Sherry), crossing Fino to Oloroso styles, all held in vast Solero nursery cellars.
Explore the village of Bethany
The small village of Bethany is the site of the first German settlement in the Barossa. It is one of the few surviving examples of a 'hufendorf', a democratic form of Silesian village layout, where each family had its own long strip of land stretching from the main street in front of the cottage to a common pasture bordered by a creek. Beautiful Herberge Christi Church is a focal point, alongside the old school buildings and opposite the pioneer cemetery with its distinctive eighteenth-century revivalist ornamentation. The street is still lined with many early cottages (most now private residences), with some faithful examples of early German peasant architecture. Towards the hills is Bethany Reserve, a popular, peaceful and shady picnic location. Bethany Wines, owned by the fifth generation of the Schrapel family is nestled into the ranges at the top of Bethany Road and offers sweeping valley views.
Visit Gawler
The oldest country town in the state, Gawler is just 43 kilometres north of Adelaide and is on the main metropolitan train line. Planned by Colonel William Light at the junction of the North and South Para Rivers, the picturesque town is renowned for its magnificent architecture, wrought iron, Church Hill State Heritage Area, and its 10 historic hotels. Gawler is a regional service centre with modern shopping complexes, boutique retail outlets, commercial services and great dining. The beautiful and manicured parklands are perfect for family outings. Gawler has an established nightlife with many of the pubs hosting some of Adelaide’s finest live bands. Gawler has several markets as well as hosting a range of community through to major events throughout the year.
Try the reds of Schild Estate
Schild Estate specialises in premium, estate-grown reds of quality and character. They have 11 unique vineyard sites in the Southern Barossa Valley making their wines a genuine reflection of this sub-region. Established grape-growers since 1952 Schild Estate are best known for their flagship wine Schild Estate Moorooroo Vineyard Shiraz. This wine is harvested from original Barossa vines planted by Johan and William Jacob in 1847 and has been awarded 99 points in the James Halliday Wine Companion for two years in a row (2019 & 2020). The Schild Estate tasting room is exclusive and intimate, perfect for groups of up to ten people who are interested in a personalized and welcoming experience. For larger groups up to 15, weather permitting, guests van be hosted outside on the lawns with the retro caravan bar ‘Hazel’. For something a little different Schild Estate also offers a wine and chocolate pairing experience where guests will be treated to premium chocolates expertly matched with Schild Estate wines. Tasting Room is open Friday, Saturday, Sunday 10 am - 4 pm or other times by appointment. Pre-bookings are required for chocolate and wine tastings.
Explore Seppeltsfield Road - a foodie’s haven
Barossa Valley food, wine, heritage and hospitality - there is nothing else like it in Australia. A rich European heritage lives on amidst patchwork vineyards, historic churches and picturesque villages with stone buildings and cottages....and it can all be found along Seppeltsfield Road. Seppeltsfield Road leads from Barossa Valley Way to the iconic Seppeltsfield Winery, founded by the Seppelt family in the early 1850s. The 10 kilometres of Seppeltsfield Road now boasts not only some of the Barossa's most famous wineries and vineyards but also gourmet destinations such as Appellation restaurant, Maggie Beer's Farmshop, Hentley Farm Restaurant and Fino. Often identified by its distinctive palm trees (and affectionately named Avenue of Hopes and Dreams), Seppeltsfield Road is located in the western Barossa, only 60 minutes from the Adelaide central business district via a two-lane highway. No trip to the Barossa Valley is complete without visiting, staying or dining in our historic and hospitable precinct. It's not just about buildings and vineyards either. The warmth and welcoming smiles of the people who live and work in this region makes the visitor experience exceptional - there is a sense of being privileged and proud to be able to promote and share the food, wine, culture, heritage and hospitality of the Barossa Valley.
Go for a tasting at Grant Burge Wines
Grant Burge Wines, a proud Barossa winery dedicated to crafting award-winning wines. Grant Burge Wines was established in 1988 and is located in the heart of the Barossa Valley. Our wines are renowned all over the world for their consistent quality and integrity, allowing the terroir of the hallowed Barossa Valley to speak for itself through minimal intervention winemaking practices and careful vineyard management. Taste a Grant Burge Wine to experience the best of the Barossa. Our friendly, knowledgeable team at our Cellar Door will lead you through our extensive range of wines, from refreshing sparkling wine and crisp Riesling to full-flavoured Chardonnay, elegant Cabernet Sauvignon, velvety Merlot and powerful Shiraz. Or purchase a bottle from Grant Burge's online store and have it delivered to your home or office. Our Cellar Door is located at the top of Krondorf Road, only six kilometres south of Tanunda. Come and enjoy the impressive views while tasting our premium wines, or sit back and enjoy a bottle of your favourite Grant Burge wine with a regional platter. Grant Burge Wines has been rated a 5 Red Star Winery 11 years in a row by James Halliday Australian Wine Companion.
Try the shiraz at Henschke Cellars
Henschke is recognized for its rich heritage, innovative spirit and commitment to handcrafting exceptional wines for over 150 years. The Henschke family grape growing and winemaking tradition span six generations, from sustainably grown in vineyards in the Eden Valley, Barossa Valley and Adelaide Hills. Henschke cellar door, housed in the original 1860s grain barn, opened in late 2018 to mark the winery’s 150th anniversary. The new cellar door includes a spacious tasting area, courtyard, underground cellar, private tasting room and the Henschke Wine Room, which displays the full Henschke collection. Guests can taste through the selection of wines on offer for the day, or opt for the paid shiraz tasting flight, featuring The Wheelwright and Mount Edelstone Shiraz. In addition to cellar door tastings, Henschke offers exclusive private experiences where guests visit the famed Hill of Grace vineyard, observing the ancient, gnarled vines, soak up the heritage of the family while touring the winery, before tasting a range of distinguished Henschke single-vineyard wines; Mount Edelstone, Cyril Henschke and The Wheelwright, plus rare access to taste Hill of Roses and Hill of Grace. Bookings in advance are essential for the Hill of Grace Experience.
Dine at Hentley Farm Cellar Door and Restaurant
Situated among rolling hills on the banks of Greenock Creek, located in Seppeltsfield, Barossa Valley, Hentley Farm is a boutique single estate vineyard that produces distinctive wines reflective of the exceptional site. Named James Halliday's 2015 Winery of The Year, this is a wine experience not to be missed. Hentley Farm's award-winning cellar door is housed in the property’s original 1840s homestead. Faithfully restored to enhance its historic charm, the cellar door provides the perfect environment for an authentic boutique wine experience -featuring iconic wines such as The Beauty, The Beast and Clos Otto Shiraz. Hentley Farm Restaurant offers two set menu options that are created according to what is abundant, fresh, and of the highest quality. The restaurant has a strong focus on harvesting produce from the farm’s 150 acres, including foraged ingredients growing wild, as well as fruit, vegetables and herbs grown in our garden beds and orchard. All dishes are carefully designed to match Hentley Farm's wine portfolio.
Bethany Wines
Bethany Wines has built a reputation as one of Australia's finest wine producers, underpinned by a strong sense of family tradition since the mid-1800s. The winery is owned and run by the Schrapel family, who first planted vines in 1852 soon after arriving from Silesia. Like many of their fellow Germanic migrants, they established a home in Bethany and cleared the land to grow winegrapes and graze animals. More than a century later, fifth-generation descendants, brothers Geoff and Robert Schrapel, established Bethany Wines as a wine company. Today, Bethany Wines boasts one of the finest views overlooking stunning sweeping vineyards in the Barossa Valley and beyond. Geoff and Robert's philosophy has remained constant - to produce exceptional wines that express the microclimate and terroir of the Barossa Ranges and Eden Valley. The winery specializes in ultra-premium Shiraz and a range of other table wines including Riesling, Semillon, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Merlot, Shiraz Cabernet and Old Vine Grenache. Bethany Wines is also world-renowned for its Old Quarry Fronti (white port) and Old Quarry Tawny.
Barossa Farmers Market, Towitta
We are proud to offer real food from the farms and homes of the Barossa. Barossa Farmers' Market is now open every Saturday morning from 8:30 am to 10:30 am (drive-through closing at 10 am) offering the best of fresh, seasonal, artisan-made Barossa food. Our stallholders offer a great range of the local vegetables, fruit, meats, bread, olive oil, pasta, preserves, pastries, sweet treats, and other local specialties, offering you everything you need for the week ahead.
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