Bountiful Barossa

The tour name is Barossa Food and Wine Experience, run by Adelaidesightseeing. I was there for the wine 😃 Admittedly the food played it's part on the way. With the rather disappointing Yarra tour in mind, I tried to keep my hopes down. We were 15 on the bus for this wine trip, a nice number. I stuck close to a really pleasant young couple from Western Australia, who had spent five months driving around the outer edge of Australia with a caravan and now were going to Uluru on their way home. We agreed that saving up for years is worth it.

Adelaide has some beautiful sights, busdriver showed us a house just sold for 7 million AUD (NOK * 6,5). Swimming pool and tennis court included of course, and both the street and house looks lovely. Adelaide has a somewhat stagnant 24.000 citizens inside the central square layout. A little more growth on the outside of it, and Barossa and McLaren valleys are very much turning to wine instead of other crops. Hundreds of vinyards large and small, we only had time and palate for three.

First up was TeAro. Of the seven my vote goes to Pinot Grigio and Shiraz, no surprise. Very happy the portions were small! Lovely converted tasting facility, centrally placed.

Then on to Maggie Beer's place, well known to those watching Masterchef Austalia. A lovely place. Just about every single product there was available for tasting, I wanted to buy half the shop! Didn't see busy Maggie. The turtles in the reservoirs have been introduced from other parts of Autralia to keep insect life down in the dams. They migrate from dam to dam nearby, a strategically placed feeding station have them entertaining Maggies customer. We were lucky it wasn't school holidays, Maggies might often turn away tour coaches then since space is limited.

Lunch with tasting at Lambert. A lovely Chardonnay, two nice reds and the delicious Chocolatier port. A tasting platter with the wines, very varied with duck pate to die for. Kaper berries are interesting and sour, pickled beetroot was pink and my thing. Bus driver loved this stop because they never got the same food twice. We got chicken and beef, including the best roasted carrots ever. Nice art too, and a view of the tanks.

Sculpture park and outlook point over Barossa for photoshoot. So lucky with weather yet again except flies. Some Australiana at one private house on the main road.

Last stop at Pindarie for further seven nice wines. Very happy by then that the portions were tiny. Converted stable, loved the yellow cheese, a Tempranillo mix got my vote, others loved the Riesling.

Bus driver drove well and never stopped talking, something he shares with many tour drivers, they should try some silence now and then. All participants were happy on the way home, palate satisfied and many bottles bought. My luggage is stuffed full so I restrained myself to one bottle, with much difficulty.

Conclusion: Every single wine was better than the tour the week before. More pictures if you like, of course, it also contains shots from the train journey.