Since my family & I had such a good time sampling wines in McLaren Vale, we decided to continue our wine tasting experience in the Barossa Valley, a major wine producing area located 60 kilometres northeast of Adelaide. The name is taken from the Barossa Ranges, named by Colonel William Light in 1837. Today, the Barossa Valley population is around 20,000, mostly located in the three main towns of Tanunda, Angaston, and Nuriootpa. Tanunda is considered a German town because it was settled by German immigrants starting in the 1840s. Angaston on the other hand is an English town, having been settled by Cornish miners. And Nuriootpa is both influenced by German & English heritage.
But before we ventured to Barossa, we decided to stopover at the German town of Hahndorf, located about 20 kilometres southeast of Adelaide. The town was settled by Lutheran immigrants in 1839. The town was renamed Ambleside during the First World War and wasn’t changed back until the 1930s.
With a name like Hahndorf, you’d think that the town of around 2,000 would jump on the Harry Potter bandwagon but thankfully it hasn’t. My brother parked our car on Mount Barker Road, the main street that runs through the town and where all the stores and restaurants are located. I was glad to see that it was sunny and warm outside, a much needed change from the previous days of overcast & rain. Besides the name, German influence is immediately noticeable by the traditional fachwerk architecture of the older buildings. Look a little closer and you find plenty of restaurants specializing in German cuisine and stores selling German memorabilia (clothes, toys, pictures, etc).
We spent most of our time walking up and down Mount Barker Road, window shopping the stores and photographing the buildings. My brother bought himself a tasty bratwurst and I bought myself an Australian sports cap. If I were living in Australia I would have also bought a knife from the Hand Made Knives store because there were some really good looking knives in there. If you’re more interested in cooking, the store also sells kitchenware and cutlery. There was also a Scottish store selling Scottish music, flags, postcards, and even kilts. Unfortunately, they didn’t sell P&D sticks.
The drive to the Barossa Valley took a little over an hour because my brother took a wrong turn. Instead of driving along the B19 highway which would take us through all the small wine towns, he took the A20 highway that goes around the Barossa Valley. Nevertheless, we made it to the town of Nuriootpa and stopped at the Penfolds Barossa Valley Cellar Door to sample several wines. Penfolds was established in 1844 and specializes in: Cabernet Sauvignon, Semillon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Shiraz, Riesling, and many others.
Here, there is a huge selection to sample, from cheap to very expensive (up to $2000AUD per bottle!). There’s also a small museum that explains Penfolds history and a gift shop for fans of the brand. As mentioned in an earlier post, I stuck to the white wines and found most of them very tasty. Only one tasted bland. Like always, I am perplexed that there are people willing to pay up to $2000AUD for a bottle of wine. No alcohol is worth that much.
For lunch we ate at the Kaesler Winery & Vineyards which happened just a few blocks from Pinefolds. Kaesler was established in 1893 with the planting of Shiraz, Grenache, Mataro, and White Hermitage vines across 81 acres of land. Today, the business has added Riesling, Rizza, Bogan, White Port, and many other types of wines to its catalog. We were able to get a table in the upstairs dining room just before a small tourist group arrived. The menu has various Entrees, Starters, Mains, Desserts, and of course Kaesler wines to choose from, but be prepared to pay at least $40AUD per person if intending to get a full meal. Overall, the food was well prepared & served meaning that I would eat their again . . . when I save up the money required.
The drive back to Adelaide was entertaining because we got lost in the Jacob’s Creek area. Jacob's Creek is also the name of Australia's largest wine brand. Unless you have a map or previous knowledge of the area, driving through here is like being lost in cottage country. After many twists & turns we eventually made it back to our hotel in Adelaide.
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