The Barossa
"Wine Hub of Australia"

What can I say, the land down under can be hot at times! But this exceptional sunshine and continuous warmth has yielded bold wines with intense fruitiness in South Australia. Their appeal is in the wine’s early drinkability and consistent quality, even in large lots. Of all the new world wine regions, the Barossa Valley is most revered and is home to Australia’s largest quality wine producers such as Penfolds, Wolfblass, and Henschke.

Old world viticulture expertise has made Barossa a place where century old Shiraz grapevines thrive and bottles of wine such as Grange Hermitage - which sits on par with the great Hermitage classics from France - can sell for thousands of dollars.

The Europeans that developed this wine region also nurtured a culture of spectacular cuisine to experience as you taste those crisp German Rieslings or rich Barossa Dhiraz with it’s oh so spicy finish!

Just a short drive south of Adelaide, lay McLaren Vale and while it may not be as well known as the Barossa, this very picturesque wine region produces wines of amazing character and complexity. And just like the Barossa, it too boasts centenarian vines!

McLaren Vale is home to popular international names such as Hardy’s, Tim Gramp, and d’Arenburg. It was, however, a small family owned winery called Gemtree that impressed both my taste buds and environmental conscience. Gemtree is dedicated to sound environmental practices and sustainable agriculture, with their vineyards farmed 100% biodynamically. Unable to find a wine I did not thoroughly enjoy, my morning tasting (a clean palate is best time to taste wine) turned into an hour-long decision of what to take home from Gemtree’s trove of vintage treasures. I did decide on a little Shiraz “gem” called Obsidian.

Join us down under as we explore the wine regions of South Australia. This wine tour is sublime!

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