My top 5 favourite places to visit in the Barossa Valley
There is more to the Barossa Valley than booze, but it’s fair to say, it’s the main reason people visit. So for that reason, my top 5 favourite places to visit all involve alcohol.
- Hentley Farm – a fantastic cellar door if you are celebrating a special occasion or if you simply want to enjoy some top wines. Forewarning you, though, they’re not for the budget-conscious. If you are looking for a special experience, here you can taste some fabulous wines (I recommend the Luxury Red Tasting) while hearing fascinating stories, all in a gorgeous setting. They also have a restaurant for a high-end fine dining experience. I haven’t eaten here; however, if the delicious snacks served with their wine tastings are anything to go by, I’m sure their restaurant dishes are divine. It’s a really popular cellar door, so you absolutely must book ahead. Also, I recommend you finish up here. The first time we came to the Barossa, we visited this cellar door first, and it was a very hard act to follow!
- Grant Burge / St Hugo – a combined cellar door for two wineries, this is a great choice if you have people in your group with different tastes. I don’t mind whites and like a nice shiraz, plus have a sweet tooth, so I went for the Grant Burge ‘Just Bliss’ wine & chocolate experience, while my hubby, who prefers Cabernet Sauvignon, opted for the St Hugo Cab Sav tasting. Booking ahead is advisable but not essential. We turned up around noon on a Saturday without a booking and were easily accommodated, though they looked like they were getting busy when we left.
- Langmeil – understood to be the world’s oldest surviving shiraz vineyard, believed to have been planted in 1843, and with history galore. This used to be a small village, so on your way in, be sure to pause and browse the old outbuildings and historic artifacts from where the old blacksmith and butcher store used to stand. This is another very popular cellar door, due to its rich history, and particularly for Shiraz lovers, so booking ahead is recommended. On our visit, we were very lucky when we turned up without a booking at lunchtime; however, we saw others being turned away while we were there.
- Chateau Tanunda – in a grand setting and not too far from Tanunda’s main street, so you could probably walk the distance easily if staying nearby. The hosts are friendly and knowledgeable, they have a great range of wine tastings to suit all budgets, and this is another cellar door with lots of history. Make sure you allow some extra time to browse their mini-museum, where you can learn about the area’s history. Also, don’t forget to ask them about their brandy – it’s an added bonus! We bought a bottle and had it shipped home along with our wine purchases, and it does not disappoint!
- Prohibition Distillery, Seppeltsfield – if you fancy a break from all the wine, it’s worth stopping at Seppeltsfield, not just to see all the palm trees but to try these lovely gins and liqueurs. Tastings are very reasonably priced, and you can sit and chill while you’re tasting or even play a few games of checkers on their table-sized board. It’s not too far from Hentley Farm, and you can take a drive up the iconic palm-lined Seppeltsfield Road before or after your visit.
Other great places to see
Of course, there are lots of other great places to visit in the Barossa Valley:
- Maggie Beer’s Farm shop and Eatery restaurant – very popular, and a nice place to stop for coffee and cake, or perhaps lunch, especially if you want a break from wine tastings. It can get very busy here over the lunch period and mid-afternoon – my tip is to arrive towards the end of the lunch period, before the afternoon tea visitors arrive. If you’re a fan of the TV show ‘The Cook and the Chef’, don’t forget to bring your camera and get a pic of you in the studio kitchen. Also, try to get a seat overlooking the dam and see if you can spot some little turtles.
- Tanunda town centre– gorgeous old buildings are all along the town’s main street, as well as bars, cafes and restaurants (my tip for great coffee is Keil’s, and for dinner, try Knead for some hearty European food). It’s also handy to walk to if you’re staying nearby. You can also walk their tourist trail (maps are dotted around town), if you’re feeling inclined and want to walk off some over-indulgence from your wine tastings.
- Barossa Valley Chocolate Company – inside you can peep though their viewing window to watch chocolates being made and there’s an array for sale, as well as a cafe overlooking a lovely lake – though it’s a bit pricey.
- Two Hands cellar door – fabulous wines, with knowledgeable hosts, and some nice artwork to see while you’re there
- Rockford cellar door – more fabulous wines, in a nice cellar door setting with knowledgeable hosts. Very popular when we visited at the end of the day, we wished we had booked as we had to wait a while and nearly didn’t get in.
- Mengler Hill Lookout & Sculpture Park – a short drive uphill, not far from Tanunda, offering a great lookout over the nearby countryside. Also, some nice sculptures to walk around and stretch your legs.
My Tips
- Go to the Visitor Centre in Tanunda for a map, great guidance, and to verify your plans
- Book ahead for most cellar doors
- Don’t rush, allow plenty of time in between winery visits – even though they aren’t too far apart, you might spend more time in one place than you planned
- Use the spittoons if you’re driving or don’t want to get too sloshed
- Have a designated driver, or better still, hire someone to drive you around (if you can find someone – I was unsuccessful with my attempt)
- Bring your camera – lots of photo opportunities
- Stay in Tanunda for convenience, being an easy walk to many places to eat and drink at night
To read more about the Barossa, check out my following posts: