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| SOUTH AUSTRALIA - Wine | ||
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From its spectacular coastline to the shimmering
deserts of the Outback, South Australia is a state full of marvellous scenery and extraordinary beauty and there is a special ingredient which
makes the essence of South Australia - wine! |
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Summary of wine choices for South Australia: |
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| The main wine growing areas in South Australia are ... | ||
Adelaide Hills |
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 This cool area produces good Sauvignon
Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Labels include Petaluma, who
pioneered the area, Shaw and Smith, Stafford Ridge, Henschke and
Lenswood. The Adelaide Hills give you a taste of country life only
twenty minutes drive from Adelaide. It is an area of market gardens,
orchards and vineyards, the latter supplying more than 35 labels in the
region. There are also historic villages with galleries, gift shops and
friendly pubs. If you are not truly a city person, why not
consider staying here and visiting Adelaide instead of vice versa?
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Barossa |
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 Only an hour's drive north of Adelaide,
this is one of the world's greatest wine producing areas. The region is
twenty kilometres wide and about thirty kilometres long and has 50
wineries. Originally planted last century by Silesian immigrants, it
still has a strong sense of history and community and is the centre of
Australia's wine industry with most of Australia's wine going through
it, even though only for bottling or aging. The area is famous for
old-vine Shiraz and Grenache. Well known labels include:
Basedow, Grant Burge, Greenock Creek, Peter Lehmann, Charles
Melton, Mildara-Blass, Orlando-Wyndham, Penfolds, Rockford,
St Hallett,
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McLaren Vale |
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| This attractive area, well known for Grenache and Shiraz, is close to Adelaide and famous names include Chateau Reynella Basket Pressed Shiraz, Coriole Redstone Shiraz/Cabernet, Custodian and Coppermine Road, d'Arenberg Ironstone Pressings, Four Sisters, Geoff Merrill, Mount Hurtle and Twentyeight Road. | ||
Eden Valley |
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| Some of Australia's oldest vineyards, like the 120 year old Hill of Grace, are here in the rolling uplands of the Eden Valley. They sit side by side some of the most modern, high tech wineries, like Seppelt's Partalunga. Yalumba, Heggies and Hill-Smith Estate are all here. The Eden Valley is adjacent to the Barossa Valley (see above). | ||
Clare Valley |
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 The Clare Valley area is really made up
of four upland valleys - Clare, Skillogalee, Watervale and Polish River.
It is cool and dry, making good Riesling and Chardonnay but still warm
enough for good Semillon and reds. Notable labels include Leo
Buring, Tim Knapstein, Jim Barry, Pike and Grosset, Penfolds, Mitchell,
Wendouree, Knappstein, Skillogalee, Leasingham and Watervale. This
premium wine growing region is a one and a half hour drive north of
Adelaide. There are now more than 30 cellar doors in the region within a
15-minute drive of each other. A blend of photogenic landscapes and
pioneer history makes this one of Australia's most charming touring
regions.
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Fleurieu Peninsula |
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Limestone Coast |
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| The Limestone Coast is halfway between Adelaide and Melbourne - a four-hour drive, or one-hour flight from either city. This diverse region includes classic wine country and here you will find the Coonawarra, Padthaway and Wrattonbully labels. Here also are the Coorong wetlands of international importance and the Naracoorte Caves, South Australia's only World Heritage Listed Site. The charming seaside town of Robe is well worth a visit with a number of vineyards within easy reach, including Wehl's Mt Benson Vineyards. | ||
Riverland (Murray River) |
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Plus ... |
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| There are also new wineries on Kangaroo
Island, Eyre Peninsula and on the Southern Fleurieu. A National Wine
Centre has opened in Adelaide and this is the headquarters of the
Australian wine industry, home to its peak grape and wine bodies,
research, education and marketing corporations.
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| Seeing South Australia's Wine Regions ... | ||
| You can choose to explore on your own by
car or you may prefer to take advantage of one of the many escorted
trips available, whether you want a day out from Adelaide or a longer
tour taking several days. |
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| EXPLORING ON YOUR OWN - hotels, guest houses and self driving | ||
| There is lots of accommodation in and
around the main wine growing areas and we have selected a cross section
of the best, ranging from Bed and Breakfasts to First Class
hotels. Follow the links below to view accommodation in the main
wine regions which can offer accommodation well placed for exploring
the vineyards of South Australia. We can book any of these for you
as part of an independent itinerary. To arrange car hire, see our Self Drive Tours
section for details and prices. You will also find pre-arranged
Self Drive Route itineraries in this section, some of which include wine
areas. |
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| Links to details of accommodation in and around the South Australian Vineyards: | ||
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| ESCORTED WINE TOURS- day trips and longer | ||
| Self-driving around wineries can be rather hard
on the driver who is denied the pleasure of swallowing at the tastings
and so even fiercely independent travellers may like to opt for at least
one escorted tour here! Our selection focuses on small party or
personalised tours (the latter for pairs of people), all with
knowledgeable guides. All tours depart from Adelaide. Escorted Wine Tours in South Australia ...
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| Return to - Top Wine Introduction Index or hit 'Back' button to return to previous page | ||
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The Riverland is a huge area irrigated by the Murray River and
produces a significant proportion of Australia's total wine output.
Riverland produces good Rhine Riesling, Chardonnay, Sauvignon,
Columbard, Chenin, Cabernet and Shiraz and it also produces large
amounts of bag-in-the-box wine. The two largest wineries are the
enormous Angove's winery and the bigger still Berri-Renmano-Loxton
group. The Riverland is a two hour drive east of Adelaide and
includes approximately 300 km of the Murray River. The mighty river
flows lazily past orchards, vineyards and magnificent golf courses. Here
you can swim, fish, cruise, ski or explore the wetlands.
