Barossa Valley

Friday 27th


What is the best thing to do after a week of feeling, well, completely pants..... a naughty weekend away and copious amounts of wine (of course)! And what a fabulous weekend it was....


Our weekend of choice was the Barossa Valley, the town Angaston, the B&B Almond Hill.

First a  little about The Barossa:-

The Barossa Valley is located in the south-east corner of South Australia, about an hour's drive from  Adelaide. The region measures approximately 50 km north to south and 33 km east to west.The main towns should be recognisable to those of you who read the labels on your bottles of Barossa wine: Nuriootpa, Tanunda, Lyndoch, Angaston, Seppeltsfield, Cockatoo Valley, Eden Valley, Springton and Williamstown. Nuriootpa is the region's commercial centre. We mainly attacked Nuriootpa, Tanuda and of course Angaston.

Wine (of course) is what the Barossa is famous for, its vines prospering since the 1840s. There are more than 50 wineries in the region, ranging from large household names, such as Penfolds, Seppelt and Wolf Blass, to boutique vineyards.

The Barossa Valley was originally settled by German Lutheran farmers in the 1830's who not only planted grape vines but also brought with them their wine making knowledge and unique and rich culture. As we drove about the region this was apparent in the names of towns, in the architecture and in some of the produce.

Endless Vineyards 

Fantastic views

Quaint cottages

Arriving at Almond Hill was no disappointment. This place had all the rustic charm we could have wished for and all, single handed, built by a woman!

We arrived at Almond hill at 8:30pm, the place was perfect. As you can see we had a gorgeous four poster bed and lots of candles, setting the perfect ambiance. We also had a log-burner which I set to work lighting as soon as we arrived. There was a little kitchen area made out of an old oak desk and "granny cupboard" complete with a tiny fridge filled with sumptuous provisions, all local produce. No sooner than we arrived our bread was delivered piping hot, straight out of the oven in a beautiful tin - we couldn't help but have a nibble:)

First things first - open the bottle of wine! I can't tell you how happy we felt after all the rain, to be cozy in front of the roaring fire, listening to Edith Piaff, sipping lush red wine.

Of course after a glass or two, all intended sophistication went out the window..................

Saturday 28th.

Morning, or perhaps afternoon.....after saying hello to our friends........

........we wandered into Angaston, ambling around a couple of 'jamb packed' antique shops, checked out the one and only art gallery and of course a much needed coffee...maybe with a little cake for added effect.

Bronze statue of working farm horse, dedicated to 100 years of Angaston Agricultural Bureau - the oldest in Australia.

Then off to visit our first winery - Keasler winery.  

The Kaesler Vineyards were established in 1893. The family, sprung from Silesian pioneers who came to the Barossa Valley in the 1840s, took up 96 acres in 1891. They cleared the scrub and in 1893 planted out the entire holding with Shiraz, Grenache, Mataro (Mourvedre) and White

 Hermitage vines.

Our lovely purchase, yum!

       

After Keasler, or before, I'm not quite sure? One of the many places we visited was Seppeltsfield. 

Seppelt Family Mausoleum

Seppeltsfield is known for having one of the most scenic drives in the valley, the huge date palms lining the road were planted to provide work for local families during the depression and now provide a stunning landscape.


The Seppelt Family Mausoleum, built on the highest hill overlooking the Seppeltsfield Valley, was completed in 1927 by the employees of B Seppelt & Sons. It is now the repository for a majority of the Seppelt Family descendants.

Unfortunately the daylight started to come to an end, making Saturday a surprisingly short day....I really can't think why??


Home for a little snooze...then out for dinner to the Barossa Bistro, and a little more wine:)

My gorgeous husband

Yum yum!

Back home for more..........lovely log fire...and lovely sleep.