Barossa Visit End of Feb - recommendations/suggestions

[monkeyboy]

Hi people,

I'm in the midst of planning my first ever visit to the Barossa and was wondering whether any of the knowledgeable types out there might have any recommendations/suggestions for a first timers journey to the region and how to get the best out of the experience.

I'll be traveling from Melbourne and have 4 full days from the Wed 27th Feb through to the Sat 1st March in which to explore the region. I also plan to take a day out to Clare Valley(possibly McLaren Vale time permitting) Have yet to book accommodation, but am wanting to stay pretty close to the action and was figuring either Nuriootpa or Tanunda(is Angaston worth considering?) Won't really need anything fancy(as it'll just be me and no one else to impress), so pretty much just a bed - with close proximity to a good coffee and breakfast.

Wineries that are a must/would love to visit are -

Rockford - I've finally become a mail order customer and have wanted to visit the place for some time I've heard many good things and really want to have that first hand Rockford experience.

Seppelts - The history of the place is amazing and again I'm looking forward to the experience.

Penfolds - It's Penfolds! But from what I've read I may leave disappointed. Oh well will go with an open mind and make it the first stop of the day.

Others I would definitely like to visit during my trip -

Torbreck
Turkey Flat
Elderton
Glaetzer
BVE
Kalleske - do they have a CD?

Are there any other CDs that are essential to visit or hidden gems waiting to be discovered that that I'm missing/overlooking?

Are there any recommended winery tours that are worth getting on? I'd love to learn a bit more of the history of the region, the wineries and wine making processes, etc. Quite fascinated with it all and would love to get a dose of education and feeling that I've learnt something on the trip

As I'll be travelling solo I figure I'll be moving at a pretty leisurely pace(not quite sloth). I'd rather enjoy a few things over the period that I'm there, rather than try to stuff in as much as possible. I know I can always return I'm aiming at hitting 3/4 CD's per day and actually taking the time to explore the places and have a chat(if possible).

Regarding the Clare day trip I'd like to hit up a few of these wineries during my visit -

Annie’s Lane
Leasingham
Kilikanoon
Jim Barry
O'leary

Again anything worth trying I may have missed(or avoid/substitute?)

Thanks again for reading and all help/recommendations/suggestions greatly appreciated.

Cheers

Ant

[Daryl Douglas]

Without having visited CDs in the Clare, definitely include O'Leary Walker, the wines I've tried are very good.

Jeanneret,(haven't tried their wines but have a couple of the Denis Shiraz 02 for later). At least they're open 7/36? days.

Another to definitely include if you're there on a weekend is Wilson Vineyard in the Polish Hill River sub-region. The riesling is excellent and the shiraz is supposed to be very good too.

Grosset has a big rep for it's riesling and it's Gaia but apparently is only open for 6 weeks from Sept, according to Halliday.

Then there's the big one, Taylors but most of it's products can be readily found at acceptable prices most places.

Have a great trip

daz

[TORB]

This may help you plan your trip.

http://www.torbwine.com/tours.shtml Chapters 4 - 8 cover the Barossa.

If its a choice of Clare or McLaren Vale, McLaren Vale is probably a better option. (It's about 90 minutes drives if you go the back way through the Hills.)

[Nick]

A few thoughts:
Rockford - if you're on the mailing list but not on the Stonewallers list, you won't be able to buy Basket Press until the 1st of March. I'd call the winery to confirm this, but it sounds like it might be worth trying to put Rockford late on your itinerary.
Charles Melton - expensive prices at cellar door, but great wines, just across the road from Rockford & have a new range of single vineyard Shiraz that'd be worth checking out. And a Vin Santo which I haven't tried but which sounds interesting.
Murray Street - I haven't made it to their cellar door yet, but I tried their range at a Tasting Australia event & it was definitely worth the trip.
Glaetzer - As far as I'm aware they don't open their cellar door any more. You could give them a call, but I've gone past it several times & it's always shut.
Tanunda Cellars - Probably sounds ridiculous to visit a bottle shop while you're touring cellar doors, but these guys have an amazing range of hard-to-find and back-vintage Barossa gear.
Tim Adams - Would probably be my first stop in Clare, usually top quality across the range.
Contact Small Winemakers - If you're keen to get a look behind the scenes, my experience is that you're best off emailing a few small winemakers a couple of weeks before you arrive. Kalleske would be a good example, where I don't think they have a cellar door, but Troy was kind enough to open a few bottles out in the barrel shed & talk me through his range. Likewise Damien Tscharke from Glaymond/Tscharke.
McLaren Vale - Like TORB, for sheer weight of numbers & range of wineries I'd lean towards McLaren Vale.

Have a great trip,
Nick

[KMP]

The best part about going to the Barossa (actually any Aussie wine region) is that the winemakers/wineries are very friendly and most (especially the smaller ones, so called boutiques) will give you a great tasting experince if you set up an appointment. We did about 20 over a five day period, plus some lunches/dinners) at the end of 2004. You'll find my notes here - I've just noticed that the notes for Dec 15 are missing, have to correct that some time! We also did a few more at the end of 2005, and then I did a drive-by (literally) at the end of last year.

From our 2004 list I would do (not in order of preference), and many are on your list - additionals bolded

Penfolds
Kaesler
Seppeltsfield (NOTE: now Kilikanoon, so you have the fortifieds but not any Seppelts dry wines or Sparklers) - pay the $50 or so they want for the top of the line fortified tasting, its worth every penny,
Two Hands - (if only to see the loo's)
Turkey Flat
Gleatzer
Rockford
Dutschke- Email Wayne for a tasting - its one of the best experiences you can have in the Barossa
Kellermeister/Trevor Jones - get your lips on a Wild Witch!
Thorn Clarke - try the William Randell, and they have a good lineup of lower priced wines
Veritas - Rolf Binder- add if you have the time
Torbreck - a must
Kalleske - contact Troy for a tasting
Heathvale - again contact them
Hutton Vale - see above

And
Winter Creek - contact for a tasting but don't let David and Pam keep you there for 7 hours like they did to us. Ah hell, why not. You don't meet excellent folks like these every day.
Grant Burge - lump this in with Dutschke and Trevor Jones

And there are so many others.
Enjoy,
Mike

[Davo]

Neither Glaetzer nor O'leary Walker have a CD.

Clare Valley
I would include Knapstein, Tim Adams, Pikes and Reilly's

Barossa
I would add Rolf Binder/Veritas (ring early and see if you can arrange a barrel tasting), The Willows, Gibson's Barrossavale, Saltrams, Yalumba, Heritage, Langmeil, Kaesler, St Hallets.

Do not bother with BVE as they only have the crap on tasting at CD and none of the upper ranges put in an appearance.

If all you want is a bed the Tanunda Hotel is the place to stay and the meals are pretty good and they allow BYO.

[GrahamB]

A good place to stay is:

www.basedowbudgetunits.com.au

I have stayed several times and have booked again for spring this year.

Graham

[Davo]

A good place to stay is:

www.basedowbudgetunits.com.au

I have stayed several times and have booked again for spring this year.

Graham

Graham, we used to stay there but found better and cleaner accommodation at slightly cheaper price (albeit further out of town) at Light Pass House.

[GRB]

I would second Davo on Kaesler and Heritage.

Also Tim Adams and Mitchell in the Clare.

Send a PM to David Cross it is well worth it to get a chance to try his wines with him and Pam.

Glen

[Matthew Moate]

It's going to be a real busy time of year. Vintage has already started with the whites in the valley this week.

Try Bellescapes http://www.bellescapes.com/ if you're looking for some heritage and luxury with the accomodation.

Again, it will be busy so not sure how you'll go getting to talk to winemakers etc.

Cheers

[GrahamB]

A good place to stay is:

www.basedowbudgetunits.com.au

I have stayed several times and have booked again for spring this year.

Graham

Graham, we used to stay there but found better and cleaner accommodation at slightly cheaper price (albeit further out of town) at Light Pass House.

Thanks. One to keep in mind for the future. Seems about the same price for a week with Basedow cheaper by the night. We seem to be in the barossa a couple of times a year currently.

[L plater]

I went last year, Barossa standouts as an l plater were,

Torbreck - didn't buy much but tasted the full range, really good CD experience for me

Yalumba - fantastic tasting room, I think I tried 16 wines here and that was only a fraction of what they had. Barrel making area also cool.

Two Hands - I love their style of wines, 'cellar door' very different to most

Kaesler and Rockford as mentioned

Kabminye - made for me by the owner who poured and chatted generously


For mine, Mclaren Vale was a better day trip than Clare, if you can only fit in one

[GrahamB]

Kabminye - made for me by the owner who poured and chatted generously

A good place for lunch and wines not made to a recipe. Some unusual varieties not found in many places.

[David]

Winter Creek - contact for a tasting but don't let David and Pam keep you there for 7 hours like they did to us. Ah hell, why not. You don't meet excellent folks like these every day.
[Mike

7 hours? 7 hours?? Couldn't get rid of you. Think we drank around 2 hogsheads. Your visit is still talked about and gone down in our folklore.

[kwine]

It amazes me how many cellardoors are missed in this thread ! and how many are suggested that actually dont have cellar doors ( or wineries for that matter ) this is Lyndoch to Jacobs creek !

MY LIST

start in Lyndoch

Charles Cimiky ( maybe the best cellar door experience !) and they taste in riedels ! Great wines, great prices ! Best shiraz at last years Barossa show, say no more !

Burge Family ( not to be taken for Granted !!) Maybe some of the best rhone styles in the Barossa . definitly seek out Rick Burge. Can Robert Parker or Winewisw be wrong!

Schild estate ( top 100 in spectator for shiraz) way underated winery , riesling is consistantly very good ! fantastic wines , and a great place for a platter for lunch !

Ross Estate ., NevFalkenburg ( ex tollana / chain of ponds ) now in charge, Gold medal in Adelaide for his first outing with thier Riesling ! ( where were clare last year at the adelaide wine show ) Worth a visit !

Jenke Vineyards, best Semillon in the Barossa , period ! Twice wine of the year at the SA wine awards last two years . Hidden gem here is sparkling shiraz, latest disgorge 1998 ( 7 years on lees) . There is good Cabernet here and the Shiraz isnt bad either . Also has maybe the most beautiful cellar door on the Barossa .

Liebichwein. fantastic fortifieds, but very good shiraz , extreme value from this small producer !

We havent even drove over Jacobs creek yet and you have missed all of these !!!

cheers
kwine

[Davo]

We havent even drove over Jacobs creek yet and you have missed all of these !!!

cheers
kwine

I didn't know that it was a "Name all the wineries in the Barossa" competition. Must have missed something.

[JDSJDS]

I like visiting the Clare Valley, as it is quite different than the busier Barossa and McLaren Vale, though all three are great regions to visit. While O'Leary Walker don't have a cellar door, I was able to visit them twice with a phone call a few days before.

[monkeyboy]

Thanks for all the recommendations and suggestions.

There are a few names that I had overlooked that I will definitely be placing on the list. Once again my timing is impeccable, hadn't realised it was vintage! Though in saying that, are there any tours worth getting on that are run at this time that might give one an insight into the working/processes of a winery? Or is just too hectic for wineries to consider tours during this time? It seems it would be an interesting time to see an operation in full swing; though not knowing the ins and outs of a working vineyard, maybe safety and logistical issues pose a problem especially when taking groups through at this time?

Might give McLaren more of a think rather than Clare at this stage.

Thanks again.

cheers

Ant

[winetastic]

I didn't get a chance to visit the Clare while down south last year, however I can definitely give a big thumbs up to the McLaren Vale and recommend:

Samuel's Gorge
d'Arenberg
Kay Brothers
Oliver's Taranga
Wirra Wirra

I was only in the Barossa for one day, Grant Burge was decent, Langmeil were great and the rest forgettable.

[KMP]

Winter Creek - contact for a tasting but don't let David and Pam keep you there for 7 hours like they did to us. Ah hell, why not. You don't meet excellent folks like these every day.
[Mike

7 hours? 7 hours?? Couldn't get rid of you. Think we drank around 2 hogsheads. Your visit is still talked about and gone down in our folklore.

Couldn't get rid of me? You were hanging onto the rear bumper as we were trying to drive away!

Looks like we'll have to bring a few umpires if we get a chance to visit later in the year.

Mike

[KMP]

It amazes me how many cellardoors are missed in this thread ! and how many are suggested that actually dont have cellar doors ( or wineries for that matter ) this is Lyndoch to Jacobs creek !..................

cheers
kwine

To be quite honest, the best wine experiences I have had in the Barossa zone have not been at conventional cellar doors but at those vineyards/wineries that require you to make little effort to get in the door (i.e. a polite email or phonecall). I much prefer having a winemaker explain his/her wines to me face to face. That is why I recommended winemakers like Dutschke, Heathvale, Hutton Vale Kalleske, Winter Creek.

Mike

[David]

Winter Creek - contact for a tasting but don't let David and Pam keep you there for 7 hours like they did to us. Ah hell, why not. You don't meet excellent folks like these every day.
[Mike

7 hours? 7 hours?? Couldn't get rid of you. Think we drank around 2 hogsheads. Your visit is still talked about and gone down in our folklore.

Couldn't get rid of me? You were hanging onto the rear bumper as we were trying to drive away!

Looks like we'll have to bring a few umpires if we get a chance to visit later in the year.

Mike

If you bring umpires you all better have swags. We have a big verandah.