the Barossa Valley

Barossa Valley Treeline (c) 2016 by David Ourisman, all rights reserved

June in the Barossa Valley is like December in the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. With the same cool (not cold) winter weather, the grapes have long since been harvested, and workers are now pruning the vines in preparation for next spring. Even the gum (eucalyptus) trees remind me of home in the Berkeley hills, though the Barossa Valley doesn't have the Live Oak trees found in northern California... nor nearly as much traffic.

Tourism here is all about wine and food. Yesterday we did a wine tasting at Artisans of Barossa (essentially a cooperative of several small wine producers) followed by lunch in the affiliated Harvest Kitchen. This was followed by a visit to Two Hands Wines including tasting several varieties of their Shiraz straight from the barrel. Though I normally don't like young red wines, these were exceptional.

Here's what to look for, if you're ever in the region.

Today? Four more wine tastings, starting at 10 a.m. I think I'll (mostly) watch and listen ... but if you're a true oenophile, you'll find that the Barossa Valley is heaven on earth, Australian style. We have the connections to help you put together the food and wine tour of your dreams, complete with exclusive visits off the beaten path.

copyright  (c)  2016 by David Ourisman LLC.  All rights reserved. We provide Virtuoso and other Preferred Partner amenities as an affiliate of Brownell Travel. If you have comments on this column, or questions about booking travel, email me or visit my website.