Adelaide Wine Region
(Napa Valley of Australia)
Adelaide is the wine capital of Australia, famous for Barossa Valley. But when we started planning our trip we realized there are a other beautiful locales to be explored (Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, Adelaide Hills and Handhorf). When I was googling things to do, everything was showing up separately, so i decided to do this post about all the things you can go in Adelaide and how to manage your time. I am sure I must have missed out on a lot of things, but never the less here is it
Time of visit: June which is the start of winter or end of autumn in Australia. Perfect weather to visit.
No. of days- 3 nights & 4 days Sat to Tues
Tip: Adelaide traffic is quite slow, if you live in the city you will need at least 1-2 hours to get to the wineries. Speed limits are around 80 kms, and there was a lot of road work when we visited, so it took us longer to get to places. Start your days as early as possible, so you get enough time at each winery. Also all wineries close around 4.30, so you will need to plan your evenings as well. It does get dark at 5.00 in winters.
We landed mid day and it was a lovely winter afternoon. Picked up our SUV from the airport and decided to check in first. We were booked at the Sebel in the city. Its a nice location, with the happening Hindley street right behind the hotel. Since we had a few hours before all the wineries close and check-in didn't take long, we decided to visit Jacobs Creek Information Center. Its in the Barossa valley. Absolutely worth a visit, not the best staff/service in my opinion, but huge vineyard, really good wines and ambiance.
 |
We lounged on bean bags, sipped some coffee (it was alright), bought some organic wine and of course did wine tasting.Dinner was at Chapati House 2 as we were starving and only curry would do :). We found it on Urban Spoon and it had good rating. Food was good, but I have had better and it had too much artificial color.Wine tasting is free.Try not going during peak hours as it will be crowded. Lot of space to explore, kids games available. Bundle up as it can get chilly. Arrive at least an hour before the kitchen closes, to enjoy some cheese platters |
 |
I planned my travel outfit in such a way that I could carry on for the evening in it. Black tights/leggings -SES Waterfall cardigan top - SES |
Day 2: Sunday
It was the McLaren Vale wine festival, so we decided to explore this region today. Breakfast was at a a gourmet chocolate cafe and it was delicious (Bracegirdles House of Fine Chocolate). We had the special waffles, eggs and pancakes, followed by some strong cappuccinos. It was a good find and I would totally recommend it.While we were feasting we made a plan for the day and picked 5 wineries to visit. We had some brochures and I had done some prior research online, so it was easy to pick. Once in McLaren Vale all the wineries are very close.
Wineries visited today:
 |
Top favourite- dArenberg Winery- (Absolutely amazing reds, one of my new favorites.) Tip: Bundle up as it can get cold. |
Outfit:
 |
Pink long sleeve top- Big W Dinner was at a restaurant called Taste of Bollywood. Food was brilliant, and it was in the higher $$ range, but totally worth it. We had planned to eat at Jasmin & British Raj, as they are very popular, but the prices were high and our timings didn't match the restaurant closing time. We like to eat late, so we picked the best of the town that were open till late. |
 |
| Sheesha |
 |
To enjoy a night cap, do check out Hindley street. It was a minute's walk from the Sebel, and we absolutely loved it. The place has got a great vibe, music is loud and food is delicious. We sat down for some Sheesha, baklava and Turkish coffee.What more can one ask for!! :) It was like all these people who are no where to be seen during the day, come out of their abodes and bring a party with them. Adelaide is a very relaxed, retirement town (in my opinion), but Hindley street showed me a whole different side of this beautiful South Australian city. |
Day 3:
Today we decided to explore the good old Barossa Valley. It is everything you want in a wine region. Tonnes of wineries, big and small, huge hectares of vineyards and some really classy wine centers. So we picked our top 5 again and went with it. First stop was Maggie Beers Farm. And boy oh boy, it is a little paradise on earth!  |
Greeted by a peacock at Maggie Beers Farm
People who live there live a fairy tale life everyday. You sit by the lake side cafe, which is set out with picnic tables, food is served in lovely wicker baskets, the staff is dressed in aprons and look like they are straight out of a fairy tale. |
You can order a coffee and cake, sweetmeats, ice-creams or a picnic basket with a glass of wine or cider.
 |
White long sleeve top- Big W |
Day 4:
This was probably the best part of the trip and very unexpected. A German town called Handhorf. It is such a serene & pristine town, with the best cafes, food and boutique shopping stores.  |
| We went to this amazing winery, with a very unique tasting experience of ChocVino which is chocolate & wine. If you ever visit Handhorf, do visit this place. The staff was so polite & informative. You sit at a table over looking the vineyard, and can select from their carefully paired range of wine & chocolates. Artisanal chocolates paired with the locally grown wine. They also offered us the most pure spring water, which also acts as a palette cleanser. |
 |
| The town of Handhorf has some of the cutest shops, selling the most amazing souvenirs. You can stop by and have an ice cream or just go to a local bakery for some dessert, coffee and pie. |
Outfit:
It was a morning well spent and I am so glad we kept it for the last day, since we only had the morning and this wasn't too far from the city, so getting back to the airport was very convenient.
 |
| Quirk art work at Handhorf |
Hope this gives you some idea about things to do in Adelaide & also how to pack for a long weekend.
Cheers!!
Nev
