Barossa Valley
Australia's most famous wine region, with rolling old-vine Shiraz vineyards. A day in the countryside combines winery tastings dating back a century, farm food and German migrant villages.
The Barossa Valley lies about 60 to 75 km northeast of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, and is Australia's best-known wine region, part of the Barossa Council. In the 1840s, Lutheran migrants from Silesia in Germany settled here, leaving behind churches, stone cottages, smoked meats and bread-making traditions that can still be found in the towns of Tanunda, Nuriootpa and Angaston. The region is known for its old-vine Shiraz. To the east, the higher-altitude Eden Valley produces fine Riesling.
The main activity is winery touring. In the north are Penfolds, Seppeltsfield and Hewitson. Around Tanunda are Langmeil, Peter Lehmann and Chateau Tanunda. In the south, the Jacob's Creek visitor centre is on the Rowland Flat. To the east, Yalumba and Henschke are in Eden Valley. The Menglers Hill lookout offers a view over the whole valley. On Saturday mornings, the Barossa Farmers Market and the Maggie Beer Farm Shop are favorites among food lovers. Sunrise hot-air balloon flights and cycling along the Barossa Trail are also popular.
The seasons are as follows. In the southern hemisphere, March to May is the autumn harvest, when the grape leaves turn yellow and look their most beautiful. In odd-numbered years, the Barossa Wine Festival is held in April. September to November brings mild spring weather. December to February is hot and dry, so watch for bushfires. Winters are cool and wet, but visitors are fewer.
Getting there: There is no direct train. It takes about 1 hour to drive from Adelaide, but you cannot drive after tasting, because South Australia's drink-driving limit is 0.05. Consider joining a day tour, hiring a driver or staying in Tanunda and cycling. Plan 1 to 2 days. Most tasting rooms are open from 10:00 to 17:00. Tasting fees can often be deducted from wine purchases. Book popular experiences in advance.
Top sights
- Barossa Valley – Australia's most famous wine region, known for old-vine Shiraz, with more than 150 wineries, including Penfolds, Seppeltsfield and Jacob's…
- Penfolds Barossa Valley Cellar Door – The cellar door of Penfolds, Australia's best-known wine brand, in the Barossa, where you can taste the Bin series and blend your own bottl…
- Maggie Beer's Farm Shop – The farm shop of Australian celebrity chef Maggie Beer in the Barossa Valley, offering tastings of verjuice, pâté and ice cream, with a rel…
- Seppeltsfield – A century-old winery in the Barossa Valley, greeted by two thousand palm trees lining the road, where the Centennial Cellar lets you taste…
- Wolf Blass Visitor Centre – The Wolf Blass winery near Stockwell in the northern Barossa, where you can taste the Black Label, Grey Label and other ranges and explore…
- Mengler's Hill Lookout – The best lookout in the Barossa Valley, overlooking the vineyards and the towns of Bethany and Tanunda, next to the Barossa Sculpture Park.
- Tanunda – The central town of the Barossa Valley, lined with German Lutheran churches, old bakeries and delis, and the base for accommodation and win…
- Jacob's Creek Visitor Centre – The visitor centre at the birthplace of the Jacob's Creek brand, beside the creek of the same name, where you can taste wine, dine and walk…
- Yalumba – One of Australia's oldest family-owned wineries, founded in 1849, known for its blue marble clock tower building and on-site cooperage.
- Chateau Tanunda – A blue-stone, castle-style winery built in 1890, one of the oldest large winemaking buildings in the Barossa, with a wide lawn that's great…
- Angaston – A quiet town east of the Barossa, with English-style stone houses and cafés lining the main street, and nearby wineries including Yalumba a…
- Barossa Farmers Market – A farmers market held on Saturday mornings in old warehouses near Angaston, where you can find Barossa cured meats, bread, cheese and seaso…
- Henschke – A leading family-owned winery in the Eden Valley, whose single-vineyard Shiraz “Hill of Grace” is one of Australia's most expensive wines.
- Langmeil Winery – A long-established winery on the northern outskirts of Tanunda, home to “The Freedom,” a vineyard of Shiraz vines said to be among the olde…
- Peter Lehmann Wines – A winery named after “Barossa's guardian” Peter Lehmann, with a tasting room set in a riverside garden that's perfect for a picnic after ta…
- Kaiserstuhl Conservation Park – A native forest reserve on the Barossa Ranges, where you can hike to granite outcrops for views over the valley; kangaroos and many bird sp…
Where to eat
- Hentley Farm Restaurant – A tasting-menu restaurant at the Seppeltsfield boutique winery, using estate-foraged and garden-grown ingredients. It i…
- Fino Seppeltsfield – A sharing-menu restaurant at the century-old Seppeltsfield winery, serving long lunches made with local ingredients eve…
- fermentAsian – A family-run Vietnamese restaurant on Tanunda's main street, using herbs from its own garden and Barossa pork. Locals h…
- Vintners Bar & Grill – A long-established Angaston restaurant that opened in 1996. It is one of the Barossa's longest-running restaurants and…
Itineraries
- Adelaide, Barossa & Kangaroo Island Classic – From Adelaide to the Barossa and McLaren Vale, then ferry to Kangaroo Island for sea lions and Remarkable Rocks.