Savouring South Australia - Epicurean Way Six-Day Tour
Savouring South Australia
In terms of bang per buck – or perhaps mouthfuls per mile! – South Australia’s Epicurean Way is the most rewarding food and wine trail in the country. It encompasses four of the nation’s oldest and most prodigious wine regions: the Barossa, McLaren Vale, Clare Valley and the Adelaide Hills. These regions are not only home to world-famous wines, they sustain communities of artisan growers, gourmet producers and exceptional restaurateurs.
Technically, you can do the whole drive in five hours, but if you spread the journey over six days, you’ll get to savour every moment. Wake to the sight of kangaroos among the vines; explore villages with 150 years of settler heritage; and try something different – from ballooning over the Barossa to tasting vintage port made in your own birth year.
Day 1: Adelaide to McLaren Vale
Get in the mood for food by taking breakfast at Adelaide’s 150-year old Central Market – sustenance for the easy 40-minute drive south to McLaren Vale.
Around 11am you’ll be in the region where “the sea meets the vines” – just in time to try its famous big-bodied cabernet sauvignon and grenache wines.
Start out with something different at d’Arenberg wines’ stunning five-storey Cube building, where you can experience a slightly surreal “sensory trip” that ends in a tasting room on the fifth floor where you can blend your own wine. They also do an excellent lunch.
In the afternoon take a look behind a famous name on a guided tour of Wirra Wirra. Or head out onto the country lanes to meet small winemakers doing cool things out of farmhouses, barns and sheds – Alpha Box & Dice is a great example.
There are terrific restaurants in the region, including the Salopian Inn, the Star Of Greece and the Currant Shed. To overnight among the vines, try Hotel California Road, a stylish “grand design” constructed from 20 shipping containers.
Day 2: McLaren Vale to Adelaide Hills
After breakfast, make a short detour to Maslin Beach to appreciate the magnificent sweep of the South Australian coast. Then it’s 40 minutes of country driving into the Adelaide Hills, a region known for its cool-climate sauvignon blanc and first-class methode champenoise sparkling wines.
Don’t miss Hahndorf, Australia’s oldest German settlement (est. 1839) with over 100 heritage-listed cottages along the lively main street. It’s home to a few boutique cellar doors such as Somerled, which serves brilliant sparkling pinot noir in a relaxed setting.
There are providores up and down the street, including Udder Delights, gourmet cheesemakers who make Australia’s most expensive cheese (King Saul, a raw-milk, blue-vein cheese costing about £86 for 500g). You can pick your own strawberries at nearby jam-maker Beerenberg Farm, and at Hahndorf Hill Winery you can experience the joy of chocolate paired with wine.
The Lane Vineyard is a favourite for long summer lunches beside blissful vistas. Alternatively, head for Uraidla, home to a craft brewery and a superb gourmet pub, or Lost in the Forest – a converted church serving wood-fired pizzas and winemaker Taras Ochota’s spirited pinot noir.
Mount Lofty House is a decadent hotel that does fine dining overlooking the rose gardens and Piccadilly Valley. At sunset, go for a short walk to Mount Lofty Lookout for views over Adelaide and the gulf.
Day 3 and 4: Adelaide Hills to Barossa
Head north for an hour into the Barossa, held in the same regard as Napa Valley and Burgundy for its superlative shiraz.
Belying the New World designation, Barossa is home to some of the world’s oldest producing vines, fruiting since the German settlers planted them in the 1840s. Names like Yalumba and Langmeil are still producing out of their original wineries, where you can taste their time-honoured wines.
Seppeltsfield has barrels of tawny ports dating back to 1878: it’s the place to try your birth-year port – and see if you’re a decent vintage. And if you want to experience fine dining, try Seppeltsfield’s Fino restaurant. Jacob’s Creek, one of Australia’s most successful exports, is a lovely estate with a contemporary cellar door and options to try blending your own bottle of wine, take part in a cooking class or enjoy a gourmet picnic (with wine, of course) beside the eponymous creek.
For a different perspective, try a dawn flight in a balloon or do a tour by Harley-Davidson or Daimler limo. For a wonderful experience, you can join a wine ambassador at St Hugo’s winery for an exclusive tasting and helicopter tour.
The village of Angaston has history, charm and gourmet goodies in equal measure. Try to do the Barossa Farmer’s Market in the Vintners Sheds on Saturday morning, an earthy meeting of local growers and producers.
And nearby Hentley Farm winery is known for having only two menu choices (the two-hour degustation or the four-hour full menu experience). And highly rated Appellation restaurant is part of The Louise, a select retreat and one of Australia’s Luxury Lodges overlooking the vineyards of the Barossa Valley.
Day 5: Barossa to Clare Valley
Though the smallest of the four regions, Clare Valley enjoys a huge reputation thanks to its fine riesling. After you’ve done the hour’s drive north, you may notice the country is slightly drier, more rustic and its wine production much more ‘boutique’. The wine-making heritage, however, is no less interesting, especially at Sevenhill Cellars, established by Polish Jesuits in 1851. On a guided tour, you’ll visit the winery, seminary and elegant St Aloysius’ Church. The wines are still made in the slate cellars, including sacramental wines, which are exported as far as Asia.
There’s history also at Mintaro, a delightful village with small regional cellar doors. It’s the home of Martindale Hall, a scaled down but no less imposing stately home once visited by royalty and the England cricket team. It also turned up in the movie Picnic At Hanging Rock.
In Clare, there’s atmospheric dining to be had in an old chaff mill called the Seed Winehouse & Kitchen. Another regional institution is Skillogalee Winery Restaurant, greatly loved in summer for fine regional food served on its farmhouse veranda. Skillogalee also has a rural guesthouse accommodation, while the historic town of Mintaro is great for cottage B&Bs.
Day 6: Clare Valley to Adelaide
It’s just a two-hour drive back to Adelaide, so no need to hurry. Hire a bike out of Clare or Auburn and take to the Riesling Trail. Whichever portion of the 32km cycle-way you choose, there’s an eyeful of scenery on offer, and a village café or two to provide a well-earned breakfast.
Black Tomato (020 7426 9888) can tailor-make 6-night trips to South Australia, including private winery and food experiences in McLaren Vale, Adelaide Hills, Barossa Valley and Clare Valley starting from £4,512 per person based on two people travelling. Prices include luxury accommodation, experiences, private transfers and domestic flights throughout. Follow the link above to view the experiences that are included in this trip, but keep in mind that every itinerary with Black Tomato is customisable and can be tailored to your needs.
Emirates, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and Malaysia Airlines fly regularly to Adelaide from many UK airports. Return Economy fares from £595 and Business Class from £3,200.
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