Torbreck: In terms of wine tasting, Torbreck was the highlight of my experience in the Barossa, with the best wines overall (and, as it turns out, the prices to match). Despite my hangover, I finished nearly all of my reds. If I could afford it, I would have shipped home a case of The Steading (one of my favourite white wines) and The Struie.
Langmeil: A label that I’ve seen in Canada, I liked Langmeil’s Sparkling Shiraz (Australians love “black champagne,” a product that I’d never heard of until this trip), Jackamans Cabernet Sauvignon and the Freedom 1843 Shiraz, which the winery describes as “history in a bottle.”
Turkey Flat: Although they sell out of their rose every year and are known for their Butcher’s Block Red, I was partial to the Granache and Mouvedre. (And, of course, the Pedro Ximénez, which was the only wine I purchased over the course of my travels).
Yalumba: As the only winery in the Southern Hemisphere to still have their own cooperage, Yalumba is not to be missed. But there’s more beneath the surface—Yalumba’s underground wine tanks are home to their “wine museum,” a never-ending maze of dusty vintages dating back more than 100 years. They even employ a historian two days per week.
Oh, and did I mention they produce wine too—and some vegan-friendly wine, at that? My favourites were the FDR1A 2009 (a cabernet and shiraz blend that can only be described as elegant) and the Viognier, a small variety of grape that has been brought back from extinction.
Tscharke: Both the pottery and the wine on-site are worth taking home. I loved the Touriga and the Frizzante Savagnin, a sweet carbonated white, which by my approximation would be the perfect wine to drink in Trinity Bellwoods Park on a hot summer day.
Seppeltsfield: The 1984 vintage. Obviously.
Nice post
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