Day 2. Barossa Valley South Australia.
As the day broke it was hard to get out of the comfy bed at the Elderton Lodge. After making some Vegemite on toast and coffee, it was time to leave the comfort of the Elderton Lodge and get back to work.
If you missed day one, here it is.
First up this morning was to be Elderton Wines. As luck would have it, or good planning if you may, the Elderton cellar door or tasting room is just a couple hundred meter walk from the lodge. This morning I had the pleasure to meet Cameron and Allister Ashmead at the cellar door and the Award winning Cellar Door Manager Tush Steinert, who was wonderful enough to make us all custom coffee drinks, from espresso to cappuccinos, as we talked on the front verandah and enjoyed the spectacular Barossa morning.
After just a few minutes chatting with Cameron and Allister it became obvious that their pride in what their parents had done and the charter to continue this as a multi-generational business was at the forefront of their thinking. To continue to maintain and improve on the wines of the past drive the day to day decisions, and to leave things better than when they started. What a delightful time we had chatting away. It really is one of the best things about visiting these places is meeting the most wonderful people and hearing their great stories.
After coffee's, Allister took me on a tour of the vineyards and the facilities where along the way meet winemaker Richard Langford. No wonder that Cameron and Allister speak so highly of him. Aside from his obvious winemaking skill (tasted his work) a nice bloke with a great sense of humor. Once our wanderings were done we came back to the Cellar Door and tasted a significant portion of their wines. Look, do yourself a favor and go by the Elderton Wines Cellar Door and check em out. Better yet, book a Master Class or an Elite Tasting and really get to know the great people and wines that are at Elderton Wines. This is a first class operation and not to be missed. Check out this little video.
After heading back to the Elderton Lodge to make some sandwiches and some coffee, it was off to the next stop.
The next scheduled stop was to visit Artisans of the Barossa. A group of seven individual wineries, with different winemaking styles, representing the breadth and diversity of the Barossa Valley. What a great concept, and how well is it being done? Very well indeed. This was a revelation on what can be accomplished by like minded individuals, looking to leverage their collective wine clout, in an attractive environment that allows each wine makers wine to be showcased, and yet not be in direct competition of their peers. It was a lovely tasting that was mostly handled by the effervescent and delightful Sam, with an assist to the lovely Rose.
The Tasting Room is open from 11am - 6pm seven days a week and has one of the best views in the Barossa. Take one of their special wine maker tastings, the Artisans Perspective or one of the other options that also come with a regional platter. Enjoy the experience's that this great place has to offer. Look it's not just our opinion, they just received the award for best Cellar Door in the Barossa! An amazing achievement given the wonderful experiences we have had at other Cellar Doors in the area.
With some time in the afternoon to visit another Cellar Door it was off to Kaesler Vineyards. This wonderful facility was a great place for a tasting or on most days to sit outside and enjoy the gardens and the wine. The wines poured were very nice with the favourite being the Avignon. It was a favorite not just from a drinking standpoint but also overall probably the best by value. The actual if money was no object was the 2010 Old Vine Shiraz.
"The Kaesler Vineyards were established in 1893. The family, sprung from Silesian pioneers who came to the Barossa Valley in the 1840s, took up 96 acres in 1891. They cleared the scrub and in 1893 planted out the entire holding with Shiraz, Grenache, Mataro (Mourvedre) and White Hermitage vines.
Some of the gnarled dry-grown Shiraz still remains and provides the backbone of the intense wines produced from the sandy loam of this prime viticultural block." Possibly one reason the Old Vine Shiraz drank so beautifully. Nice spot to enjoy an afternoon in a beautiful setting with some exceptional wine.
The next big decision of the day was, where and what, to have for dinner. After assessing the options over a couple of cold Coopers Ales, it was decided to cook for ourselves at the Elderton Lodge and take advantage of the BBQ and the comforts of home. First we went to the Elderton cellar door and purchased a bottle of Greenock Two. A fantastic GSM that would be a perfect compliment to our dinner extravaganza. Next it was off to Steinys in Tanunda to get some cured meats (wow were they great) and then to the local butcher in Nuriootpa for some steak and BBQ sausages. Must compliment the butcher as when asked about the best cuts for our meal instead if suggesting the most expensive he gave us a fair dinkum answer and some bloody good steaks. To get the final ingredients for this feast it was over to the Nuriootpa Foodland for bread cheese and salad (garnish) to complete the meal. Oh my was that the right choice, had not had a good Aussie BBQ in yonks, superb...
As we put an end to the Greenock Two and night had fallen some time earlier it was time to end what was another fantastic day in the Barossa and retire to dreams of vineyards, wine, great food and folks. Day Two was a smashing success.
As the day broke it was hard to get out of the comfy bed at the Elderton Lodge. After making some Vegemite on toast and coffee, it was time to leave the comfort of the Elderton Lodge and get back to work.
If you missed day one, here it is.
After just a few minutes chatting with Cameron and Allister it became obvious that their pride in what their parents had done and the charter to continue this as a multi-generational business was at the forefront of their thinking. To continue to maintain and improve on the wines of the past drive the day to day decisions, and to leave things better than when they started. What a delightful time we had chatting away. It really is one of the best things about visiting these places is meeting the most wonderful people and hearing their great stories.
After coffee's, Allister took me on a tour of the vineyards and the facilities where along the way meet winemaker Richard Langford. No wonder that Cameron and Allister speak so highly of him. Aside from his obvious winemaking skill (tasted his work) a nice bloke with a great sense of humor. Once our wanderings were done we came back to the Cellar Door and tasted a significant portion of their wines. Look, do yourself a favor and go by the Elderton Wines Cellar Door and check em out. Better yet, book a Master Class or an Elite Tasting and really get to know the great people and wines that are at Elderton Wines. This is a first class operation and not to be missed. Check out this little video.After heading back to the Elderton Lodge to make some sandwiches and some coffee, it was off to the next stop.
The next scheduled stop was to visit Artisans of the Barossa. A group of seven individual wineries, with different winemaking styles, representing the breadth and diversity of the Barossa Valley. What a great concept, and how well is it being done? Very well indeed. This was a revelation on what can be accomplished by like minded individuals, looking to leverage their collective wine clout, in an attractive environment that allows each wine makers wine to be showcased, and yet not be in direct competition of their peers. It was a lovely tasting that was mostly handled by the effervescent and delightful Sam, with an assist to the lovely Rose.
The Tasting Room is open from 11am - 6pm seven days a week and has one of the best views in the Barossa. Take one of their special wine maker tastings, the Artisans Perspective or one of the other options that also come with a regional platter. Enjoy the experience's that this great place has to offer. Look it's not just our opinion, they just received the award for best Cellar Door in the Barossa! An amazing achievement given the wonderful experiences we have had at other Cellar Doors in the area.
With some time in the afternoon to visit another Cellar Door it was off to Kaesler Vineyards. This wonderful facility was a great place for a tasting or on most days to sit outside and enjoy the gardens and the wine. The wines poured were very nice with the favourite being the Avignon. It was a favorite not just from a drinking standpoint but also overall probably the best by value. The actual if money was no object was the 2010 Old Vine Shiraz.
"The Kaesler Vineyards were established in 1893. The family, sprung from Silesian pioneers who came to the Barossa Valley in the 1840s, took up 96 acres in 1891. They cleared the scrub and in 1893 planted out the entire holding with Shiraz, Grenache, Mataro (Mourvedre) and White Hermitage vines.Some of the gnarled dry-grown Shiraz still remains and provides the backbone of the intense wines produced from the sandy loam of this prime viticultural block." Possibly one reason the Old Vine Shiraz drank so beautifully. Nice spot to enjoy an afternoon in a beautiful setting with some exceptional wine.
The next big decision of the day was, where and what, to have for dinner. After assessing the options over a couple of cold Coopers Ales, it was decided to cook for ourselves at the Elderton Lodge and take advantage of the BBQ and the comforts of home. First we went to the Elderton cellar door and purchased a bottle of Greenock Two. A fantastic GSM that would be a perfect compliment to our dinner extravaganza. Next it was off to Steinys in Tanunda to get some cured meats (wow were they great) and then to the local butcher in Nuriootpa for some steak and BBQ sausages. Must compliment the butcher as when asked about the best cuts for our meal instead if suggesting the most expensive he gave us a fair dinkum answer and some bloody good steaks. To get the final ingredients for this feast it was over to the Nuriootpa Foodland for bread cheese and salad (garnish) to complete the meal. Oh my was that the right choice, had not had a good Aussie BBQ in yonks, superb...As we put an end to the Greenock Two and night had fallen some time earlier it was time to end what was another fantastic day in the Barossa and retire to dreams of vineyards, wine, great food and folks. Day Two was a smashing success.
Happy Tasting Adventures,
Cheers,
WineWalkabout
Kiwi & Koala
How fun was this trip? Cheers fellas
ReplyDeleteRay