Venture Wine Tours Australia

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SOUTH AUSTRALIA _____________________________________________________________________________________

BAROSSA VALLEY

The Barossa Valley, an hour ’s drive north of Adelaide, is one of Australia ’s most famous wine regions, and many of the nation’s largest wine companies have their roots here. The Barossa was settled in the 1840s by German Lutherans who also brought the first vines to the valley. Today the region remains close to its roots. Many Shiraz, Grenache and Semillon vineyards here have vines that are between 50 and 100 years old, producing wines with exceptional depth of fruit. Other grape varieties produced in the region include Chardonnay, Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, as well as Semillon and Pinot Noir in the slightly cooler Eden Valley, nearby.

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CLARE VALLEY

The Clare Valley wine region, an hour's drive north of the Barossa Valley and two hours north of Adelaide, has a number of elevated vineyards producing wines with distinct cool-climate characteristics and intense varietal fruit flavours. The best example of this is the Clare Valley Riesling, which presents itself with a crisp and fragrant bouquet, steely herb and Australia would not be complete without a detour to this delightful region.

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THE ADELAIDE HILLS

The Adelaide Hills vineyards average 400 metres above sea level, just half an hour from the seaside city of Adelaide. The verdant terrain of this wine region is often steep, with many vineyards facing north to catch the best sun. Together with the Eden Valley further to the north, the Adelaide Hills forms the largest cool-climate winegrowing region in Australia. Its reputation is growing rapidly as more and more high-profile winemakers recognise the potential of this area for very high-quality Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and sparkling wine.

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MCLAREN VALE

McLaren Vale is half an hour south of Adelaide, between the southern Adelaide hills and the sea. The area ’s hot summer growing season is tempered by cool afternoon sea breezes. The region is known for ‘old fashioned ’full-bodied reds, which have as much to do with a mild, temperate climate and complex soils as with the winemaking technique. The region ’s white wines also have a certain full-flavoured intensity about them. The region is best known for Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and, more recently, Sauvignon Blanc and Chenin Blanc. Its proximity to Adelaide, pleasant sea views and rustic small wineries have made McLaren Vale a thriving tourist centre, spawning many superb, character-filled restaurants and bed and breakfasts.

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COONAWARRA

The Coonawarra is a good four-hour drive south of Adelaide and six hours west of Melbourne. The area ’s cool climate, famed terra rossa soil and high quality underground water produce near-perfect conditions for growing Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Coonawarra is Australia ’s premier producer of that variety. Other grapes suited to the area include Shiraz, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. As all of the terra rossa soil here has been planted to vines, some Australian wine companies have planted large tracts of land to vines an hour north at Padthaway and nearby at Wrattonbully.