This itinerary may be operated on a private or
self-drive basis, choice of 3, 4 or 5 star accommodation, may
be customized in any way to include wineries of your choice and other wine areas
and leisure touring activities
in Australia and
New Zealand
DAY 1 LOS ANGELES/ADELAIDE
Depart Los Angeles for Sydney on Qantas 747.
DAY 2 EN ROUTE
Lose one day in traveling over the international date line.
DAY 3 ADELAIDE, GATEWAY TO THE WINERIES
Continue by air to Adelaide, capital city of South Australia, gateway to
the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale. South Australia is Australia's
biggest wine producing state; over 2 million bottles of wine are exported
every week, 70% of the national total. You will be met by our
representative and transferred by private car to your hotel in central
Adelaide. Balance of the day at leisure with a suggested walk to Rundle
Street Mall with its many cafes and art shops. Try one of the local wine
bars before an early dinner in your hotel.
DAY 4 BAROSSA VALLEY & WINERIES
This beautiful valley is the home of many of Australia's major wine
producers, with grapes first planted in the 1840's by early European
settlers. Considered a warm region with temperatures identical to Bordeaux
and the Margaret River in Western Australia, it has found success with
fortified wines as well as full-bodied reds and robust white table wines
which complement the largely German style cuisine. In April 2001 from the
16th to 20th (biennial, odd
numbered years) the Barossa Vintage Festival brings thousands to
participate in tastings, banquets and other related events. Today you will
be driven in a classic car to the Barossa Valley to taste wine at some of
the Barossa's fine wineries, e.g. Alumna, Wolf Blass, Seppelt, Turkey
Flat, Grant Burge, Penfolds and to Rockford Winery to try their unusual
"basket pressed" shiraz. Winery tours can be arranged at some of
these wineries on request. Last year, Wine Spectator selected four wines
from Australia for its top 100 list, three of them were from South
Australia, Shaw & Smith Sauvignon Blanc, Orlando Chardonnay and
Penfolds Grange. Lunch at one of the wineries. Tonight, stay in the
Barossa Valley.
DAY 5 BAROSSA VALLEY & FINE DINING
Continue your wine exploration of the Barossa, including many historic
points of interest in this old Lutheran community, Goat Square, the
region's former Saturday market place, as well as other historic buildings
and churches. Return to Adelaide, stopping for lunch and wine tasting at
Petaluma's Bridgewater Mill winery or perhaps visiting Cleland Wildlife
Park en route to meet some of Australia's indigenous animals. Overnight in
your Adelaide city hotel. Tonight you will be driven to an original local
winery and its famous restaurant for fine dining with views of the city.
DAY 6 MCLAREN VALE WINERIES/PADTHAWAY
ESTATE
With varied locations and proximity to the coast, a variety of popular
grapes do well in this area, particularly chardonnay, shiraz and cabernet
sauvignon, followed by semillon and grenache. Your driver will pick you up
after breakfast for today's visit to the McLaren Vale wineries, e.g.
Woodstock, d'Arenberg, Coriole and Marienberg Restaurant for lunch.
Continue late this afternoon to Padthaway for your overnight stay, home of
some distinctive reds and large amounts of chardonnay. Accommodation at an
old winery and hotel set in formal gardens amid extensive vineyards.
Dinner tonight at the hotel.
DAY 7 COONAWARRA WINERIES
After tasting wines at Padthaway, continue to explore Coonawarra wineries
with tasting at several wineries, e.g. Leconfield, Wynn's Coonawarra
Estate, Lindemans and Katnook Estate. A little further away but worth the
trip, Coonawarra is home to some of Australia's most distinctive red wines
grown in its terra rossa soil - cabernet sauvignon with specially
high concentrations of fruit flavor and tasting luscious ( try Wynn's John
Riddock), and shiraz and some pinot noir. Whites featured are chardonnay
and riesling.
DAY 8 ADELAIDE
A late start, returning to Adelaide this morning with the balance of the
day at leisure.
DAY 9 LEISURE
Full day at leisure, or an optional tour to Kangaroo Island for those
interested in wildlife.
DAY 10 ADELAIDE/LOS ANGELES
Transfer to the airport for departure flight.
WINE TOURS AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND
PO Box 927136, San Diego Ca 92192-1736
Tel: 858-550 9696
e.mail: mike@winetoursaustralia-nz.com
In conjunction with Down Under Answers
CST:207623340