Wine was very high on the priority list for my latest trip to Adelaide and with all the rushing around we missed a few too many possible gorging sessions plus giving our Brissie friend Amanda a proper tour of the Central Markets – FAIL!
We did however, have some pretty outstanding key food moments and a highlight for me was visiting the 40′s Cafe at Angaston, Barossa Valley.My friend Kate has been there before and was adamant we must go there on this trip. Although disappointed we didn’t get time to meander down the main streets of Tanunda or Angaston and visit some of the famous German butchers and purchase some Barossa small goods I really feel that by eating the Barossa 40′s Deluxe pizza, at 40′s Cafe, I at least had a little bit of the Barossa in that one pizza as they packed a lot of local flavour on there and was just divine.
We were running severely late on the Friday we visited so were lucky enough to have the cafe nearly to ourselves at about 4pm. Next time however, I think we will need a larger group as there are so many pizza toppings I want to try – and then there is the rest of the menu! The 40′s cafe winter menu has everything from German Hot dogs, smoked salmon parfait, kangaroo loin, to the famous pizza’s.
We had the Barossa 40′s Deluxe which included, tomato sauce, smoked chicken, cheese, Schulz Butcher’s Mallee Gum smoked pork belly (Schulz Butchers is in Angaston and has been operating for over 70 years), kalamata olives, avocado, pesto, grilled brie, basil and pepper. The price was $23 for small (9inch) and $29 for Medium (12 inch). The Barossa 40′s Deluxe was one of the nicest toppings I have encountered – they did not skimp on the topping and it was rich with a smokey meaty flavour – loved it!
Amanda had the awesome Pumpkin and Pine Nut pizza which was super fresh and included, fresh fetta, mozzarella, caramelised shallots, thyme, roast pumpkin with rocket tossed in lemon juice and olive oil finished with shaved pecorino and toasted pine nuts. It was $19 for the small and $26 for the medium.
When I go back I definitely want to try the Smokey pizza which involves more Schulz Butcher’s Mallee Gum smoked pork belly as well as, mettwurst, lachsschinken and smoked chicken – ridiculous!!!
From a small group at 40′s Cafe, we had a large group of people the following day in the Barossa, for Ben’s birthday bash – wine tour. As part of Bender’s Bus tour we stopped at Barossa Valley Brewing, who are local craft beer produces. The brewery and restaurant is based at Tanunda and it is a great experience for beer lovers. We got a full, in depth run down on all the beers, with tastings plus a quick tour. The Bee Sting beer which, is brewed with orange blossom honey, was a highlight as was their Organic Ale which, is made from organic hops and malt. We had a tapas lunch at BVB in our own private room and the food kept on coming for our leisurely, boozy lunch. Food included – squid, haloumi, pizza, pasta, chorizo…. that even a certain vegetarian was getting into – it was all very fresh, varied and in the plenty. BVB is a great place to stop after long (but not so hard) hours of wine tasting and relax with one of their beers in hand out on the deck – I am looking forward to visiting again in Summer!
St Hallets winery at Tanunda is where I had my favourite port that I have tasted in a while (their anniversary port), and am kicking myself for not buying a bottle on the spot – The GST and Blackwell wines were favourites also.
Grant Burge winery is always a favourite destination of mine – just so I can stock up on some Tawny Port! I was rather excited to see that I could buy a 5 L plastic cylinder for a bargain price but realising I was flying home decided against it.
Pindarie wines at Tanunda was simply stunning. The building and view of the valley are so beautiful and they make the most of their grassed area with visitors being able to relax in the sunshine with a glass of red. Inside the cellar door there is a restaurant with plenty of room for larger groups. We all have to thank Kate (again) for this one, the girl is in the know, and she was right – Pindarie was well worth visiting and, drinking Shiraz in the late August sun was a delightful way to end a boozy yet informative afternoon!
Lastly, a trip the Barossa wouldn’t be complete without a trip to two of my favourite destinations Maggie Beer’s and Rockford’s. Maggie Beer’s is a must – no matter how many times you visit the Barossa, as you always need condiments and sauces so go and stock up! My new favourite this time was the Raspberry and Pomegranate jam – Buy HERE. As soon as I bought it home to Brisbane I had it on crumpets, croissants and even a rack of lamb (no quince paste could be found so I adapted the marinade and it was delicious)!
Rockford’s is well known in S.A for its Alicante (Rose) and we were excited for our Brisbane friend Amanda to try it – it is just the perfect wine for Summer and so cheap at the cellar door! Another favourite from Rockford’s which I finished way to quickly was the White Frontignac- oh so smooth and dry yet also sweet.
Leaving the Barossa is always hard. As the sun is going down and its gets a little cooler, and us non-locals have to go home, I can imagine living there – cosying up in my little cottage after NOT having to commute into city after a long day of work, andjust enjoying being home by the fire and looking forward to another day living in the Barossa. I’m hoping that isn’t just a dream for much longer.
