Artisans of Barossa

Artisans of Barossa is home to a selection of the region's like minded artisan winemakers who share a commitment to small batch sub-regional winemaking. This means you get to try one wine each from the 7 different wineries represented. These wines are regularly rotated and range in price and style. 

The wines are Hobbs of Barossa Ranges, John Duval Wines, Massena, Schwarz Wine Company, Sons of Eden, Spinifex and Teusner. They are all hand made.

The cellar door is bright, light and airy. There is a play area for the children to base themselves in. As it's a little way away from the bar I stayed with our boys and we played trains and read stories whilst my husband tasted. The play area is also home to the gallery exhibitions which was interesting too see, although I have to admit I was slightly nervous of the beautiful pottery at elbow height of my 3ft something son. Fortunately he was far more interested in the toys and all expensive items remained intact!

 

As my husband was particularly enjoying tasting Teunsner's The Righteous Grenache we headed to coffee bar for a cappaccino/ babycino and took in the view. I  tried to buy a little cake to share too but they just offer platters prepared by local renowned chef Mark McNamara (of the Louise hotel fame). These start from $17 per person and looked delicious.

On the way out a display of beautiful wooden jewellery made from old oak barrels caught my eye. I purchased a lovely bracelet for $40. 

The Artisans of Barossa theme their weekly tasting menu, for example at the time of writing it's Rhone Reds with a focus on the Shiraz varieties grown in the Barossa. It is well worth checking their website before deciding which day to visit in order to make the most of their exciting programme.

Artisans of Barossa Tasting Room, corner of Magnolia and Light Pass Road, Tanunda

www.artisansofbarossa.com

Tel: 08 8563 3935

Two Hands

I was excited at the prospect of visiting the cellar door of Two Hands as if the experience was half as fun as their 'picture series' wine labelling, then I knew we would be in for a treat!

Sourcing their grapes from 5 of South Australia's major wine regions (Clare Valley, Barossa Valley, McLaren, Langhorne Creek, Padthaway) and one from Victoria, their range is offers a great way to sample some of the breadth of flavours created in SA's wine regions (Adelaide Hills aside).  

I found the cellar door to be bright, modern and airy. The main focus of the room is the tasting bar which extends around, offering plenty of room for coach parties and smaller groups to all taste together. Importantly there is a seated area that children and non tasters can sit comfortably in. The back door to the room opens up on to a lovely terrace, which in turn goes down in to the garden area. Great for a summers day. If you have a pram it's actually easier to walk around the side of the main building and avoid the stairs. There are some very nice views of their vines, especially from the car park!

As I was the driver on this occasion, just my husband paid the $5 charitable donation to do the tasting flight. The flight included wines from the picture and garden series. If you love Shiraz then Two Hands really is a must do cellar door. With their wines consistently scoring 90 plus points from the experts, they are obviously rated well by those in the know. 

The team conducting the tasting were very friendly, welcoming and obviously good fun. It was great to be able to stand at the bar knowing our children could sit right by us and play quietly(ish). It took about thirty minutes for my husband to make his way through the 8 wines on offer. Long enough for my son and I to burn off lunch playing a little game of cricket on the lovely flat lawn! Incidentally if you want to eat at Two Hands then you need to plan to go on a Friday when they run their long lunches.

The parasols were down when I took this picture on our last visit in June as it was wet, but they were up when we visited in spring, when all the garden toys were out.

On returning home we enjoyed the 'Angel's Share' Shiraz (2012) over dinner, it was bold and delicious! A very tasty driver's perk and I am certainly pleased the angels left some for the rest of us! I was also happy to discover that Two Hands wines are readily available in the UK via Majestic. With Majestics minimum 6 bottle purchase it's a great excuse to explore the 'Garden Series' and the magic of South Australia's Shiraz. 

273 Neldner Road, Marananga, Barossa Valley, South Australia, 5355

www.twohandswines.com

James Halliday 5 star winery

Time of visits: April and June

Rolf Binder

I read with interest the recent article on Rolf Binder and Christa Deans in Barossa Living. The brother and sister wine making team have been making wine together for 20 vintages now. Rolf looks after the reds and Chrisa the whites. Founded as Veritas in 1955 they now trade under Rolf Binder although the Veritas name remains by the main entrance.

The cellar door is easily accessible for prams as the sign indicates and inside they are fantastically well set up for families, with a play area adjacent to the tasting bar. For the duration of my visit a little girl played happily with her granny, meaning her lucky parents could take their time over the tasting. I on the other hand had two sleeping children in the car with my patient husband so I felt I needed to be slightly quicker!

They do charge a $5 tasting fee but this is redeemable against purchase and once you've tasted their wines its very easy to find one (or more) that tempts. "Whilst Barossa reds are known to be big and bold, Rolf aims to draw out the elegance and finesse of the grape (Shiraz and Mataro) within this genre". Christa aims to bring "a delicate touch to produce such rich and flavoursome, yet delicate white wines".

I tried the whites, enjoying both the riesling and sauvignon blanc, I explained that I was not such a chardonnay fan, but was assured I would find the RB one much less oaky and lighter, which I did. Moving on to the reds I tasted the signature reds 'the Veritas Bulls Blood' and 'Heinrich' which interestingly is an SMG blend rather than the traditional Barossa GSM (this is because it's 55% Shiraz, 25% Mataro, 20% Grenache). I left with a bottle of the 2010 Veritas Petit Syrah, a deeply coloured and delicious red. At $25 I thought this was fantastic value. 

Cnr Seppeltsfield Road/ Stelzer Road, Tanunda, SA5352

Tel (08) 8562 3300

www.rolfbinder.com

James Halliday 5 star winery

Lou Miranda

Lou Miranda is an exceptionally family friendly restaurant.

We visited this restaurant on our first weekend in The Barossa back in July, when our toddler was still happy munching bread in a high chair. We returned in September when he wanted to eat something more substantial and again in January with the grandparents, by which time he was practically a gourmet!! It did not disappoint on any occasion. There is a barrel of toys located by the kitchen next to one of the restaurant's largest tables. Our son loved the giant helicopter and it kept him quite right through to desert! There is even a small rocking horse that wandering young kids can climb on.

The cellar door itself and restaurant are both housed in the same dinning room. While the tasting list offers wines for every conceivable taste, according to Halliday the jewels in the crown are Mourvèdre and Shiraz. The menu is updated seasonally so you should check on line for the latest things. One things for sure, the chips are always large and yummy.

Barossa Valley Way, Rowland Flat, SA 5352

www.loumirandaestate.com.au

Tel: (08) 8524 4537

d'Arenberg

Situated in the McLaren Vale d'Arenberg is regarded as one of South Australia's best cellar doors. On our two visits it certainly did not disappoint.

We first visited in October and then returned to eat in the restaurant in January.

The cellar door experience seamlessly mixes old and new and is a visual feast! Our elder son loved standing on the verandah next to the kangaroo and I spent ages look in the display cases at the old equipment. Meanwhile my husband enjoyed the tasting list and we have drunk many d'Arenberg wines over the course of our year here. A personal favourite being the footbolt, available for $18.99 from Dan Murphys and in various outlets in the UK for around £10.

On our first visit we tried to buy an ice cream for our elder son from the restaurant but we were told they only did A la carte so it was not possible.  When we did eat at d'Arrays Verandah restaurant it was certainly both A la carte and delicious! They provided us with a high chair and a children's menu on request. 

d'Arenberg is clearly a cellar door who prides itself on providing an experience, as a quick browse through their website shows. They offer visitors the chance to "blend the traditional cellar door with exciting discovery, luxury or culinary decadence with these packages. Explore the McLaren Vale regions in a 4WD, take to the skies and sore above the coast in a Waco plane, blend and bottle your own window indulge in the delights of d'Arrays Verandah Restaurant".

For those with less time and/ or budget it's worth a walk around their grounds where the old machinery is on display. Why not enjoy a glass of wine by the kangaroo looking out over the rolling hills?

I for one am looking forward to trying my drivers reward tonight!

Priced at $17.99 in Dan Murphy's the Custodian should be good value. d'Arenberg are know for their Grenache. With one third of the region's old bush vine Grenache they truly are 'the custodian'.

Osborn Road, McLaren Vale, SA 5171

www.darenberg.com.au

Tel: (08) 8329 4888

James Halliday five star winery

Maximising the wine tasting experience for all the family

Before I begin this post I feel I should say at this point, when I am not on maternity leave I work in experiential marketing. This means I do put a lot of emphasis on the importance of the overall cellar door experience for everyone, not just on the wine alone. I am also probably more interested by the 'brand experience' and decor than others may be.

Anyway that aside here are my top tips for maximum fun for all - i.e. small children, the designated driver and of course the taster/s!

1. Planning

These amazing booklets are distributed free at the tourist centres, some cellar doors and the national wine centre in Adelaide. They are well worth picking up as they tell you a bit about each cellar door and include a handy map. Make a list of the ones you want to go and work out a logical geographical route. There is no point in driving back and forth! Make sure you know the opening hours, they vary.

We have found having 3 musts and 2 nice to visits works well. If the troops are happy, them you push on to 5, if not then you know you have seen your main wish list. We have stumbled on some good cellar doors just driving about, but we like to plan! It's half the fun!

2. Eating

If you want to go to a restaurant it's best to book in advance. Websites like trip advisor are especially great for the McLaren Vale. A few are featured in the entertainment book too. We used a voucher for saltram and had the best lunchat a very reasonable price.

Picnics also work really well with kids. Most cellar doors provide a space for eating a picnic and in our case the children prefer a picnic anyway. At some you can even pick up more picnic goodies too.

3. Drivers perks!

It can be a bit demoralising being the designated driver and chief child minder so including a very pretty cellar door with lovely grounds into the itinerary is vital. The smaller ones may have fabulous wines but controlling little ones in a tight space is not always so easy! Allow time to have a run around together as a family and enjoy the view.

If you try a particular nice wine it's always great to bring one home to try together that evening. You may wish to refer to Dan Murphy's fabulous app first to check it's  not much more expensive at the cellar door.

4. Knowledge is power

James Halliday is the THE man on Australian wine. We have this book and his lovely atlas. The five star wineries are five star for a reason. It's also good to know what the winery is famous for before you go as it can be a bit much to try all the wines in every cellar door. I know you can tip them out but I find that hard!

5. What works for us and our 2.5 year old and 10 month old

9.30/10am - Leave Adelaide - allowing time to stop at pretty viewing points for pics or at the tourist office to pick up some new leaflets

11am - First cellar door -all go in. Generally our boys are usually happy to sit at the bar for the first one of the day

12pm - Lunch at pretty cellar door - either picnic or restaurant and play afterwards

1.30pm - Third cellar door (at least one of kids is usually asleep by then so the driver stays in the car) - ideal time to visit a smaller one

2.00pm - Fourth cellar door

2.30pm - Fifth cellar - another pretty one, with lots of toys or space to burn off some post nap energy

Let me know your top tips too?

Rockford

Rockford is one of the more traditional style cellar doors. Founder/ winemaker Robert O'Callaghan prides himself on using the traditional australian wine making techniques and this traditional approach exudes through the cellar door experience.

The tasting room itself is compact, warm and inviting. The staff are informative and passionate. This is a very popular cellar door and it is usually very busy at a weekend. It's not an easy cellar door to do with lively kids, but its incredible and unique vibe makes it well worth the effort. At certain of the year you can even pick up some regional produce whilst you taste!

There are of vines immediately outside the cellar door which present a beautiful photographic backdrop. 

You can also enjoy looking at the machinery which is on display.

I remember particularly enjoyed the Riesling and GMS blend when I last visited so I couldn't resist calling in the cellar door to pick up a couple of bottles when I was next in the area.

Time of visit: November 

131 Krondorf Road, Tanunda, SA3552

www.rockfordwines.com.au

Tel: (08) 8563 2720

James Halliday five star winery

Charles Melton

Ideally situated in the heart of the valley Charles Melton is well worth a visit.

As the first cellar door I sampled in after having our second son it will always have an extra special place in my Barossa memories. It was here that we choose our christmas wine - the voice of angles.

Like many Australian wine makers their wines have some fantastic names! The quality and depth throughout their tasting list is fantastic. From the amusingly named Father in Law Shiraz at $24 dollars to the Nine Popes, a Grenache, Shiraz, Mouvedre blend. According to our favourite shop Dan Murphy's "the nine popes now stands as a beacon of quality against other GSM blends". It costs $74.99.

The tasting takes place around a large rectangle table. I loved the open table dynamic as it made the tasting a really sociable experience and the hosts moved effortlessly between the different guests. If you would like to taste at this winery with kids in tow it's best to bring some table toys as there is no space to run around inside. There are lovely grounds behind the winery complete with baby changing facilities.

Next to the tasting room is a restaurant with a terrace. We did not eat here but are told by friends who went with a party of 7 kids it was excellent.

Next door to the winery is the original Krondorf village church which has been converted to gues accommodation. For a truly unique Barossa experience it looks like an amazing place to stay. Perhaps one for our 25th wedding anniversary!

Krondorf Road, Tanunda, SA5352

www.charlesmeltonwines.com.au

Tel: (08) 8563 3606

James Halliday five star winery

Kellermeister

Kellermeister is one of the most picturesque of the Barossa Cellar Doors that we have been to. We first discovered it during the Gourmet Weekend in August 2013 and have been back twice more with oversees visitors.

It's a fantastic cellar door to do with kids. The main bar area is large and there is a cut off barrel filled with toys in the corner next to some comfy seats meaning everyone is happy! If you want to stay and enjoy a glass of wine there is further seating available inside and out.

Outside there is a large grass area for running around or even for a game of cricket or footie among friends. (They provide these in the toy basket).

The team at kellermeister made a big effort for the Gourmet Weekend. Last year they had a live jazz band playing and were putting on food. Unfortunately it was raining so our pictures really don't do it justice but I thought they were worth sharing anyway.

James Halliday speaks very highly of their wines "kellermeister was awarded Best Shiraz in the world, Best Australian Shiraz, Best Barossa Shiraz at the International wine Challenge (London '12), the largest competition in the world".

For those of you who enjoy a digestive then this may bring a smile to your dinner party table.

Time of visits: August, November, January

Barossa Valley Highway, Lyndoch, SA 5351

www.kellermeister.com.au

James Halliday five star winery