The Barossa Valley and Other Vinophilic Temptations

As my dearest and I discovered after many a blurry morning, Australia is a wine lover’s (vinophile’s?) paradise. Everywhere we went we saw rows of vineyards, often draped in netting, marching up and down rolling hills: in Tasmania, on Kangaroo Island, and in hundreds of places in South Australia and Victoria. It is clear that wine is one of Australia’s main industries.
Furthermore, it’s easy and inexpensive to purchase wine. In Canada, liquor stores are government-run, over-priced and inconvenient. In Australia, Bottle Shops, as they are called, are ubiquitous and, get this, many of them are drive-through. Best of all, the prices are very reasonable, starting at $5 Australian per bottle; boxed wines are even more of a bargain. Of course, some wines such as the famous Penfolds Grange can exceed a thousand dollars per bottle.
One day we made a pilgrimage to the Mecca of wine, the Barossa Valley north of Adelaide in South Australia, where world-class wines have been produced since 1850. We wended our way through gentle arid hills dotted with eucalyptus trees. The vineyards, which spread everywhere, were turning golden and the harvest had just passed. With 73 wineries to visit (another 50 don’t have visitor’s centres) we selected three that sell widely in Canada: Jacobs Creek, Penfolds and Wolf Blass. The size of these operations was impressive and far larger than anything we have seen in Niagara or the Okanagan. The drive through the beautiful valley was grand and the tastings were wonderful. It was a delightful day ... as we can best remember.

-

For information: http://www.southaustralia.com/ & www.barossa.com

Launceston and Tasmania’s North

We drove into Launceston, Tasmania’s second largest city (about 100,000), the capital of the north and the gateway to the Tamar Valley wine region. Founded in 1806 the city is full of gracious Victorian homes decorated with the distinctive Australian wrought iron. Our Peppers Seaport Hotel is superbly located on the river front with a tall ship, a fishing boat and a host of pleasure boats moored under our balcony. In the morning we ambled off to Cascade Gorge, a 16-ha wilderness park in the heart of the city with dramatic cliffs and rushing waters .
The Tamar Valley beckoned so my dearest and I drove northwest. Vineyards, most of them covered in netting, tumble down the valley sides. We passed Legana and Exeter and pulled in to Beaconsfield, a pretty little town where gold mining started in 1881 and continues today. A tall mine shaft towers over lovely rose gardens, a museum, a coal miner’s cottage, a school house and other historic items.
Next we stopped at Beauty Point where Sunday fishermen were lined up on a large wharf that also contains Platypus House and Seahorse World. In the bay, sailboats were heeled over in the stiff breeze, their sails aglow in the sun. We motored on, enveloped in the soporific afternoon heat, to the Narawntapu National Park. For 20 km we rattled and bounced along a corrugated dirt road with a long plume of dust trailing behind. Once there, we wandered through bushy sand dunes, spotted a little wallaby, and stepped onto a long glorious beach with nary a person on it. After a refreshing dip into the waves we returned to Launceston. For dinner we wolfed down a pail of giant prawns, fish and chips and several bottles of Boags, reputed to be the best beer in Australia. We couldn’t argue.

-

For information: DiscoverTasmania.com

& www.winetasmania.com.au/the-wine-route/tamar-valley-wine-route

& www.peppers.com.au/Seaport

In Australia, Smart Regs Mean Great Eats

As dusk fell my dearest and I wandered out to a restaurant, the Jaipur Masala (188 Elizabeth St., Sydney), I had discovered during an exploratory walk. It turned into a memorable evening for two reasons. First, the food was outstanding. We had freshly baked naan, Tandoori Tikka with mint sauce as a starter and for mains a Butter Chicken with thick creamy sauce and a Vindaloo Lamb with spicy, hot curry sauce. The spices and sauces were exotic and super tasty, the servings generous. The restaurant was attractive with many Indian decorations but also, strangely, an electric guitar, scooter and motor bike!

The second reason was the incredibly cheap prices. Did I mention this was a bring-your-own place? We purchased a chilled bottle of Long Flat semillon sauvignon blanc from a nearby bottle shop. The grand total for the meal was $40 (about $34 Cdn) including wine and all taxes and tips!! Prices are kept low by having self service. We placed the order at the counter where we received two wine glasses (no corkage fee!) and a little mast with #17 on it. We helped ourselves to napkins and cutlery at a central station and sat at a large wooden table. We sipped our wine and soon a waitress delivered the food to our table, marked by the numbered mast. We gorged ourselves on one of the best Indian meals in many years, and watched as the place filled up. And, yes, most of the other groups pulled out their own bottles of wine from knapsacks or carry bags. By the time we left, the Jaipur Masala was full of happy diners drawn in by the aromas of exotic spices that wafted far down the street.

I thought about our meal for days after. It was such a unique Australian experience. In Canada this meal would have cost about triple; with the wine alone exceeding the cost of this meal. With such low prices, Aussies eat out frequently, and because they do, restaurants, especially Thai, Chinese and Indian eateries flourish. I am ashamed of Canada’s ludicrous liquor laws, red tape and political correctness.