Any wine lover would have South Australia’s Barossa Valley on the not to be missed list, but don’t believe that it’s the only reason to visit this region.

If you love stories of family generations in villages, panoramic landscapes, historical buildings, wildlife in the vineyards and look forward to buying beautiful products from interesting shops, then the Barossa is for you too.  And…there are always the brewers and distilleries to find.

Here are a few of the other reasons to visit the Barossa Valley.

The Sights

The winter chill is starting to creep in around the Barossa Valley and it won’t be long before the frosts and rains begin. Until then, the area is bursting with autumn colour and the vineyards and cellar doors are absolutely glowing in red, and yellow leaves.

Mengler Hill lookout

This elevated spot is ideal to take in the panoramic views of the Barossa and the patchwork of vines. You can also wander through the sculpture park to see marble and granite artworks by local and international sculptors.

Kangaroos in vineyards

It can’t get any more Aussie than to have a kangaroo hop down the road in front of you and then make its way through the rows of vineyards, and that’s exactly what happened to us during our stay.

Kangaroos can be active even during the middle of the day so it pays to keep your wits about you and scan the roadsides. If you do see a roo on the edge of the road, slow down and wait to see where it will go before continuing to travel slowly until you pass it safely.

Churches

The Barossa is full of historic buildings and many churches that were built in the 1800s from local stone including the Tabor Lutheran Church in Tanunda. There is an historic Tanunda town walk map that you can pick up from the information centre to find some of the oldest buildings in the town.

The villages – Greenock

Greenock is a perfect little village to park the car and take a wander to explore. There is a lot to experience in a short space from El Estanco Café to a few winery cellar doors, a cosy pub and the cutest little shop called ‘Hygge’ for homewares and gifts and even a boutique brewery with spaces inside and out to enjoy their brews.

The Shopping

Whether you’re looking to buy something for yourself or a gift for others, shopping in the Barossa has everyone covered.

You can find small well stocked book shops, something for the little ones in your life, clothing and homewares and locally made food products to take home those tastes of the Barossa.

Here are a few places that made it to our favourites to visit.

The Barossa Farmers Market

Only open on Saturday mornings from 7.30 to 11.30am, this is an institution in Angaston and one not to be missed. Start with a breakfast bacon and egg roll and coffee then with your market bag or basket, take a wander to buy fruit, vegetables, meats, breads, pastries, preserves and more. When we visited there were even a couple of free recipes on offer to try, using the fresh products bought. (The recipes are included at the end of the blog!)

Wohlers

South Australian’s know and love the Wohlers brand which sells homewares and furniture, starting from this Tanunda shop and now branching out to other locations in the state. A visit to the store is worthwhile with its huge range of products which now includes women’s clothing and accessories too.

Bless Your Cotton Socks

A gorgeous shop in Tanunda full of beautiful clothing and gifts for little ones including custom hand printed designs. They also have an online shop worth checking out.

Artisans of Barossa

This is a one stop shop for wine tasting, restaurant dining or a great spot to pop in for a delicious coffee and almond croissant. Artisans is the home of eight small batch winemakers who have brought together over 100 wines to taste in the one venue.

As well as wines to buy, the space also has a shop filled with a huge amount of Barossa made products for the pantry, with preserves and jams, chocolates and cheeses, crackers and small goods to buy.

The Recipes

Thanks to the Barossa Farmers Market, try these!

(Spiced Pumpkin Soup)

Ingredients: 1 large pumpkin, 1 Tablespoon Thai green curry paste, 2 tins coconut milk, 1 litre vegetable stock, 1 teaspoon sugar, 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, salt and pepper.

Method: Preheat oven to 180c, Cut pumpkin into a 2 inch dice and place on oven tray, drizzle with one tablespoon of vegetable oil and roast in oven for 30 minutes until soft.

Remove pumpkin from oven and discard the pumpkin skin. Blitz pumpkin flesh in a food processor until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and the Thai green curry paste to a large pan. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes stirring to ensure the paste doesn’t burn.

Add the pumpkin, coconut milk and stock and reduce the temperature to a low heat. Simmer for 15 minutes, add sugar and stir well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve piping hot with a Barossa seeded bread loaf.

(Tomato Chutney Recipe)

Ingredients: 1.8 kg tomatoes, 400 grams cored and chopped apples, 400 grams raisins, 200 grams chopped onion, 100 gram green chilies (optional), 6 cloves of garlic, 900 grams brown sugar, 1 Tablspoon each of salt, mustard and ginger.

Method: Cook all ingredients together until soft then push through a sieve. Return to saucepan and boil again until the chutney resembles the thickness of jam.  Allow to cool before bottling and storing in the fridge.

Enjoy More Barossa!

Glenys