Day 1 – Barossa Valley

A day tour that explores the most famous wine brands in the country in a series of private tastings that finishes with a VIP experience at Henschke Wines where you visit the Hill of Grace Vineyard and 150 year old winery, tasting all of Henschke’s icon wines, including the Hill of Grace Shiraz. 

Visit Torbreck Vintners, which has the incredible accolade of achieving a perfect 100 point score from Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate five times in its history. Torbreck has assembled some of the finest vineyards in the region to make their ultra-premium wines, including icons like the Laird Shiraz and Run Rig.  Enjoy a winery tour, barrel tasting & private cellar door experience.

Elderton Wines. Elderton is a wonderful Barossa estate with vineyards dating back to 1894. Since winning the prestigious Jimmy Watson award in 1993 for their Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Elderton has been celebrated as one of the very best winemakers in the country. Today the Elderton Command Shiraz is truly one of Australia’s best and most highly regarded icon wines, and was named world’s best shiraz in 2000 at the London international Wine and Spirit Competition. Enjoy a private tasting in the dining room of the original Ashmead homestead, with either Cameron or Allister Ashmead, who together run Elderton and work to uphold the values and traditions that were originally set by their parents as producers of ultra-premium shiraz and cabernet.

Vintners Bar & Grill. Enjoy a two course lunch with matched wine at Vintners Bar & Grill, a Barossa icon and multi award winning restaurant that creates distinctive and brilliantly balanced dishes in the heart of the valley

The last winery is Australian icon, Henschke, to undertake their VIP experience. Henschke has been lovingly cultivated by six generations of the Henschke family, and is regularly hailed as Australia‘s most premium wine producer. Enter this icon and take a private, VIP tour of Australian winemaking history. You‘ll enjoy exclusive access to one of Australia’s most celebrated vineyards, Hill of Grace, including an hour in the vineyard driving and walking next to the oldest “Grandfather” vines dating back to the 1860’s, followed by a tour of the historical working winery to explore 150 years of family winemaking history and a private tasting of Henschke’s most precious icon wines: Hill of Grace, Hill of Roses, Mount Edelstone & Cyril Henschke.

Well finish the day with a panoramic 4WD trip into Steingarten Vineyard, which stretches across 3.6 hectares of the undulating Barossa Ranges. The name Steingarten translates to ‘stone garden’ and you’ll enjoy a glass of this most famous riesling overlooking the vineyard atop the Barossa Valley. This prestigious day tour includes a two course lunch with matched wine at Vintners Bar & Grill, a Barossa icon and multi award winning restaurant.

Day 2 – Penfolds Magill Estate & Deviation Road Wines:

Visit Penfolds Magill Estate, home of Penfolds Grange, the most famous wine brand in the country, and take the most coveted wine tour in Australia. Your own intimate and exclusive experience, you’ll take a private historical tour of Penfolds Magill Estate including a tour of Grange Cottage, the original home of Dr Christopher & Mary Penfold, a trip to the Vintage Cellar and then a journey of discovery through the famous Underground Tunnels to see the original hiding spot of Max Schubert’s hidden Grange. Your host will then lead you through a private, structured tasting of Penfolds most coveted wines including Penfolds Grange Hermitage. Then you’ll dine with a sumptuous 3 course lunch prepared by Penfolds Magill Estate restaurant, one of Australia’s finest food and wine experiences in a private room within the most famous cellars of the country.

After lunch we’ll take a drive through glorious rolling countryside and vineyards to finish with the most famous sparkling producer in the Adelaide Hills, Deviation Road Wines, enjoying a flight of its Noble Cuvee range, private winery tour owners Hamish & Kate Laurie, and the opportunity to disgorge and take home your own bottle of custom cuvee from the winery itself.

Deviation Road Winery is regarded as the signature sparkling winemaker in the country. It produces exciting cool climate wines from mature vineyard resources in the Adelaide Hills. Owners Hamish and Kate Laurie continue a five generation winemaking tradition. Devoted to the high altitude sites of the Adelaide Hills and with Kate’s French oenology training, the wines they produce are at once traditional and contemporary.

With a fiery passion to create premium bottle fermented and aged Australian sparkling wines together with textural aromatic whites that can genuinely cellar, their signature style is restrained, elegant and balanced.

Day 3 –Secret Gems of South Australian Wine

A journey of discovery into geology, ancient soils and three of the finest boutique winemakers in South Australia. Start your wine journey with a 4WD tour into ancient Onkaparinga Gorge to see native animals and geology that dates back 600 million years. Enjoy a glass of Adelaide Hill’s sparkling at a stunning lookout, and trace the links of McLaren Vale’s ancient geology into its modern day vineyards with one of the region’s most acclaimed viticulturists guiding you through this majestic experience.

Visit Bekkers Fine Wine and take in boutique, world class wines with finesse and texture, made by husband & wife team Toby & Emmanuelle Bekkers. Enjoy a private tasting with Emmanuelle and Toby overlooking their McLaren Vale estate. Learn the secrets of this most prestigious label, with Emmanuelle and Toby providing an intimate, behind the scenes overview of their whole winemaking approach, explaining the importance of soils, vine and their techniques in the winery to create some of the most exquisite wines in South Australia. 

Visit the Hickinbotham Clarendon Vineyard and their private Chateau. Since its establishment in 1971, the Hickinbotham Vineyard has become a part of Australia’s wine heritage, supplying fruit to produce many of Australia’s greatest wines, including Penfolds Grange. Highly limited, Hickinbotham now produces its own wines that are regarded as some of the best single estate wines in Australia. Visit the “White House”, Hickinbotham’s private chateau, for a drive tour of the estate and tasting with the Vineyard Manager or Winemaker. 

Visit Salopian Inn for lunch, to meet one of South Australia’s most iconic Chefs, Karen Armstrong. Karena hails from globally celebrated restaurants including Daylesford’s Lake House and Icebergs in Sydney’s Bondi Beach, and now owns the Salopian Inn in McLaren Vale. Her approach of bringing exceptional local produce to plate, has seen the Salopian Inn named in both Tasting Australia’s and the Australian Financial Review’s Top 100 Australian Restaurants. Enjoy lunch in this majestic stone homestead with its expansive vineyard views.

Heading to the coast after lunch via a stunning valley drive, we’ll stop to see Rob Mack, winner of the 2018 Young Gun of Wine, enjoying a tasting of his award winning Aphelion Wines as we walk through one of the highest vineyards in the region, with majestic unspoilt views of McLaren Vale and the coast that sits behind it.

Finish the day by taking a 4WD tour down Silver Sands Beach to see this famous strip of white, squeaky-fine sand, soaking up majestic views of the Fleurieu coastline and spectacular biodiversity.

Day 4 – Coast, Wine & Farm –Fleurieu Peninsula

Get the best view of the Fleurieu Peninsula from above and below, from white sandy beaches and pristine waters to the lush rolling countryside and wine country. 

Start your journey at historic Wirra Wirra cellars for a behind the scenes tour in the Original Cellar Door, followed by a winery tour and tasting at Samson Tall. At Wirra Wirra you’ll run your hands along the walls of one of Australia’s most iconic wineries, on a private guided tour through Wirra’s historic ironstone cellars & barrel room. This stunning experience unveils the famous stories of Wirra Wirra’s owners, showcases some of McLaren Vale’s oldest and most revered vineyards, and gives you a unique insight into winemaking of Wirra Wirra’s wines. At Samson Tall you’ll take a private tour of the winery, then enjoy a tasting with owner and winemaker, Paul Wilson.Then take a majestic coastal drive along the western rim of the Fleurieu Peninsula all the way south to a private lookout on the farm of our local operator Simon, where you’ll saviour a BBQ lunch accompanied by wines from Simon’s own private collection, whilst perched on top of a stunning gorge and looking out towards Kangaroo Island.

Day 5 – Cool Climate Clamber, Adelaide Hills

Clamber up to three of the highest wineries in the Adelaide Hills, enjoy spectacular vineyard vistas and experience the best of local produce and wine along the way. For lunch savour the fruits of your labour at the Sticky Rice Cooking School.

Start your day at Tapannapa wines, a fine wine company and a legend of Australian wine, owned and operated by the Croser family of the Piccadilly Valley. See a piece of SA winemaking history and taste some of the finest chardonnay, pinot noir & cabernet in South Australia.

Visit Sticky Rice Cooking School for their Asian Adventure Class with one of their celebrated chefs. This brand new class is a banquet of flavour. Korean Crispy Crab potato patty. Smashed potato, crab meat and coriander cakes deep-fried with panko crumb served with chilli Aioli. Crying tiger char-grilled beef with roasted rice, peanut and spicy citrus dipping sauce. Served with crispy noodles and lettuce wraps. Thai Ceviche, lime cured kingfish salad with mint, chilli and shallot served with lime and coconut dressing. Traditional Drunken Noodles with Chicken and Kaffir lime.Finish your afternoon with one of Adelaide Hills most celebrated producers. Shaw + Smith focusses on exceptional single vineyards that sit behind Hahndorf. Enjoy a limited release flight tasting of aged & single vineyard wines, museum chardonnay & shiraz.

INCLUSIONS:

• Expert local Driver/Guide each day
• Luxury vehicle
• Experiences and meals as per itinerary
• 4 nights Accommodation at Mount Lofty House and meals as specified in the itinerary
• Australian Goods and Services Tax (GST) at 10%

Contact Journeys Rediscovered for price & availability to suit your preferred departure dates as a private itinerary

Land-based itinerary is based per person on twin/double share basis (unless otherwise stated), single supplement is available, contact Journey Rediscovered for this surcharge.

Domestic airfares are additional, please contact Journeys Rediscovered for flight options and prices.

Travel insurance is strongly recommended and can be arranged for you for an additional cost.

For full pricing, terms and conditions, contact your MTA Travel Expert, Journeys Rediscovered on 0477002235 or journeysrediscovered@mtatravel.com.au