Adelaide and the cellar doors

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Music starts as Voyager pulls into port this morning. Folksingers are standing on a balcony in the terminal. They play an accordion, guitar and some type of string base while serenading us with Aussie music. Passengers stand on their balconies clapping to the tunes and appreciating an entertaining welcome.

We are scheduled for a Radisson excursion today that takes us through Adelaide and out to the Barossa Valley. Our guide and bus driver start joking as soon as we step on the bus. We’re going to have a good time today.

It’s a short drive into Adelaide from the port area. I’m surprised at the height of the Norfolk Island pines that we pass. The ones I know are small houseplants. Our guide tells us that the trunks were used for the masts of sailing ships.

Adelaide is surrounded by green terraces and parks with many trees. Historic buildings line the wide boulevards with some skyscrapers dotting the sky. Two universities are located here. Stone churches and attractive museum buildings add to the ambiance. Near the River Torrance, we pass a large athletic facility that includes cricket fields, tennis courts and Australian football fields. A greenbelt runs along the river.

Adelaide is a lovely city and I’m sad we don’t have much time to explore it. Our drive continues, winding through the suburbs and over the Adelaide hills. The houses we pass are made of sandstone, bluestone or brick.

We travel curvy roads that climb low mountains. The river winding beside us is bordered by thick forest. Near a reservoir, Alan and I spot kangaroos and emus resting among the trees. Our bus stops at the Barossa Reservoir where the attraction is the curved wall of the reservoir. Its perfect acoustics allow a person to stand on one end and converse with someone who is on the other end of the wall. They call it the whispering wall…no secrets can be told here!

The Barossa Valley was settled by German-Polish immigrants who brought wine-making to Australia in the 1840’s.The small towns we drive through with neat houses and Lutheran churches reflect this heritage.

Our first stop in the valley is Yaldara Winery. We turn down a small road passing vine-covered out-buildings. The bus stops in front of an imposing sandstone chateau complete with a duck lounging in the front yard fountain.

A guide meets us near the fountain and begins our tour through the medium-sized winery. We see the casks and stop in a small cellar to taste white and red wines. Our guide points out red casks which hold port and she describes how it is made. She leads us through a narrow, stone walled passage into a large tasting/selling room (known as “the cellar door” at Australian wineries) where we taste high quality ports. Then our group walks across the road to the restaurant for lunch and of course, wine. Our long table sits in front of large windows where we enjoy the view as well as the company of fellow passengers.

Back on the bus, we drive to our next winery, Jacobs Creek. The modern building isn’t nearly as appealing as the one at Yaldara, but we do have a good view of the vineyards and surrounding countryside. This high volume winemaker presents each of us with a bottle of wine at the end of the tour.

We have one more winery to go but first the bus drives up to Wengler Hill Lookout for an overview of the valley. For those who swallow their wine instead of spitting, it’s a chance to rest before the next round of tasting.

Our last stop is at Peter Lehmann, a small, boutique winery. Their cellar door is located in a flower draped farm cottage with a shady lawn. The wines are delicious and I like the unobtrusive feel of the building and the grounds. Alan enjoys checking out the antique car sitting on the lawn.

The bus ride back to the ship takes us on a more direct and less scenic road although we do pass a nice beach area near the port. We’re tired so it’s a quick dinner in La Verandah and off to bed as soon as we sail away.

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