A beautiful autumn sunny Sunday (18.4.10) called for a day out in the leafy Adelaide Hills. Transport was a mini bus driven by my husband with a combination of family and friends on board. First stop was Nepenthe to taste some dry, crisp, fresh whites. We drove through the sandstone welcome gates, with vines on either side of the long driveway, past manicured lawns dotted with white umbrella’s and little spots to sit out on the green.
The cellar door and tasting lounge is very modern and after tying a few wines our friends took 3 dozen away with them on the bus.
Lunch was at the very quaint Balhannah Hotel out under the back veranda and amongst the garden. The menu has contemporary components as well as traditional pub meals.
I had the warm lamb salad with a glass of Annie’s Lane Moscato. The staff were attentive and our meals were served promptly and attractively.
Next stop was the town of Lobethal for a look at the Old Woollen Mill markets and at Tilbrook Estate cellar door I met the wine maker, James Tilbrook. I couldn’t go past James’ sticky white and it was great to meet him and hear how passionate he is about Tilbrook’s wines which are bottled at one of the buildings in Lobethal’s Old Woollen Mill.
Not being a beer drinker myself but still wanting to experience Lobethal Bierhaus I tried a local apple cider called Lobo – refreshing and it looked like a milky beer to me.
The last town we visited was Hahndorf so the younger bus trip members (and their parents) could sample treats from Hahndorf Sweets in the main street.
Loaded up with fudge, peppermint creams, and chocolate coated raspberries we had a short walk down to the German Arms and the Puppet Shop before heading back home.I highly recommend spending a day visiting three or four towns, wineries and gourmet locations in the Hills especially as it’s so close to home and I was impressed with the range of products and creativity I saw from producers.
