While many travel to see sights and gain experiences, others like to travel for their taste buds – looking for culinary adventures on great food and wine journeys.
South Australia has developed The Epicurean Way, a great food and wine touring route that links together four iconic wine regions of McLaren Vale, Adelaide Hills, Barossa and Clare Valley. Enjoy sumptuous produce and a superb array of wines set against a backdrop of spectacular scenery as you make your way around the route.
The suggested four-day food and wine drive is perfect for those who travel for their taste buds. All of the locations are an easy drive from Adelaide, and can be done as a day trip or a 2, 3, or 4+ day road trip. Apart from the food and wine destinations, there are some very picturesque towns to explore along the way.
McLaren Vale has always produced some great Chardonnay and Shiraz and the Adelaide Hills – Fine Pinot and Chardonnay. The Clare Valley is one of Australia’s oldest wine regions, best known for Reisling wines, whilst the Barossa boasts fine Shiraz and other varieties.
Regional restaurants and cafes have taken advantage of the fresh local produce available at their doorsteps. From fruit ripened to perfection and vegetables bursting with real flavor. Or milk and cheese that taste of goodness and poultry, pork and lamb that are feed well and nurtured with kindness. A number of world-class chefs have taken up residence in the wine regions offering menus that will tantalize the most discerning palate.
Epicurean Way Map (PDF)
Epicurean Way Road Trip Itinerary (PDF)
Highlights along the way include:
Adelaide to McLaren Vale – 40 minutes. d’Arenberg winery is a must-visit destination. You can play winemaker for a day and take home what you made. Blessed Cheese in McLaren Vale is part cheese shop, part café and completely delicious. Lunch at the Elbow Room with great food and views. Travel the McMurtrie Mile which boasts six highlights all on one road.
McLaren Vale to Adelaide Hills – 40 minutes. Hahndorf Hill’s ChocoVino combines two favorites: chocolate and wine. Delight your taste buds with cheese tastings at Udder Delights in Hahndorf or Woodside Cheese Wrights in Woodside. Pick your own strawberries at Beerenberg Farm and dine at The Lane Vineyard restaurant and cellar door, where the only thing that rivals the food and wine is the view.
Adelaide Hills to Barossa – 50 minutes. Sample some of the award-winning handcrafted beers at The Lobethal Bierhaus before heading to the Barossa. Stop at the Jacob’s Creek Visitor Centre, fill a picnic basket of amazing products from Maggie Beer’s Farm Shop in Nuriootpa. Taste vintage Tawny from your birth year at Seppeltsfield Winery and have an unforgettable dining experience at Hentley Farm.
Barossa to Clare Valley – 60 minutes. Stop at Wolf Blass Visitor Centre before leaving the Barossa for the Clare Valley which is home to about 40 wineries including Mitchell Wines, Sevenhill Cellars, Annie’s Lane and Skillogalee Wines and Restaurant.
Clare Valley to Adelaide – 110 minutes. Before heading back to Adelaide, follow the Riesling Trail on bike or foot, past vineyards and lakeside picnic spots and lots of great places to eat.
So pack your appetite and sense of adventure, and head down to the Epicurean Way. For more information, check out Down Under Answers.
Down Under Answers is a paid sponsor of Budget Your Trip.
Bryan has visited exactly one more country than his wife, and she won’t let him forget it! Also an avid photographer, he enjoys entrenching himself within the local culture in order to learn more about the people of a place. He is the co-founder of Budget Your Trip and loves a good adventure, an exotic meal, or a passionate conversation about global events.