Barossa

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Peter Lehmann – Barossa – Friday 31 July 2015 – Lunch

IMG_4025_2Cruising around the Barossa is a dream come true. The names of the vineyards are familiar and hallowed by wine lovers near and far. You thank your lucky stars having the opportunity to visit places like Seppeltsfield and Penfolds.

As we finished our tasting at Penfolds we asked where nearby we could get a platter to graze on and see out the afternoon. One of the staff at the cellar door mentioned they go to Peter Lehmann on days off for this reason and we immediately headed there.

Besides the cellar door tasting it seems that is the only food they do, and as expected, the platter is both large enough for a grazing lunch, and reasonably priced too. After tasting a few of the many wines available, Catherine and I decided to buy a bottle of the Peter Lehmann Shiraz and have a glass each, taking the rest of the bottle back to Adelaide to enjoy later on.

The Shiraz is not as alcoholic as many around the Barossa and has an elegance about it. There’s still plenty of dark fruit, but a good layer of spice, and it will improve measurably with age. The “Weighbridge Platter” has Linke’s Mettwurst (German sausage), Lachsschincken (German style smoked meat), Zimmy’s beetroot relish, dill cucumbers, Kurianda pear chutney, Kalamata olives, local almonds, matured cheddar cheese, Barossa Valley Cheese Company ‘Baby Bert’ and Barb Buggy’s Barossa Bark (home made lavoche).

There is a good balance between all the offerings and we finish all but a little of the cheddar which is particularly good with the Shiraz. The softer cheese, a camembert, is great with the chutney and either the lavoche or bread. Seated in an outdoors spot but separated by thick plastic, it is nice and warm but we have the opportunity to take in the view which is filled with plants, trees and green grass.

The drive back to Adelaide is only around an hour and is anything but daunting. Recharged by the platter and a great relaxing afternoon we are ready for an evening out in the city.

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Maggie Beer Farm Shop – Barossa – Friday 31 July 2015 – Dessert

IMG_4028_2Maggie Beer is famous for her food philosophy and the Barossa is the place she is best known for her exploits. What began humbly as a small restaurant evolved over time and now is known as the “Farm Shop”. It is basically a delicatessen for her provisions, as well as offering an array of dishes in a café style setting.

We are here momentarily for dessert having snacked on a platter for lunch nearby at Peter Lehmann. The setting is pleasant around the small man-made reservoir on a beautiful but cool winter’s day. In the café you sit amongst the provisions, which turn the interior into an interesting space to browse through.

While the slices and cakes on display look great, as we browse we are pointed towards the dessert specials by the staff. The two specials are highly recommended, and they are incredibly cheap. We cannot resist.

The philosophy here is simple flavoursome food using the best seasonal ingredients. For a time the previous restaurant only served geese that had been grown on the property. We share the apricot crumble and the fruit cake with brandy sauce. Both are delicious; made with excellent technique, and focussing on exquisite ingredients. The brandy sauce is available for purchase and we did just that.

As we left I had a chance to read some of the snippets of information about this wonderful place. There is so much passion in what Maggie (and her husband) has created and her impact on the Barossa, and Australia, is immense.

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40’s Cafe – Angaston, Barossa – Thursday 30 July 2015 – Lunch

IMG_4630My geography in South Australia generally is not great. On our way into Adelaide from Mildura I did not actually realise we were in the Barossa, but it was a pleasant surprise!

Still over an hour out from the CBD and quite hungry, we got out Zomato and had a look. Not far away in Angaston were several attractive options. We chose 40’s Café which specialises in Pizza, both traditional, and non-traditional.

We had a glass of Outlaw Shiraz which was one of several Outlaw wines offered at a very reasonable price. One thing that was obvious was the high alcohol content in the wine with all that prune-y goodness; when in Rome.

Unusually, we decided to try one of the non-traditional pizzas and the Publican Special jumped out given our appetite. Shultz’s bacon, salami, and pepperoni all feature heavily, along with plenty of chopped capsicum, olive, mushroom, and jalapenos, covered by plenty of cheese with a generous helping of anchovies scattered too. The result was actually really tasty, showing that there was no need for hesitation, and the accolades shown around the café are well earned. The jalapenos were not strikingly hot, but did build up. If adverse to too much build up of heat it is worth holding the chilli because it is difficult to remove being finely chopped.

The pizza was finished easily, washed down by the big Barossa shiraz. A satisfying meal to help with the onward journey.

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