My First Day in Adelaide

While Kangaroo Island was nice, it is very good to be back in the midst normalcy.  I had a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, exchanged a bit of money for Australian Dollars, filled the Audi with gas and headed for the country.

I met with my friend Sue’s friend, Gail Barth, at her lovely country home just outside of Adelaide near the village of Oakbank.  We chatted a bit and then headed out for wine tasting at a couple of nearby vineyards.

Our first stop was the Bird-In-Hand Vineyard, which presented a very nice 2010 Sparkling Pinot Noir but was otherwise unremarkable.  The only memorable thing for me was that I greeted a small group of Chinese wine tasters in Japanese, which gave them a giggle.

Our second stop was at the Shaw and Smith Vineyard, which had a beautiful tasting facility and some very nice wines.  The most remarkable of those wines we tasted was the 2009 M3 Chardonnay.  While I don’t drink much white wine, that wine could change my mind.

The next stop was at the Lane Vineyards, where Gail had arranged lunch.  While waiting for our table we sampled a couple of their wines, which were fine.  We sat down for a very nice lunch overlooking the beautiful rolling hills covered with vast vineyards.  Our lunch began with a nice Buffalo Mozzarella served with Beet Root and Anchovies served with Sourdough Bread balls.  Next we had a delicious serving of Venison along with a beautifully prepared Spatch Cock.  Both entrees were succulent and nicely spiced.  We finished with a vanilla ice cream served with a dark chocolate tart and a crème brulee topped with coriander placed on a slice of pineapple.  I each case I have said we because we shared each course and each was beautifully presented and very tasty.

After a coffee we returned to Gail’s home for a rest.  We lounged until Gail’s husband, Dave, returned home.  I lounged al fresco on their vine-covered verandah.  It was perfect to listen to the birds’ chat and the wind whistle through the trees.  I really enjoyed the rays of the sun filtering through the vines and dancing across the varied shrubs in the garden surrounding the verandah.  It was very peaceful.

When Dave arrived home we had a lovely chat over a cup of tea.  After tea we headed down the road to the village of Hahndorf for a hearty German meal and a beer.  After too much food and a full day, I found my way back to the hotel and my very comfortable bed.  Such was my first day in the Adelaide Hills.