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Where European immigrants planted roots are now the toast of the world

South Australia’s Barossa Valley is a step back in time to simpler days, when the most urgent and pressing business was the production of a fine wine.
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South Australia’s Barossa Valley is a step back in time to simpler days, when the most urgent and pressing business was the production of a fine wine. Along wide avenues flanked by stately palm trees are charming bed and breakfasts, elegant stone chateaux, dignified Lutheran churches and as far as the eye can see, quietly undulating vineyards blanketing the landscape.

The Barossa was made to be seen by bicycle, and one may soon find oneself wobbling unsteadily between open cellar doors where wine makers warmly invite the public to try complimentary samples of their intoxicating wares. The valley is truly an oasis of fertility in a land whose climate tends toward long, drawn out drought, soaring temperatures and frequent out of control bush fires.

Outside the cozy brick cottage, nestled among the vineyards, the trees were in bloom. Within a simple wooden outbuilding a hot spa bubbled invitingly, and beyond a shed full of bicycles, free for the taking. Upon arrival, we discovered champagne in the fridge and chocolates on the table. A variety of breakfast items were lined up neatly on the counter. This was not the loud and boisterous backpacker’s hostel to which we had grown accustomed. We were staying in the charming little town of Tanunda, one of several that comprise the majority of the Barossa’s population of about 20,000.

The Barossa is famous for being Australia’s premium wine region and is home to over 50 wineries; some very well known, others small, boutique operations. There have been vines here since the 1840s, when the valley was settled by wealthy English landowners and Germans fleeing religious persecution. The production of wine remains the area’s main source of income. German heritage is still profoundly evident in the valley today in the form of stately Lutheran churches, German place names, food, drink and entertainment. In 1847 a German newspaper was put into circulation in Tanunda, the first of its kind in Australia.

The Chateau Tanunda is considered to be the birthplace of the wine industry in the Barossa. The first vines in the valley are purported to have been planted in the foothills of the estate in 1844. An impressive blend of Bavarian and French architecture, its first bricks – handmade on site – were laid in 1888. At the time it was the largest winery in the southern hemisphere, with a capacity to hold five million litres of wine and brandy. That is about 24,000 barrels!

It was under clear skies that we pedaled our bicycles around the back of this imposing stone villa to where the cellar door was open; a wordless invitation to come in, look around and have a drink! Row upon row of barrels lined the cool, massive cellar, quietly aging the product within. At the counter, a polished, well-spoken young woman offered samples of their "fresh and crisp" Riesling, "elegant and complex" Shiraz and "luscious and fruity" Botrytis Semillon. Trying to play the part of sophisticated wine connoisseurs, we thirstily sampled their wares, sharing meaningful glances that could only be interpreted as a foreshadowing to a world of wine-induced trouble!

"I wasn’t really riding the bike, officer," I slurred unconvincingly as I shakily disembarked the tandem, my husband climbing off the back seat with evident relief. "I was just trying it out ." Evidently, a suitable test of trust in a marriage is easily conducted by trying to talk your husband onto the back seat of a tandem after indulging in numerous bottles of local wine. The issue at hand was our obvious lack of helmets and the absence of a light in the fast approaching dusk. Obeying a stern order to walk our bike the rest of the way, I waited until we had rounded a bend in the road before beginning afresh trying to talk my partner in crime back onto the rear seat.

• • •

Somewhere outside a kookaburra was laughing. Groping blindly for water that I had forgotten to put on the bedside table, I forced my eyes open a crack. Bright sunlight poured in the bedroom window and the room glowed with cheerful warmth. Up. Out of bed. Into the kitchen. The details were sketchy. Shoving a croissant in my mouth I vaguely recollected the events of the previous evening. Pizza and Chardonnay at a small sidewalk café. A few cellar door purchases and a run in with the cops. A half empty bottle of Shiraz sat open on the counter. Oh, yes. Our nightcap in the spa. But three days in the Barossa didn’t leave any time to nurse a hangover. Today we’d do some real exploring!

In 1850 Joseph Seppelt departed Silesia, Poland on a ship bound for the unknown land of South Australia. The journey took four months. Along with his wife Charlotte and three children, were 13 other families and a handful of men whom he employed, all intending to settle this vast, new, unexplored nation and grow tobacco. In 1851 Joseph bought property in the Barossa Valley and planted his first vines. Thus, the town of Seppeltsfield was born.

Today, the House of Seppelt is one of Australia’s largest winemakers, with vineyards throughout the country as well as two wineries, one in the Barossa and the other, Great Western, in Victoria. The construction of the first winery began in 1860, and was continued after Joseph’s death in 1868 by his son, Benno. In those days, wine was transported along the Murray River by paddle steamer in order to reach thirsty consumers. Benno continued the operation of the new, successful winery and in 1878 began the tradition of setting aside a barrel of port every year for release a century hence. His patience paid off, for the resulting port, Seppelt 100 Year Old Para Liqueur Vintage Tawny, is considered among the world’s finest.

Our heads clearer as a result of an hour of pedaling along sun drenched avenues, we approached the impressive property, its grounds adorned with date palms, old stone buildings and, of course, tidy rows of thick, gnarled grapevines. A guided tour provided a glimpse into the mysterious world of wine making. We were led through the gardens and vineyards, into the fascinating gravity-fed cellar and through narrow hallways leading to massive storing and aging facilities where rows of barrels were stacked to the ceiling. All this naturally culminated in a tasting.

Neat rows of green filled the rearview mirror and before us, the sweeping, brown panorama that was the rest of South Australia. Peter Lehmann, Jacob’s Creek, Langmiel, Penfold’s and Yalumba all flew by in a blur. These wines are now household names, however many began over 150 years ago with a simple plot of land, a pioneer and a dream. The folks who settled the Barossa Valley in the 19th century all made the long journey to Australia for different reasons; some seeking wealth in the gold fields, others fleeing persecution, and more still who merely sought a fresh start somewhere new and different.

And Australia was different! Landing after four months at sea at the new nation’s south coast, they all shared one, common trait: they’d risked everything to make the journey and had no real idea what lay at the other side. Pulling wagons across the dusty, brown expanse of this parched continent, many found their way to the Barossa Valley, fertile ground for dreams.

And today, the descendants of these brave, resilient folks can raise their glasses to success beyond their wildest expectations.