Barossa Valley
by John Kruger
South Australia's Barossa Valley is famous for rich, full-bodied red wines and beautiful scenery, but if you have more of a lust for good beers rather than good shiraz, the valley is still the place to be.
With wineries realising that they have production infrastructure, sales points, warehousing and distribution already organised, they're starting to jump on the brewing wagon as well. But it's not just the beer and wine giants that are starting to knock out the beers, there's a host of passionate private brewers to be found in the Barossa that makes the whole beer experience in the area so much richer.
The first step to ensuring a hassle free tour is to contact the places you intend visiting to making sure that the venues will be open and have product ready and waiting. Not all cellar doors are open during weekdays and, not surprisingly, they tend to run out of sho
rt-run batches from time to time. A designated driver or one of the excellent chauffeured services in the area is a must as there's too many great beverages waiting for you to taste.
Our first port of call is the Greenock Tavern, just off the Sturt highway in the main street of Greenock. It's a small unassuming pub that sells Barossa Brewing Company beers. Depending on the time of year there's either a gutsy Greenock Dark Ale or a well hopped Miller's Lager on draught, an opportunity to taste the beer flowing fresh from the keg. You may also spot the brewer, Darryl Trinnie drinking his own beer or a good glass of white wine at the bar. If he's not there and it's a weekend, he or his partner Gaye will be just around the corner on Mill Street at the old wheat store which is now a tasting room and houses the fermentation, cold conditioning, bottling and packaging side of things. Darryl or Gaye are only too happy to fill you in on hop varieties and malt selections contained in their beers and are friendly and knowledgeable hosts. You can also buy bottled varieties including the Wheat Store wheat beer, which is gaining a loyal following as a fragrant, yet hoppy, summer thirst quencher.
Grab a favourite as a cold takeaway and head into the main street of Nuriootpa and track down a small butchers store
called Linke's. In there you'll find good stuff like sliced smoked pork fillet, awesome mettwursts and other smoked meaty beer snacks. Not far across the other side of the road is a bakery, again called Linke's. Stock up on dill pickles and bread rolls and you've got a genuine do-it-yourself lunch of German-style smallgoods, pickles and fresh artisan bread. Combined they are the perfect accompaniment for that takeaway wheat beer. All you need now is to find a tree overlooking the vines at the lookout at Menglers Hill or any other picturesque locations in the Barossa. They certainly aren't hard to find.
If DIY lunch doesn't take your fancy there's fine dining at a restaurant in Tanunda. At 1918, Chris and Mel Fletcher take their food very seriously like most Barossan residents and their wine and beer list is suitably matched, including local beers. In the right weather you'll find the place packed so a reservation is the best bet to guarantee a table out on the veranda. Take your time and enjoy the day.
Accommodation is varied in the Barossa, from quaint cottage style B&Bs scattered everywhere to more modern digs at the Novatel near Jacob's Creek or Peppers at Marananga. Both have good reputations for great dining and stunning views to match. The Valley Hotel in Tanunda also has five neat, modern rooms out the back including one with a single spa that's like getting beaten up in the bath.
If you're not dining at the same place as you stay, Vintners Bar and Grill just out of Angaston is well worth a visit. Even a stop for coffee and chocolates is a good move. A little further down the road is the Saltram winery with its restaurant Salter's Kitchen. The cellar door is down one end of the large dining room and it's not unusual to see a large ice bucket, brim full of ice and their new beer brewed in partnership with Matilda Bay's Brad Rogers, Pepperjack Ale. Chalk up another win to the clean US56 yeast. This is an unusual ale with a portion of co-fermented shiraz juice adding colour and thinning the body a little. The wood oven pizzas at Salter's Kitchen and a few Pepperjacks are a perfect way to chill out and enjoy the sunset through the big windows or out on the deck.
If you're staying in a good B&B, chances are there's a barbeque out the back and a good supply of highly addictive locally smoked bacon and fresh eggs in the fridge. These will cure most over-indulgences from the previous night and set you up for a visit to Chateau Yaldara where Barossa Valley Brewing is located. Sample a Bee Sting, their honey wheat beer, or even their so-called ‘development ale'. The brewery is hoping to bring beer lovers together by forming a nation-wide tasting panel to help develop their next beer. If you can't sample it in the Barossa, hop on to their web site to find out where you can sample it and add our feedback.
The area is picturesque and the winery's Café Y is earning a good reputation for its food. If you're planning on filling your nostrils with the smell of hot water and grist, you're best off phoning ahead to find out about brewing times and café openings to make the experience as beery as possible.
 While technically not in the Barossa, the Lobethal Bierhaus is less than 40kms away and well worth the visit for the beer lover. Situated in the Adelaide Hills it has a fully operational micro-brewery making some outstanding beers including an APA, Hefeweizen, Pilsner and Porter. With more beers being planned it's the kind of place that can be visited again and again to taste what's new. It's no wonder that the place is often brim-full; the food is excellent and the beers are even better. Keen home brewers can check out the gleaming brewery from the comfort of the bar or a dining table and Alistair or Phil are only too happy to answer questions about anything beer related. Check out the refillable two-litre ‘growlers' that are hugely popular with the locals.
Two more micros are planned for the Barossa Valley already so the Barossa Visitor Information centre in Tanunda is a good start to keep up with the latest attractions.
Find them at:
Barossa Brewing Company
Open for tasting and sales Saturday & Sunday from 11am to 4pm
Mill Street, Greenock
Phone: 0419 811 525 or (08) 8563 4041
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Barossa Valley Brewing
Yaldara Estate
Hermann Thumm Drive, Lyndoch
Phone: (08) 8524 4357
www.bvbeer.com.au
Lobethal Bierhaus
Open Friday & Saturday - Noon to 10pm; Sunday & Public Holidays -
Noon to 6pm
3a Main Street, Lobethal
Phone: (08) 8389 5570
1918
Open for lunch & dinner 7 days
94 Murray Street Tanunda
Phone: (08) 8563 0405
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Vintners Bar & Grill
Nuriootpa Road, Angaston
Phone: (08) 8564 2488
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Saltram Tasting Bar
Nuriootpa Road, Angaston
Phone: (08) 8561 0200
Fax: (08) 8561 0232
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Salter's Kitchen
Valley Hotel Motel
73 Murray St, Tanunda
Phone: (08) 8561 0216
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