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Taking in Australia's Wine Country
by Josh Cheak
http://www.frmaustralia.com
Although wine is not the first thing that comes to mind when
thinking about Australia, it has some beautiful wine country
with five distinct regions in South Australia alone. You can
take your time, in typical Australian fashion, tasting the
delicious wine and enjoying the spectacular scenery wherever
you go.
Adelaide Hills. This area is close to Adelaide, one of
Australia's major cities. You can enjoy the comforts and
pace of the country, but be just a step away from the city,
with all of its attractions. There are attractions enough
in Adelaide Hills, however. There are plenty of vineyards
to tour and wine to taste, and, as it is close to the state
of Victoria, you can even see some beautiful Victorian
countryside.
Barossa is a treat for the eyes. This valley is famous as a
leading wine producer in the world. It is Australia's best
wine producing region. It has attracted many influences from
Europe because of its beauty and its tendency for wine
growing. This is evident in the tone and architecture of
many villages that are similar to those found in England or
Germany. You can follow the local tradition and spend the
afternoon enjoying local wine with European specialties.
Clare Valley. Australia's famous 27 kilometers long Reisling
Trail is located in the Clare Valley. This trail makes for a
very fine bike ride. You can stop at the 40 cellars that lie
on the route to sample the local fare. You can also choose
to stop over at the hostels and restaurants dotted along the
way, thereby completing the trail as slowly or as quickly as
you like.
Fleurieu Peninsula. Stretching from just south of Adelaide
this peninsula continues down to Cape Jarvis. As you can
make out from its name, this peninsula has some French
influences, fine wines included. The highlight of the
peninsula is a beautiful wine-producing district called the
McLaren Vale with close to 60 cellars. The proprietors of
these cellars are known for encouraging tasting and treating
guests to their exemplary hospitality.
Limestone Coast. This part of the Australian coast is named
for the limestone that forms it. Even the region's wine is
enriched by the rich limestone foundation. Soil gets decayed
due to the Limestone and breaks down into nutrients. The
natural aeration created by this decaying process is perfect
for vineyards. And the world's most acclaimed wines are not
all that the Limestone Coast has to offer its visitors. It
also boasts of a system of underground caves that are so
unique that they have been listed as a World Heritage Site.
When enjoying any or all of Australia's wine country, you
can travel by car, bike, or even hot air balloon. Hot air
balloon is a great way to get a bird's eye view of the
countryside, and many cellars will allow you to make
arrangements to land in their vineyards to be greeted by a
glass of wine.
It is also enjoyable to bike ride through wine country.
Clare Valley is not the only bicycle friendly place. You
will find bike trails wherever you go. There is no doubt
that wine country in Australia has as much style as it has
substance.
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