Lonely Planet Food - Wine Trails - Australia & New Zealand (Lonely Planet)

INTRODUCTION

Weve all experienced it on our travels whether watching a
sunset in Margaret River with a glass of chilled Chardonnay or
at a barbeque in Barossa Valley with a beefy Shiraz when a
local wine could not be more perfectly suited to the moment.

Tasting wine in the place it was made can be a revelation.
This book plots a course through 40 of Australia and
New Zealands greatest wine regions, with weekend-long
itineraries in each. We encounter Tasmanias terrific Pinot
Noirs, rivalled by the wondrous wines coming out of New
Zealand. We venture into historic, world-famous wineries
and cutting-edge cellar doors, and in Victorias Pyrenees
and South Australias Clare Valley we discover some unsung
heroes. In each region, our expert writers including the
critics and columnists Huon Hooke and Bob Campbell, and wine
buyer Michael Ellis review the most rewarding wineries to
visit and the most memorable wines to taste.

This is a book for casual quaffers; theres no impenetrable
language about malolactic fermentation or scoring systems.
Instead, we meet some of the worlds most enthusiastic and
knowledgeable winemakers and learn about each regions wines
in their own words. It is this personal introduction to wine,
in its home, that is at the heart of wine-tourings appeal.

CONTENTS

AUSTRALIA

ACT

Canberra

NEW SOUTH
WALES

Hunter Valley

Mudgee

Orange

Riverina

QUEENSLAND

Granite Belt

SOUTH
AUSTRALIA

Adelaide Hills

Barossa Valley

Clare Valley

Coonawarra

Langhorne
Creek

McLaren Vale

TASMANIA

Coal River Valley

Hobart

Pipers River

Tamar Valley

NEW SOUTH
WALES

SOUTH
AUSTRALIA

Langhorne
Creek

VICTORIA

Beechworth

Bellarine
Peninsula

Heathcote

King Valley

Macedon Ranges

Mornington
Peninsula

Pyrenees

Rutherglen

Yarra Valley 1

Yarra Valley 2

WESTERN
AUSTRALIA

Great
Southern

Margaret
River 1

Margaret
River 2

Swan Valley

NEW ZEALAND

NEW
ZEALAND

Auckland & Waiheke
Island

Central Otago

Gisborne

Hawkes Bay

Marlborough

Matakana

Nelson

Northland

Waipara

Wellington

Bellarine
Peninsula

Mornington
Peninsula

WESTERN
AUSTRALIA

Great
Southern

Margaret
River 1

Margaret
River 2

NEW
ZEALAND

Auckland & Waiheke
Island

[ACT/NSW]

Canberra

Wines from up-and-coming Canberra are making a splash locally and
globally even if most of the wineries are actually in New South Wales.

C anberras cool-climate wine region is one of
the nations youngest, but what it lacks in
maturity, or geographical cohesion, it makes
up for in exuberance and a willingness to experiment.
Youll find some of Australias most authentic cellar
door experiences here, where owners and
winemakers loiter eagerly behind counters, excited
to offer the incoming punter a sample of their labour.

The Canberra Districts first vines were planted in
1971 at the regions showcase winery, Clonakilla, in
Murrumbateman. John Kirk, Clonakillas founder,
was among a small group of individuals pivotal to the
careful planning and development of the region. They
noted that the continental climate, with warm
summers accompanied by cool nights and
plummeting winter temperatures, provided
the perfect conditions for killer Shiraz and
crisp, floral Riesling. And from this, another
Australian wine region was born.

Despite the Canberra District moniker, theres
only a sprinkling of wineries inside the Australian
Capital Territory border. Most of the cellar door
action takes place in Murrumbateman, New South
Wales, a half hours drive from Canberra on the road
to Yass. Theres a second cluster of wineries around
the almost waterless yet very green Lake George,
northeast of Canberra the fluctuating water levels
of this million-year-old lake have given rise to all
sorts of tall tales, from lurking beasts to alien visits,
and when near-dry it does make for an eerie sight.

Canberra itself, Australias manufactured capital, is
a city on the up. Much maligned in the past, its in the
midst of a massive transformation, with new
boutique hotels opening and plenty of fine
dining possibilities. Home to an enormous
cache of Australias national treasures, the
berra provides a great base to explore one
of Australias cheekiest new wine regions.

GET THERE

Canberra airport has
plenty of car rental
options. Murrumbateman
is a 30min drive away.