Maclaren Vale - wine and food!

Trip Start Oct 20, 2007
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Trip End ??? ??, 2008


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Tuesday, December 4, 2007

So having been introduced to the Coetzee's garden (lovely but large and staged over a creek and stepped areas so i look forward to some exercise), Granny and I set off south towards Maclaren Vale for the obvious - wine! On Chris Snow's recommendation we stopped at Tantara (one of Hardy's oldest winerys) as it also had a art and craft gallery. Arriving at 11am on a Tuesday I wasn't surprised that we were the first customers. Now i was driving so i restrained my tastes to sips, but could have happily gone on with the very nice guy serving us! Granny who wasn't driving just tried two but i guess she did finish each sample in a couple of gulps - she was ready for the gallery and wasn't interested in the young man across the bar and whatever chat we were rambling on about! Tempted to go back there another bottle of thier white as i rarely love white but loved this one which could only be bought on site! Having done the art gallery (nice) we recharged with a coffee across the road (Australian's LOVE coffee) before heading to Woodstock to meet Chris Snow for lunch having met him in court and been invited down with Granny digesting lunch
digesting lunch
 . He is actually staying at a house in the Woodstock vineyard and so we had a lovely lunch in the resturant at the Cellar door where he knew everyone often popping into the kitchen. Not having pudding they proceeded to bring out a selection of delish sweet nibbles - on the house with drinks - so there are def. benefits to frequenting your 'local'! Buying an old Muscat to Granny's taste, (had to try the Cellar door!) we headed up the hill to where Chris is staying overlooking endless vineyards (including Rosemount). Although Chris had a whole afternoon itinerary planned Granny was then ready to head home and i guess i'm not sure how many more sips would have added up significantly with a few more vineyard stops. I swear every dust track on the way home through the hills had a winery on it! - Ideal to visit all day with a chauffer and friends!! [Si was telling me how they cycled between Aussie winerys in the past and one ended up needing a hospital for thier knee!]
The scenic route back was so nice and we stopped in the picturesque village of Claverton for a couple of pies from it's reknown bakery (no Tim, knowing your love for pies, they weren't really worth the trip). Just before getting home we also stopped Windy Point (an 'old lover's point') that Granny seemed to know very well! haha. Got a good view towards the sea and a different perspective of the city centre (which is literally a huge square surrounded by park land before hitting the suburbs which is quite nice).
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