A popular dinner spot with the locals is 1918 Bistro&Grill,housed in the historic former home of the mayor of Tanunda. The best tables are dotted along the verandah overlooking the garden (94 Murray Street,Tanunda,08 8563 0405,1918.com.au). For a more low-fi dinner,40's Cafe has inventive pizzas with thin crusts and too much topping to just eat with your hands. It's busy but service is swift and friendly (30 Murray Street,Angaston,08 8564 2901,40scafe.com.au).
WHAT TO DO
Take an exhilarating guided tour on a Harley Chopper with Barossa-born Tony Tscharke,owner-operator of Barossa Trike Tours,whose detailed yet laidback commentary strikes the right note. With seating for up to three passengers,longer tours include cellar door visits - the trike has room to store purchases (0438 623 342,barossatriketours.com.au,from $50 for 40 minutes,two person minimum).
Make your own wine blend at Penfolds Barossa Cellar Door where visitors don white lab coats and taste three of Penfolds'Barossa varieties before blending them to their taste. After three trials,participants choose their favourite and bottle it to take home. Led by a knowledgeable"wine educator",the 90-minute class is informative - and becomes increasingly boisterous (30 Tanunda Road,Nuriootpa,08 8568 8408,penfolds.com.au,10.30am and 2pm daily,$65).
Or literally wallow in wine with a red wine soak at Endota Spa in a warm spa bath of Australian wine with grape skin extract and grape seed oil (but no tannins). The treatment,which includes a hand and scalp massage,claims to cleanse,exfoliate and moisturise the skin - it's certainly deeply relaxing (Golf Links Road,Rowland Flat,08 8524 0071,endota.com.au,30 minutes,$45).
Dodge the resident peacocks outside Maggie Beer's Farm Shop where you can score free tastings of many of her preserves,olive oils and sauces (most made on site) plus pates,vinegars,spices,and Pheasant Farm wines,which are only available here. At the adjoining cafe,good-quality picnic-style lunches such as the chicken and rosemary pate basket ($15),and a pheasant and porcini mushroom terrine ($18),are centred on Maggie's products (Pheasant Farm Road,Nuriootpa,08 8562 4477,maggiebeer.com.au).
CELLAR DOORS
The Barossa has more than 150 wineries,half with cellar doors you can visit. With winemaking here since 1842,the Barossa is home to some of the nation's oldest and greatest winemaking names. The grand,ivy-clad Yalumba (Eden Valley Road,Angaston,08 8561 3200,yalumba.com) is Australia's oldest family-owned winery,with a working cooperage. At Turkey Flat (Bethany Road,Tanunda,08 8563 2851,turkeyflat.com.au) tastings are held in the surprisingly charming former butchery built by refugee Johann Fiedler,who started the winery in 1847. At shiraz winery Two Hands (Neldner Road,Marananga,08 8562 4566,twohandswines.com) the tasting fee goes to charity. Taste Eden Valley regional wine centre (36a Murray Street,Angaston,08 8564 2435,tasteedenvalley.com.au) is a"collaborative"cellar door for 13 wineries in the Barossa high country. All are very small outfits - some produce barely a pallet of wine a year - and most sell only through this cellar door.
TOP DROP
Barossa