January 22nd Adelaide - Nuriootpa

Before we head to the wine tasting, all you can, let's take a detour through the Onkaparing River National Park. The Onkaparing River flows through the park in a steep-walled valley. You can explore this valley on numerous hiking trails. We settle for a shorter hike, as it is already quite hot at half past nine in the morning. Then we leisurely drive through the hilly, green hinterland to Nuriootpa, in the heart of the Barossa wine region. If you have images of the towns and villages in the wine regions of the Rheingau, Pfalz, or Mosel in your head, you will definitely be disappointed by Nuriootpa. Because there is a hotel with an attached motel, various cafes, shops, bars, and within walking distance a winery, but everything closes by 6 pm. The two restaurants in Nuriootpa close at 8:20 pm, maybe one pub will still serve beer a little longer. The sidewalks are completely rolled up. We are already used to this, in Australia dinner is eaten early and then it's off to the room. Understandable in the countryside, but in a tourist wine region? Well, we find out that we chose the wrong place to stay, in Tanunda, about 5 km away, there are more establishments in the town, but no information about opening times. So we go to First Drop Cellar Door until 6 pm and taste various wines that Nigel explains very well and we have a nice conversation about Australian and German wines. Then we go to the gin distillery, which also offers a tasting that we cannot refuse. And Shiraz gin, honestly, it's amazing. Unfortunately, there's no room in the suitcase and we're already over the limit for bringing back. So you find your niches.... a reconciling end to the day.