Home made wine tour. Review.

Ever been on a wine tour?
If squeezing into a suspect smelling mini van with some pissed English backpackers at yet another winery does not sound like fun then try the home made option.
Home made wine tour anyone?
The home made wine tour is the best way of experiencing a wine region. Why? Red wine, Friends, Food. Need I go on?

What to do...
Research your chosen area.
Book a chauffeured vehicle. "Mack'in it" in the back of a limo can really lift your ego!
Plan the tour- Logistically and logically. Duhh! Big homogenised wineries will always be busier than small ones - get to the big ones early or not at all and then loop around the region.
Please! Do Lunch! Do not stop at the bakery and order five pies and a Cornish pasty while necking an '05 Cab Sav. Book in at a winery/restaurant, tell them your on tour. Scope it out and you could end up with a specialised tasting and food matching session - Brilliant!

Here is what we did...
Coonawarra - A friend organised the tour who has worked in the region, itinerary and bookings wer taken care of. We covered their costs and headed south to the Coonawarra on a cold and wet Saturday morning in April. The Coonawarra is 4.5hrs from Adelaide and heaps more from Melbourne - This means fewer daytrippers and more serious wine heads.

First stop is the brilliantly beautiful Rymill Winery displaying its Autumn quality, and the wine is right on song as well. Some jokes about gay young horses... We are greeted by a Rymill family member and given the expert run down of the list, I can see that this is going to be good! Some way through the list we are instructed to taste some robust virgin olive oil which then lifted a Cabernet to seriously satisfying heights. More tastings and I wander off to get my fix of stainless steel from the viewing mezzanine. Everyone gets a few bottles and we are on our way. More gay young horse jokes...

Cellar door hands throughout the region are kind, funny and welcoming. All of the wineries do their best to accommodate our tour. Check out our itinerary below, more red ahead. Post a suggestion if you reckon we missed a gem.

My opinion carries little weight but I'd only go to Wynns for the staple fortified, as there is no other reason. The usually highly ranked Majella had lowered its colours, but Zema's Cluny made up for both.
Lunch!! Five pies and a clean skin please! Stop the Car.....%$#@!
No really we booked at Hollicks Restaurant, up the stairs and you are shown the lineal nature of the the region as you look north up the Riddoch Hwy. I had Soup and Lamb and everything was exceptional. (menu below) Someone had an outer body experience with a truffle infusion thingy...
I cleanse my pallet with an Ardberg 10 on ice, and my head clears.

Where to next?
Yarra Valley, Mclaren Vale.

Giles