Sipping Some Badass Shiraz In The Barossa

This trip has taken us to some pretty cool wine regions – Burgundy in France, Tuscany in Italy, Marlborough and Central Otago in New Zealand. All of these places make world renowned wine – Burgundy makes the best pinot noir in France, and that is saying a lot for a country that is basically covered top to bottom in grapes. The two most famous Tuscan wines, Brunello and Barolo, are some of the most velvety red wines on earth. New Zealand's pinot noirs and savignon blancs are winning worldwide acclaim for being soft and smooth. And now we are in the Barossa Valley, where the local shiraz is famous for ripping your head off and not apologizing. Most wines on this trip have pared well with fruit, cheese and crackers. Barossa shiraz pares best with a bucket of rusty nails, or in a pinch, a big fillet of kangaroo (our choice).

I am in heaven. For months, I've been drinking these nice friendly easygoing wines where there is lots of nuance in tasting. You looks for hints of elderberry, or ripe fig, or the dew of a fresh spring morning. And I've quite enjoyed it – my palate isn't going to win any awards and so it's been very educational. But deep down inside, I like big, angry red wines. Forget the essence of green apple -- I want a wine that looks like motor oil when you pour it and makes your eyes water. And so I am like a kid in a candy store here in the Barossa.

Adding to the charm is that it is true small town living here. We are staying in the biggest town in the valley, Tanunda, yet on our first night the only place open for dinner was the neighborhood club. There are no BMWs and Mercedes cruising around, just pickup trucks driven by people in overalls. It seems to be a salt of the earth type place, perhaps how Napa and Sonoma looked 35 years ago. The cellar door tasting rooms are run by universally friendly people, we usually have the place to ourselves, and the generous pours are almost always free (we did pay $5 at one place, but they opened a $100 bottle and a $165 bottle for us to taste – all was quickly forgiven). A great place to chill out, drink some absolutely brilliant red wine, and watch the world go by.

On a final note, it's back to just the two of us travelling now, after 5 weeks of the trip being 3, 4, and 6 of us at different times. Dana left this morning, two days later than planned after a random conversation about “you should change your ticket and come to the Barossa with us” turned into reality. We've absolutely loved having everyone along.