Ashcroft Country Accommodation

Heaven in a bottle

by SPW

Its not that I'm alcohol dependent, but I do like good wine and Australia is now blessed with some excellent winemakers and vineyards, often very accessible from capital cities.
McLaren Vale, about an hour's drivesouth of Adelaide, is an area of gently undulating hills covered in vines, with the blue waters of St Vincent's Gulf often visible in the distance.
The Visitor's Centre, heralded by flags of the different wineries, offers the usual tourist information, as well as wine tastings from time to time.
http://www.mclarenvale.info/visitorcentre/
There are over 60 wineries in the region, and the main wines are reds like shiraz and cabernet sauvignon and whites like chardonnay, sauvignon blanc and riesling.

"A good excuse"

I was visiting my daughter and her fiance to help get their wedding plans under way, and what better excuse for visiting the area, but to look for a venue?
One of the wineries we were impressed by was Woodstock, where the winemaking and cellar door facilities are complemented by a restaurant, Coterie, where the food was excellent.
IT is certainly worth exploring the different wineries, but as ever, watch your consumption, and/or have a designated driver.