Barossa Valley Vintage Festival

Thursday 28th April, 2011

This morning we decided to go to the Barossa Vintage Festival.  Today was Tanunda's turn.  The Festival is held  every couple of years and it marks the end of the grape harvest. 

The Barossa Valley is a well known grape growing region in South Australia, only about an hours drive from Adelaide, and home to some of the world's most famous wine labels.  There's Penfolds, Jacobs Creek, Seppelts, Lehmann Wines, and Orlando to name a few.

We called into Robyn and Bob's and they came along as well.  Tanunda was going to host a street fair and so we thought we would go and have a look.  It has been more than 20 years since we last attended a festival.  Maybe it's because I'm not a wine drinker.

Another reason I wanted to go was because the local businesses, the residents and the vineyards put up scarecrows.  Well, what a disappointment!!!  There were no scarecrows in the vineyards, a few in peoples front yards and a few in front of the local businesses. 

One resident in Tanunda went all out and decorated their front yard.  It was awesome!!!  We were allowed to wander in the yard and take photos.  It's a shame more residents didn't follow.

As for the wineries, they were a big disappointment too.  We only saw one winery that made any effort, Jacobs Creek.  Oh well, the other wineries wouldn't get any of our business if we were going wine tasting (which we didn't).

We enjoyed walking along the street looking at all the different handicrafts, produce and food on offer.  Listened to a few bands and some street theatre and watched some grape crushing.  We had lunch at the local hotel.  After lunch we went for a drive to Nuriootpa then onto Angaston and to Bethany looking for scarecrows.......found the most on the Bethany road.

Grape crushing

It was after 5.00pm when we dropped Robyn and Bob back home and after a coffee we came home.  The weather again was perfect and we all had a fun time.

From the Lens...........