The Barossa Valley is 70 km northeast of Adelaide and produces some of the most respected wine in the world, particularly Shiraz from very old dry-grown vines — some dating from the 1840s when Lutheran settlers from Silesia planted the first vineyards. The region's German heritage is still evident in the village names (Tanunda, Nuriootpa, Angaston) and in the butchers' shops selling Mettwurst and smoked meats.
A day trip is easy by car: leave Adelaide by nine, visit two or three wineries, eat lunch at a cellar door restaurant, and be back by evening. Jacob's Creek, Penfolds, and Seppeltsfield are the landmark names, but smaller producers around Tanunda and the Marananga area often produce more interesting wine. The Seppeltsfield estate, which releases 100-year-old tawny port every year on the vintage date, is a particular experience.