Try Australia’s finest pours
Sample drops from a list of 120 wines at the National Wine Centre of Australia (above), from the celebrated Penfolds Grange to boutique wine labels. It’s said to offer the country’s best wine-tasting room experience, and there are state-of-the-art Enomatic wine preservation and dispensing machines. The centre’s cellar door serves tapas dishes featuring fresh, seasonal ingredients. Or you can also take home some of the country’s most coveted bottles from East End Cellars. The champion of fine South Australian wine also offers a tasting room.
Step into handmade chocolate heaven
No powders or syrup – just melted Belgian chocolate and frothy milk make for a heavenly hot chocolate at local institution Bracegirdle’s House of Fine Chocolate (above). Try its horchata, a sweet and spicy hot white chocolate. The renowned chocolatier, which has won gold awards at the Royal Adelaide Show, has even created a pair of chocolate stilettos for pop star Lady Gaga. Another local favourite is Red Cacao. If you make your way past its mouth-watering handmade chocolates, you’ll find a range of block chocolates, as well as chocolate-coated dried fruits and nuts.
Savour fresh local produce
A toast to the country’s produce and people, Restaura nt Orana dishes up delicacies such as succulent scallops (below), alongside an extensive wine list with bottles from Australia, France and beyond. For Italian-inspired breakfasts, such as eggs baked in spicy tomato sauce, head to Chianti. The restaurant uses quality South Australian produce.
Stay in a picturesque vineyard
Unwind with views of vineyards in a cosy self-contained lodge (below) by the lake at Stonewell Cottages & Vineyards. Its charming Cupid’s Cottage comes with a spa bath, private al fresco dining area and a private row boat. The idyllic property is situated in the fertile Barossa Valley, an hour from the city by car.
Learn how to make your own chocolates
Register for a class at Adelaide Chocolate School, which covers everything from truffle making to appreciation of chocolates from around the world. For the festive season, you can even learn how to make your own chocolate Christmas house. The school also organises bachelorette parties – talk about starting a marriage on a sweet note.
– TEXT BY STEPHANIE WILLIAMS
PHOTOS: BRACEGIRDLE’S FACEBOOK PAGE, INSTAGRAM, RESTAURANT ORANA, STONEWELL COTTAGES & VINEYARDS
This article was originally published by Singapore Press Holdings.
