Eden Valley High Country Wine Day

The plan

Most visitors never leave the Barossa Valley floor - and they miss half the story. The Eden Valley rises a few hundred metres to the east, a country of granite, gum forest and stone churches where the wines come out cooler, tighter and more age-worthy. This is a day for the scenic route.

Start at Henschke in Keyneton, home of Hill of Grace, with a booked seated tasting. From there make the pilgrimage to Poonawatta to stand among shiraz vines planted in 1880 and taste high-country riesling. Smaller makers such as Eden Hall, Mountadam and Sons of Eden open by appointment only, so book well ahead if you want to add one.

Lunch and the long view

Come back down through Eden Valley township for a relaxed pub lunch at the Eden Valley Hotel before finishing the day at the Mengler Hill Lookout on the way home, where the whole Barossa unrolls beneath you and the sculpture trail gives your legs a stretch. With Henschke closed on Sundays and Poonawatta closed Tuesday and Wednesday, this day works Thursday to Saturday.

Go easy on the driving roads; they twist. Better still, take a driver and give the riesling the attention it deserves.