Experience

The Barossa Valley is renowned as one of the world's finest wine producing regions with a rich culinary heritage spanning seven generations. Home to more than 100 wineries (over 70 with cellar doors open to the public), the Barossa is a vibrant community with a rich 150-year old cultural and architectural heritage and the oldest continuous food culture in Australia.

The primary reason to make the Barossa a “must see” destination is the unsurpassed breadth and depth of its culinary and viticulture experience.

"An outstanding premium quality restaurant (Appellation) has emerged...it's a powerful, perfectly executed hospitality statement in the wine country that any visitor would be mightily impressed by.” SA Life

This experience encompasses the flavours of the seasonal produce and traditional meats and breads that abound at the local Farmer’s Market, the specialist providores and on the tables of the Barossa. It is epitomised by the round-the-clock activities of harvest and vintage in the autumn months, and the seductive bouquet of wine aging gracefully in barrel as you enter the many wineries and cellar doors of the region. The authenticity of the experience is secured by the many great characters that define the Barossa and its passion for quality food, wine and lifestyle.

The Barossa is the undisputed wine capital of Australia, home to more than 600 grapegrowers and 100 or more wineries. Barossa shiraz red wines and nearby Eden Valley crisp white rieslings are perennial international world gold medal winners. The wine making experience may be shared up close and personal at more than five dozen cellar doors within a few minutes walk, bike ride or drive from The Louise.

This compact valley is easily explored, with nearly every turn and vista yielding unspoiled beauty and a sense of "place". The Barossa is filled with pastoral roads winding through a region referred to by our owners as "having the charm and ease of accessibility of Napa Valley thirty years ago." Wine is undoubtedly one of the main attractions to the Barossa which is home to some of the best known Australian wines in the world including Charles Melton, Jacobs Creek, Greenock Creek, Henschke, Penfolds, Peter Lehmann, Rockford, Seppelts, Two Hands, Torbreck, Turkey Flat, Wolf Blass and Yalumba, and as well as a host of emerging boutique and artisan winemakers producing the next generation of iconic wines.

Professional, attentive staff at The Louise have excellent local knowledge and are able to offer guidance about local wineries, specialist private tastings and touring options such as hot air ballooning, private guides and heritage sites. Take a look at the current range of bespoke, private winemaker introductions and wine experiences offered exclusively to guests at The Louise.

Some recommended regional experiences include:

- Barossa Farmer's Market - an entrée to the Barossa food community. Saturday mornings from 7:00-11:00am. Guests staying overnight on Friday nights may, by prior arrangement, meet Appellation's chefs at the market and accompany them on their weekly rounds meeting and securing the freshest regional produce from local producers.

- The Barossa Wine Experience - half or full day guided tours, private tastings with artisan, boutique and premium winemakers available by appointment only.

- Visit Hutton Vale Farm - the home of premium produce, has been part of the Angas family’s farming enterprise since the European settlement of South Australia. Their primary produce; estate wines, handmade chutneys, lamb at the farmer’s market and restaurants (including Appellation) and select seasonal vegetables from the garden are exceptional examples of 'paddock to plate'.

- Seppeltsfield Road Distillers - providing the opportunity to encounter gin and the art of distilling first hand, the team offers experiences of quality and provenance whilst celebrating the natural environment using blends of beautiful, sensory-selected botanicals.

Expand Less