Appellation Restaurant Reopens

Appellation restaurant in the Barossa has recently reopened it’s substantially expanded and upgraded facilities following its annual July closure. While maintaining an intimate, romantic feel, Appellation’s nightly capacity for guests has increased from 28 to 48 seats with the addition of a new dining room adjoining the existing venue. Investment in this expanded space has been guided by continuing demand for bookings which could not be met in the original restaurant.

Appellation’s cellar, housing South Australia’s top wine list, has doubled in size and features a glass walled wine display. Likewise, the lounge has tripled in size and features an upbeat contemporary décor, allowing for additional seating for pre- and post-dinner drinks in luxe surrounds. And, in the coming warmer months, Appellation will open a new outdoor terrace for sunset drinks with one of the most appealing vineyard vistas in the Barossa.

The restaurant, co-located with The Louise luxury vineyard retreat on Seppeltsfield Road in the north-western Barossa, is open daily from 5pm for drinks and from 7pm for dinner. Both the signature Wine Flight Tasting Menu and À La Carte Menu are available every night, each demonstrating Appellation’s ongoing commitment to seasonal evolution of ingredients and regionally sourced, wine-friendly food.

Reservations are essential on (08) 8562 4144

Barossa Slow 2009

Barossa Slow, 1-4 October 2009

The Barossa has long been known as a food haven, a place where the evolution of the ‘waste not want not’ principle has simmered into an industry in its own right.

Welcome to 2009 Barossa Slow which proudly highlights the traditions and transitions of the region's rich food culture. Participants in this event have a rare opportunity to immerse themselves in the very heart of these customs, to meet the makers and savour the exciting elements contributed by insightful newcomers.

Share meals with local artisans, take tours with primary producers, get into the minds of those who exemplify small-scale production, meet the locals and make new friends with like-minded food lovers. Share exquisite wine and discuss the intricacies of long held beliefs and time-honoured rituals.

This is how we do things here - slowly but surely, lovingly and carefully. It's about mixing tradition with the now, progressing but withholding, being commercially viable but maintaining integrity. Bringing it back, moving it forward. Keeping it real. Slowing us down.

Highlights include:
• The Long Table Dinner – everyone will gather for a warm Barossa welcome with great food, wine and conversation
• The Producers Table – a behind the scenes look at the food artisans of the Barossa
• Torbreck Terroir – Take a walk in Torbreck Winemaker Dave Powell’s world of terroir
• The Cellar Table - Intimate dinners around the Barossa with a chef or a winemaker

Full details of the event are available here.

Australia's Most Collectible Wine

One of Australia's largest wine cellaring companies Wine Ark has reviewed more than 3 million bottles stored by its members and come up with a list of the top 50 wines Australians love to keep.

Once again most of the top 50 wines came from South Australia (60 per cent). Shiraz was the most collected variety making up 46 per cent of the top 50. With Penfolds being the most popular producer with eight of the top 50 wines.

The full details are;

Most Collected Shiraz - Penfolds Bin 95 Grange

Most Collected Cabernet - Lakes Folly Cabernets

Most Collected Pinot Noir - Mount Mary Pinot Noir

Most Collected Chardonnay - Leeuwin Estate Art Series

Most Collected Riesling - Grosset Polish Hill

Most Collected Semillon - Tyrrell's Vat 1

Top 50 collected wines

• 1. Penfolds Bin 95 Grange Shiraz
• 2. Penfolds Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz Blend
• 3. Lake's Folly Cabernets Cabernet Blend
• 4. Penfolds St Henri Shiraz
• 5. Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon
• 6. Wynns Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
• 7. Cullen Diana Madeline Cabernet Merlot
• 8. Rockford Basket Press Shiraz
• 9. Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon
• 10. Penfolds Bin 28 Kalimna Shiraz
• 11. Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay
• 12. Petaluma Coonawarra Cabernet Merlot
• 13. Grosset Polish Hill Riesling
• 14. Mount Mary Quintet Cabernet Blend
• 15. d'Arenberg The Dead Arm Shiraz
• 16. Wynns John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon
• 17. Penfolds Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon
• 18. Penfolds RWT Shiraz
• 19. Petaluma Hanlin Hill Riesling
• 20. Jasper Hill Georgia's Paddock Shiraz
• 21. Henschke Mount Edelstone Shiraz
• 22. Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier
• 23. Dalwhinnie Moonambel Shiraz
• 24. Wynns Coonawarra Estate Michael Shiraz
• 25. Jacobs Creek St Hugo Cabernet Sauvignon
• 26. Tyrrell's Wines Vat 1 Hunter Semillon
• 27. Howard Park Cabernet Merlot
• 28. Penfolds Bin 128 Shiraz
• 29. Mount Langi Ghiran Langi Shiraz
• 30. Brokenwood Graveyard Shiraz
• 31. Grosset Springvale Watervale Riesling
• 32. Seppelt Chalambar Shiraz
• 33. Henschke Hill of Grace Shiraz
• 34. Bowen Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
• 35. Turkey Flat Shiraz
• 36. Voyager Estate Cabernet Merlot
• 37. Lindemans Limestone Ridge Shiraz Cabernet Blend
• 38. Grant Burge Meshach Shiraz
• 39. AP Birks Wendouree Shiraz
• 40. De Bortoli Noble One Botrytis Semillon
• 41. Seppelt St Peters Shiraz
• 42. Parker Terra Rossa First Growth Cabernet
• 43. Zema Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
• 44. Giaconda Chardonnay
• 45. Dalwhinnie Moonambel Cabernet Sauvignon
• 46. Torbreck Runrig Shiraz Viognier
• 47. Hardy's Eileen Hardy Shiraz
• 48. Tyrrell's Wines Vat 9 Shiraz
• 49. Katnook Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
• 50. Yarra Yering Dry Red No 1Cabernet Blend (althought why you would I dont know)