Can you be too full? Too often?

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So we’ve been here in So. Australia, what, a month?  It’s only been 3 days?  You’ve got to be kidding!  Our schedule is so packed that each day seems like a week.

For example, yesterday….it was yesterday, right?

Grape Vines in the Barossa
Grape Vines in the Barossa (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

We got up, drove from Adelaide to the The Barossa Valley (gorgeous by the way), where we were treated to an orientation to the famous wine country at Jacob’s Creek with a breakfast degustation menu.  Yes, a degustation menu at breakfast.  it included, smoked salmon, venison, rock lobster, fried sweet cream….and, of course, the 4 wines to accompany each dish.

Degustation Plate
Degustation Plate (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

At this point I have to say I’m happy that wine and I aren’t friends because it’s a relief to have something that I don’t consume.  During breakfast we heard a short talk on Barossa Food by Angela Heuzenroeder.  Love her!

From Jacob’s Creek we went to Maggie Beer’s.  The legendary cookbook author, TV chef and specialty product trailblazer actually cooked for us, in a charming chaotic way, chatting all the while.  I got to be a prep assistant, helping carve steamed giant octopus tentacles.

Squid in Olive Oil
Squid in Olive Oil (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

Maggie_Evan_Cooking

After she fed and watered us we toddled off to a small local winery belonging to the family of one of our guides.  They take in Kangaroo rescues, so Harriet and I had our first roo encounter up close and personal.  Adorable.

Harriet and Skippy the Kangaroo
Harriet and Skippy the Kangaroo (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

Then just because they could, we were treated to a rare Port tasting at Seppeltsfield Winery, including a taste of a 100 yr old tawny port.  It was ike raisinated nectar.  But wait!  There’s more!

Seppeltsfield's 100 year old tawny port
Seppeltsfield's 100 year old tawny port (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
Cheers
Cheers (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)
100 year old port
100 year old port (The original image is no longer available, please contact KCRW if you need access to the original image.)

We checked into our rooms and got to rest for 20 minutes before we were swept away for a multi course family style modern Chinese meal at Yalumba, Australia’s oldest family owned winery.  Incredible food prepared for us by Gill Radford.  She and her husband own Radford Wines.

At this point we were comatose and were practically poured into our beds.  Lovely day, lovely people.