Meandering over the Barossa’s wine country is fortunately a different driving experience. Only an hour’s drive from the City of Churches (also known as Adelaide) and you’re at the largest premium wine producer region in Australia. With the freedom to stop whenever you like and have a picnic under a redgum tree, the Barossa Valley makes the perfect romantic road trip for Christmas, where you can drink, eat and be merry.

With the private comfort of your own wheels, roam across the Adelaide Hill's rich dairy lands and enjoy the tranquil green homeland of the best Aussie grapes. The Barossa Valley is home to some of the country’s oldest wineries. They include Penfolds, Wolf Blass, Lyndoch, Chateau Yaldara Estate, Seppeltsfield and Bethany Wines.

Take in the rows of grapevines, the architecture of the wineries, the smell of the German bakeries, the slow pace of the dairy cows and the town pubs. Summer drizzle. Sparkling wine and chocolates. Candlelit dinners in quaint towns like Tanunda that still retain a strong German character.

Charm especially oozes from the smaller wineries. Peaceful back roads with small, family-owned wineries along rolling green vineyards.Talk one-on-one with the person who made the wine in your hand while it slips smoothly down your throat and warms your cheeks. Many wineries provide picnic areas for that perfect lazy afternoon.

Quaint stone churches dot the valley, which was founded by German Lutherans fleeing persecution. A nice place to stay might be the Collingrove Homestead near Angaston. with Barossa’s varying soil and climate, it offers a wide range of wine types. So if you visit the Barossa’s 50+ wineries and sip enough wine, you’re bound to find the perfect bottle.

Bethany Wines, Charles Melton, Richmond Grove, Yalumba wines, Henschke, Veritas are a few wineries you can’t miss. The Barossa Wine and Visitor Centre gives a good run-down of winemaking. The more low-key Barossa Valley Historical Museum is also worth a visit for those keen on learning more about the region.