The Seppelt wine tour, which covers the famous "Drives" and cellar door, was indeed an eye-opener. Built 3km underground, the drives house Seppelt's collection of wines including their award winning Sparkling Shiraz - the next one slated to be ready by 2013. The conducive environment of the drives is further complemented by the carpet of black french mould on their walls. They are soft to the touch and slightly damp from absorbing the moisture in the air. I was careful not to bring back any on my clothes. The guide also introduced the different tools of trade that workers in the early days had used; cementing the fact that wine-making is a tedious process and remains so, even with the introduction of technology today. I got a little restless halfway through the tour because I couldn't take any photos with the bad lighting. Thankfully we were quickly brought up to the bar for some wine tasting, where we were offered the Seppelt Original Sparkling Shiraz 2005 and Seppelt Salinger 2003. I'm just growing to like my reds, particularly the Shiraz so I felt my taste buds were a little intimidated by the fizziness in the Sparkling Shiraz. I'd have my reds flat, please. As for the Salinger, which is made up of different grape varieties, it had a slightly high tannine level so the after taste was bitter in the mouth. Other than that, this white sparkling wine has a very welcoming bouquet; full of fruit and flowers, but still in my opinion, is just another bubbly you can get at a waterhole in the city.Moving away from the more commercialised and overrated Seppelt, I headed to Best's - a small, humble establishment but definitely has a lot to be proud about. Unfortunately, I picked up the Chardonnay 2001 instead of the Riesling which I had tried at the Federation Square Wine Showcase and really, really liked. The Late Muscat 2006 was absolutely refreshing without being too overpowering. However, we were warned of its high alcohol level and to drink it sparingly.
I would have loved to visit The Gap, among other up and coming wineries in the region but of course with limited time, these two were and are the must-visits.
