CLARE AND BAROSSA VALLEYS, SOUTH AUSTRALIA AA

The Clare Valley is one of Australia’s oldest and most famous wine regions, and also one of the most scenic, presenting visitors with a series of small intimate valleys and magnificent views. Settlers from England, Ireland and Poland first moved into the region during the 1840′s, producing a rich heritage of architecture and villages, which remain largely intact. Many of these buildings now accommodate the generous offering of guesthouses, premium restaurants and galleries. Vineyards were planted alongside those first villages and winemaking has continued ever since. The Barossa Valley is a major wine-producing region and tourist destination of South Australia, located 60 km northeast of Adelaide. The three major towns of the Barossa each have a distinctive personality. Tanunda is generally recognised as the most German of the three with long-standing traditions dating back to the 1840s when the first German settlers arrived in the area. The German influence survives to this day (see Barossa Deutsch). Angaston, in contrast, is considered the English town as it was settled predominantly by Cornish miners and others from Britain. The third town, Nuriootpa, was influenced by both the German and British settlers, and today is the commercial hub of the Barossa where most of the larger stores are located. WIKIPEDIA DON PUGH