3 Best Sights in Nuriootpa, The Barossa Wine Region

The saltbush and scrub-lined Murray River floodplain 150 km (94 miles) east of Nuriootpa is an unlikely setting for a winery, but it is worth making the journey to this spot at Kingston-on-Murray. Within the eco-friendly rammed-earth building perched above the vineyard and wetlands you can select a wine to accompany an all-day grazing platter or lunch on the outdoor deck—try the baked Murray cod with seasonal quinoa salad. Afterward, you can take one of three self-guided walks (ranging from 2.5 km [1.5 miles] up to 8 km [5 miles]); trail access is by donation) to view the surrounding wetlands (which can be "drylands" during a drought), and learn about the ongoing restoration and conservation work funded by Banrock Station wine sales and walkers' donations.

Renowned cook and food writer Maggie Beer is an icon of Australian cuisine. Burned-fig jam, ice cream, aged red wine vinegar, verjuice (a golden liquid made from unfermented grape juice and used for flavoring), and her signature Pheasant Farm pâté are some of the delights you can taste and buy at Maggie Beer's Farm Shop. Treat-filled picnic baskets are available all day to take out or dip into on the deck overlooking a tree-fringed pond full of turtles. Book ahead for the paid cooking demonstrations.

A very big brother to the 19th-century Magill Estate in Adelaide, this massive wine-making outfit in the center of Nuriootpa lets you taste Shiraz, Cabernet, Merlot, Chardonnay, and Riesling blends—but not the celebrated Grange—at the cellar door. To savor the flagship wine and other premium vintages, book a Taste of Grange Tour (A$150 per person, minimum of two, 24-hour advance notice needed). There are also 90-minute blending workshops for A$85 per person.