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Esurientes - The Comfort Zone

Tuesday, July 05, 2005

Adelaide - Wine & Chocolate

At the hour of sparrow's fart on Sunday morning I'm flying to Adelaide for 3 days, to join A. who leaves for a week's holiday and family visiting tomorrow. He grew up in this City of Churches, or 'the Festival City' as they prefer to be known, and I've only visited once for a few days. I was taken by the place, and have been looking forward to a return for a few years.
For all that Melbourne & Sydney fight it out for food capital of Australia, Adelaide does have a serious claim as well; so much of our interesting produce comes from South Australia. Maggie Beer on Kangaroo Island raising the best chickens and fruits, fantastic crayfish from Robe, jams and oils from the Adelaide Hills, one of the only specialist chocolate retailers in the world whose chocolate making still begins with the raw cocoa bean, and the rather minor fact that something like 80% of Australia's wine is grown and produced within an hour of Adelaide: the Clare Valley, Barossa Valley, Maclaren Vale and Adelaide Hills are all within easy driving distance of the city (though I wouldn't recommend driving back!)
Although I don't have much time available, I've already decided on a visit to the National Wine Centre and yes, Aussie foodbloggers will be pleased to know that I've already booked my place on the tour of the Haigh's chocolate factory. The free! 30 minute tour shows us how chocolate is made from the cocoa bean crushing right up to the wrapping of the chocolates. We get a free chocolate tasting, and then are let loose in the factory shop, which includes their current line, plus factory seconds, broken bars and discontinued lines. I can foresee a very enjoyable afternoon that day!

8 Comments:

  • Niki, have fun and eat a piece of chocolate for me!

    By Blogger Ana, at 7/05/2005 11:25:00 am  

  • Sounds like a great trip - have a wonderful time!

    By Blogger Cathy, at 7/05/2005 01:24:00 pm  

  • There seems to be almost no Fair Trade chocolate in Australia compared with here in the UK (just Green and Black's as far as I know). If you the opportunity arises in between bites you could ask Haigh's what their policy on Fair Trade sourcing is.

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 7/05/2005 06:35:00 pm  

  • oh.... wine.... chocolate... does it get any better? Have fun and eat and drink for all of us!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 7/05/2005 08:37:00 pm  

  • Niki,

    Have a wonderful time! I am also from South Australia. Since 1996 my husband and I have been living in the Seattle area. We have been back a couple of times to visit, and I cry buckets each time we return to the US. Even though Seattle is a great place, I love SA!

    Sandra

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 7/06/2005 06:33:00 am  

  • Ana - thanks. Lots of chocolate will be eaten in hononour of anyone and everything, I'm sure!

    Cathy - thank you. I plan to!

    AG - Oh, I bet they have multiple chocolate rivers. I plan to fall right in one and drown in the chocolatey goodness...

    Owen - You raise a really interesting point, and one I'd like to follow up with them. I'll raise the topic on our talk, but if it looks to be a controversial issue, I'll ask A. to do it. He loves anything politcally controversial!

    Hande - Thanks, it will be fun!

    By Blogger Niki, at 7/07/2005 07:23:00 pm  

  • Sandra - I can perfectly understand your love for SA. It's a gorgeous state, which has so much to offer. Not that Seattle doesn't I'm sure (I've always wanted to visit), but you know, Seattle is no South Australia!

    By Blogger Niki, at 7/07/2005 07:24:00 pm  

  • Sounds like a fantastic trip, we were there about 2 months ago. I wasn't a huge fan of the National Wine Centre, a lot of the exhibits were broken, hopefully its been fixed. If you get a chance to go to Maggie Beers in the Barossa Valley, its divine. YumYum. Also, in Chinatown on Gouger St, lots of really fantastic dumplings!

    By Anonymous Anonymous, at 7/08/2005 10:37:00 am  

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