Okay this food and wine heaven is not SO easy to get to. First you have to get to Australia, then to Adelaide in the state of South Australia, then drive to Cape Jervis on the Fleurieu Peninsula and catch an (expensive) ferry across Backstairs Passage to Kangaroo Island (more about things to do on Kangaroo Island here).
Then drive for half an hour on an unsealed road to the Chapman River boutique winery. It’s in a rural setting, on the Dudley Peninsula, near the Cape Willoughby Lightstation and just inland from Antechamber Bay.
Run by Diana and Bruce Keir (they will charm your socks off) it is part cellar door and part art gallery, displaying Diana’s artwork and her art collection. The tasting room is an old aircraft hangar, where you can eat and drink outside on the lawn or in the Andalusian-inspired lounge area.
The tasting platter was an outstanding ensemble of delicious local and homemade delights. Yes that’s grilled haloumi, roasted vegetables and freshly shaved peccorino with homemade sesame seed crackers.
The Happiness wine selection – do the wine tasting first of course before ordering a glass or bottle – was good and we purchased a lovely Rose and a Pinot Noir.
There’s no doubt Kangaroo Island has a good reputation as a food and wine destination, with some agreeable Sauvignon Blanc wines at a range of cellar doors across the island but particularly here on the Dudley Peninsula. This was my favourite place.
The final big tick for Chapman River Wines on Kangaroo Island is only relevant if you travel with children. Here a picture says it all:
By Natasha von Geldern
Tell me about your favourite wine tasting experience in Australia or in the world!
Can’t believe I missed this! How could I have been so foolish?