Perhaps the name most synonymous with Australian wine, the Barossa Wine Region is responsible for putting Australian wine on the world map, and a source of envy and 'discomfort' among the Old World producers.

Comprising the hot Barossa Valley and the cooler Eden Valley, the region is only an hour's drive north of Adelaide. This is the region that produced the perennial supermarket favourites - the 'Jacob's Creek' and 'Wolf Blass' labels.

The first vines were planted here in the early 1840s when German settlers fleeing religious persecution back home birthed the village of Bethany in 1842. English traders followed, and subsequent waves of Germans started to populate the Barossa. Today, these influences can still be seen in the Lutheran-style churches and houses that dot the landscape amidst sprawling vineyards.

Barossa is famous for its intensely colored and full-bodied Shiraz, of which Penfolds Grange, Barossa's legendary grand cru, is perhaps the name on everyone's lips.

Up until 1962, Penfolds (www.penfolds.com.au) had been a family-owned business since its founding by Dr. Christopher Rawson Penfold in 1844 when he purchased the Magill Estate for £1,200. Today, the Magill Estate is a popular destination for historical wine tours, including tasting sessions and meals at the award-winning Penfolds Magill Estate Restaurant. Visit the Grange Cottage, the original family home of Dr. Penfold and his wife, Mary, and take time to immerse yourself in its rustic charms. 

However, the epicentre of Penfolds' winemaking operations takes place at the Penfolds Barossa Valley Winery and Cellar Door. Guided tours and tasting sessions are also available here. You can even try blending your own wine from Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvedre, and then take it home in a personalized bottle.

The higher altitude Eden Valley produces mainly white varietals of Riesling and Chardonnay, and the names to drop here are Yalumba (www.yalumba.com) and Henschke (www.henschke.com.au).

Just like Penfolds, both family-owned wineries are steeped in history. Henschke, in particular, retains much of the Lutheran influences from its early pioneers in its façade and décor, and is now managed by the fifth generation husband-and-wife team of Stephen and Prue Henschke. The winery's top drawers are their Hill of Grace and Mount Edelstone shirazes, and the Cyril Henschke Cabernet Sauvignon.