We are in one of the famous Australian wine making areas called McLaren Vale.  Paul went for a wine tasting and then to the wine shop and bought some wine for $20 bottle – that is still really cheap for wines here (but expensive for us).  I like the stuff that doesn’t have any taste so we have been drinking good old Gossips Semillon Sauvignon Blanc at $3.99 bottle from Dan Murphy’s.  Paul remembering why he liked nice wine. 

Roses seem to be a favourite planted along some vines.  Not sure if their significance is the same as in France but the grapes are harvested between February and April, and they are certainly in flower.

You can really tell its Autumn here – all the vines (and the deciduous trees) are losing their leaves.

The old and new grape vines.

Great view across the valley.

The ground is so dry here, yet there is still a big cattle and sheep industry.  Here cattle (and sheep) have been let loose amongst the vine to eat up some of the grass between the vines. 

Not only do they grow grapes but also a lot of olive trees around. 

The trees were so heavy with olives that the branches were sagging, showing the silver undersides of the leaves.  It’s the time of olive cropping, we came across an old couple spreading out their nets on the ground and racking off the olives into them.

Green going black.