Upon seeing a sparkling red, some wide-eyed imbibers among us assumed a chorus line of dancing pink elephants would sally forth next. Others took this as an end-of-the-world omen, precipitated by the absence of Dick Clark from New York’s Times Square. (Personally, I had $50 bucks riding on a wager that, without this ageless icon to ring in the New Year, we might be stuck in 2004 forever. Hey, a girl facing her 35th birthday in a few short months can hope, can’t she?)

In fact, this exotic libation was imported from the land of Oz, (Australia, that is), home to some of the world’s most charming anomalies, including kangaroos, koalas, and…sparkling Shiraz.

Sparkling Shiraz—made from the Shiraz grape using the traditional methode champenoise—sends waves of sweet fruit, tempered by tannins and peppery bubbles, across a grateful palette. It’s tasty enough to convert dedicated white wine drinkers and sufficiently delicious to seduce even those who detest champagne. (Yes, believe it or not, there are one or two who walk among us—myself, for instance—who really don’t like champagne. If you’ve ever experienced the headache that follows after you’ve swallowed a bottle of $4 bubbly, you’ll understand). Indeed, a really good bottle, like the Elderton Barossa Valley Special Reserve Sparkling Shiraz we enjoyed on New Year’s, is such powerful ambrosia that you might--after the third or fourth glass—actually forgive the Australians for cheerfully foisting upon us both Crocodile Dundee and the khaki-clad croc wrestler Steve Irwin, by crikey.

But Shiraz, sparkling or otherwise, is only one of the Aussies great gifts to the wine world, as I discover while visiting my friend Heather, an American oenophile living in South Australia. South Australia is responsible for more than half the nation’s wine production, with several vintages garnering international honors, and is considered Australia’s premium wine state.

So with Heather as my guide (and designated driver), and South Australia’s capital city of Adelaide as our base, we visit more than a dozen wineries in three different districts over five days. Here’s the best (hiccup) of what I remember.

McLaren Vale

We begin in McLaren Vale, where more than 60 wineries are nestled amongst rolling green hills striated with rows of vines. Situated along the coast of the Fleurieu Peninsula, just 24 miles south of Adelaide, McLaren Vale is perhaps the most fortuitously located wine growing district in South Australia.

“We’re so close to the coast, you can mix and match what you want to do,” remarks Belinda Hamlyn, a friendly young woman manning the counter at our first stop, Woodstock Winery.
”In addition to the wine country, you’ve got beaches ten minutes away, so you can boogie board and have a sausage sizzle, set up a BBQ and tents and stay all weekend.”

I feel I could stay all weekend with my elbows propped on the tasting counter at Woodstock. Though its fields were first planted with vines in 1850, the commercial winery was actually founded in 1974, and it seems to have retained a refreshingly casual “Make Wine, Not War” attitude reminiscent of that decade

This is apparent from the moment we pull into the gravel parking lot, where a rusty looking white sedan with orange siren lights and a giant bottle of red wine mounted to the roof appears permanently moored beneath the towering eucalyptus trees. Inside, the tasting room is small and unassuming, with plain pine paneling and a poster that warns “Smokers will be pummeled with punishing blows all over their bodies.”

But despite the winery’s light-hearted approach, they’re obviously serious about quality. We begin with a light 2002 Riesling, gradually working our way from white wines to heavier reds, ending with the dessert and fortified wines. My favorite is a fruity, almost syrupy 1999 Botrytis Sweet White—despite that fact that botrytis, as it turns out, is just a fancy word for the fungus which sucks the moisture out of the grapes, leaving very sweet, concentrated nectar behind. While the thought of tossing back fungus-stricken fermented grape juice may not sound appealing in theory, it doesn’t seem like such a bad idea after an hour or so of sampling—explaining perhaps why they leave it for the end, and why I weave my way out the door with a bottle tucked securely under my arm.

Woodstock Winery & Coterie, Douglas Gully Road. www.woodstockwine.com.au. Phone: 08 8383 0156.

Our second stop, Chapel Hill, lays down a twisting road shaded by eucalyptus and shaggy she oaks. A choir of magpies singing in the trees greets us as we stride towards a mid-19th century stone chapel, which houses the tasting room. Inside, sunlight gleams through a golden stained glass window bearing the inscription, “I am the true vine”--an endorsement of the highest order.

Though the atmosphere is hushed, even worshipful, it’s obvious someone at the winery has a sense of humor. One of their “cellar door exclusives” is dubbed the “Sacrilege Pack,” and includes a bottle of the award-winning The Vicar 2001(a blend of Shiraz, Cabernet, and Merlot), il Vescovo 2002 (a mix of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon, which means “the Bishop” in Italian) and The Devil (a tasty tawny port with a Grenache/Shiraz base). Faced with so many tempting options, temperance is clearly not on the menu.

Chapel Hill Winery, Chapel Hill Road. www.chapehillwine.com.au. Phone: 08 8323 8429.

Thus fortified, we arrive next at d’Arenberg ready for a bite to eat. This 19th century homestead features both a sunlit wine tasting room and an al fresco restaurant, d’Arry’s Verandah.

With charming views of the undulating vineyards and stands of eucalyptus trees (as ubiquitous in Australia as pine trees are in Georgia), the Verandah offers an eclectic menu ranging from fresh seafood to wild rabbit to kangaroo, which tastes a bit like rare roast beef. We finish with locally produced cheese and chocolate and wash it all down with a drop of the Stump Jump Red, a slightly spicy blend of Shiraz, Grenache and Mouvedre, which proves to be one of my favorite finds of the trip.

D’Arenberg, Osborn Road. www.darenberg.com.au. Phone: 1-800-882335.

Clare Valley

Located about an hour and a half north of Adelaide, the Clare Valley unfolds as a patchwork of rippling, wheat colored fields offset by a brilliant blue sky. Grazing sheep huddle together beneath stands of gnarled and twisted eucalyptus, and long-necked alpaca gallop along the roadside. Houses, the few that we pass, resemble Victorian architecture on steroids, with sturdy red brick and cream stone in place of painted wooden clapboard siding, and ornate metalwork substituted for delicately carved gingerbread, all topped off by a rustic tin or tile roof.

We arrive at Skillogalee winery, whose scenic grounds abut the Spring Gully Conservation Park, just in time for lunch. Although the winery takes its name from an old Celtic word for prison gruel, which probably keeps any Irish felons away, its restaurant—open for lunch 363 days a year--is one of the most charming in the valley.

Set in an intimate little cottage built in 1851 by a Cornish miner, the restaurant seats just 30 inside, with room for another 50 on the verandah and an adjacent stone patio. We enjoy a light salad with a refreshing Riesling—one of their specialties—while relaxing in the dappled shade of an olive tree, its octopus-like limbs stretching out over the patio towards a lush green lawn bordered by roses of every description. When we finally rouse ourselves to leave, the rotating arms of the windmill, set amidst the neat rows of vines, seem to offer a friendly benediction as they wave us on our way.

Skillogalee Wines, Hughes Park Road. www.skillogalee.com. Phone: 08 8843 4311.

If all sacramental wines tasted as good as the vintages produced at our next stop, Sevenhill Cellars, a lot more folks might be persuaded to darken the church door. Founded in 1851 by Jesuit priests, Sevenhill Cellars is the oldest winery in the Clare Valley. The Jesuits still run the winery today, and 25 percent of its production remains devoted to sacramental wines. But the majority of the grapes—all of which are grown in the winery’s own vineyards—go towards award-winning commercial wines.

Ensconced on 70 hectares planted with nineteen grape varieties (including a “super premium Shiraz” from 140 year old vines), Sevenhill Cellars includes a heritage trail that takes you past the Jesuit cemetery and a separate crypt, the 130-year-old chapel, the underground cellar and a pair of stone shrines. But the most popular attraction, of course, is the tasting room.

Like Woodstock Winery, the tasting room is casual in every sense of the word, from the wood-paneled walls to the relaxed attitude of the staff. “It doesn’t matter if you can’t taste black current. Like, who cares?” laughs Skye Sommerville, wife of one of the winemakers, Tim Gneil, as she lines up our glasses on the bar. “It really comes down to two descriptors: yuck or yum.”

The verdict on these wines is decidedly “yum,” from the St. Aloysius 2003 (a white burgundy made by blending Chardonnay with Chenin Blanc) to the St. Ignatius 2000 (a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, and Cabernet Franc). But the yummiest by far is the Jesuit Fine Old Tawny—a spicy mix of Shiraz and Touriga that warms me to my soul.

Sevenhill Cellars, College Rd. www.sevenhillcellars.com.au. Phone: 08 8843 4222.

The Barossa

Flanked by rolling hills to the east and west, the Barossa encompasses two wide valleys and more than four dozen wineries, including some of Australia’s most famous vineyards. Located an hour north of Adelaide, the Barossa was settled by Germans Lutherans looking for religious freedom in the mid-19th century. You can taste their influence not only in the wines, such as the Rieslings, but in the tasty pastries and wursts served up in numerous German bakeries and cafes.

One of the most scenic wineries is Rockford, centered around a tidy cobblestone courtyard flanked by steep-roofed stone cottages. The tasting room is housed in an old milking barn, with barrels of tawny port aging in the rafters overhead. But history offers more than just ambiance at Rockford. It’s an integral part of their wine-making process. Not only is all the fruit handpicked from some of the Barossa’s oldest vines, but the traditional basket press is still used to produce Rockford’s acclaimed and aptly named Basket Press Shiraz. (Of course, if they REALLY wanted to go retro, they could offer the Foot Stomp Shiraz, though the name might pose some inherent marketing challenges).

Rockford, Krondor Rd. www.rockfordwines.com.au. Phone: 08 8563 2720.

If you particularly love red wine, check out Gibson’s BarossaVale Wines. Helmed by patriarch Rob Gibson, who worked at the renowned Penfolds Wines for almost 25 years, this small family winery specializes in Shiraz and Merlot blends. The Gibson clan makes only 4,000 cases of wine a year, but what they lack in quantity they make up for in quality, producing a remarkable number of award-winning vintages.

On the day we arrive, Rob’s son Abel—with his movie-star grin and mop of rock star hair--is pouring in the tasting room. Instead of serving us at the counter, Abel invites us to curl up on a nearby sofa and chairs, where we can enjoy the view of the fields as he serves up the samples.

Half the rich, fruity wines we taste are Merlot, which Abel admits is “a bit random in the Barossa. (Merlot) is sooky, meaning it’s fussy and difficult to grow; it winges and complains all the time. But when it’s good,” he adds, flashing a smile, “it’s brilliant.”

The effort, apparently, is worth it. The 2002 Gibson BarossaVale Merlot won a bronze metal in the Melbourne First Capital City Wine Show last August, with the 2003 Gibson BarossaVale Shiraz earning gold and their 2001 Gibson BarossaVale Shiraz garnering silver.

Gibson’s BarossaVale Wines, Willows Rd. www.barossavale.com. Phone: 08 8562 4224.

At the Willows Vineyards just down the road, we follow signs directing us along a dusty drive, past a comfortable looking home, and through the fields to a tiny cottage. Stumbling in from the bright sunlight, our eyes gradually adjust to reveal a low-ceiling room furnished with a rustic table and chairs, an antique hutch stocked with preserves and old black and white photos—but not a living soul. It’s a Goldilocks kind of moment as we tiptoe about, creaking open closed doors and calling out, “Hello? Anyone home?”

When we finally hear footsteps crunching across the parking lot, I half expect to find a family of curious bears peering in at us. Instead, we’re greeted by a bespectacled white-haired woman. “I was sitting by the pool with my bathers on when I saw you drive past,” she hurriedly explains. When we apologize for disturbing her, she jokingly rejoins, “So you should be!”

This, it turns out, is Joan Scholz, who lives in the home we passed. Her late husband’s family has owned the property since 1845, when one of his ancestors founded a hospital here. The family first planted grape vines in the 1940’s, selling off the harvest, but Joan’s eldest son began bottling wine nearly 20 years ago. Today, they produce 8,000 cases a year. Their Semillon is one of the most popular varieties, but the wine I’m most interested in is “The Doctor Sparkling Red,” a fizzy blend of Pinot Noir and Shiraz, with its crimson color, nose-tingling bubbles, and ripe, fruity sweetness.

I’ve got a bottle sitting in my wine fridge right now, just waiting for a special occasion. Perhaps we’ll finally pop the cork on New Year’s Eve 2005, remembering to raise our glasses to good luck, good health and, of course, the good people of Australia.

The Willows Vineyard, Light Pass. 08 8562 1080.