Great wines, great food

Like any good wine region, Barossa boasts several first rate restaurants, among them Vintners, Appellations and barr-Vinum. But some of the finest cuisine in the region is available only to guests at the Abbotsford House, a cozy country inn big on simple luxuries. Julian Maul runs the eight-room hotel and farm; wife Jane is the cook.

Each night the menu is different, depending on the local produce and what Jane feels like cooking. Our menu: apple and pinot noir soup, followed by a moist chicken breast, stuffing with chicken livers and bacon, carmelized parsnips, roast potatoes, creamed corn and broccoli. For dessert: a stellar poached pear pie, akin to a soufflé with a pear standing up in the center. And plenty of local wines, of course.

It's the best meal I've had in Australia...and that's saying something.

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Abbotsford: Country luxury, warm hosts, fabulous cuisine.