South Australia’s wine scene is legendary. A thriving industry, it’s a centre of innovation with modern low-input winemaking techniques.
d’Arenberg is one of the highlights, famed for their Church Block shiraz. Their wacky Rubik Cube building offers tastings, tours and even the chance to try your hand at blending.
Penfolds Magill Estate sits along Adelaide foothills and is home to the famous Grange collection. Enjoy a relaxed meal in their Magill Estate Kitchen or the decadent degustation experience at the FINO restaurant.
1. d’Arenberg Winery
Any wine lover living in Adelaide or the surrounding region will know the d’Arenberg name. It is a brand that resonates far and wide, with an international reputation built on 109 years of family involvement in McLaren Vale. Fourth generation viticulturist and winemaker Chester Osborn is something of a Willy Wonka of the grape world, with flamboyant suits, untamed grey curls and quirky cuvee names for his wines (The Dead Arm Shiraz, Shipster’s Rapture, Malaysian Swinger and The Bamboo Scrub).
Despite its modernity, the cellar door remains true to old-fashioned methods. White wines are basket pressed and reds foot trodden during fermentation. This results in an impressive array of small-batch wines that showcase the diversity of d’Arenberg’s terroir. The wines also undergo a lengthy aging process in a combination of new and old French oak, with an emphasis on smaller barrels to slow oxidation and preserve fresh fruit.
d’Arenberg is open for tours and tastings daily, year-round. It offers a range of experiences that blend the traditional tasting room visit with exciting discovery, luxury and culinary decadence. Visitors can choose from hosted masterclasses, a la carte or degustation dining and even play winemaker for the day, blending and bottling their own label to take home. d’Arenberg is committed to providing an inclusive and accessible experience for all, so book your visit online today. d’Arenberg is located in McLaren Vale, 45 minutes south of Adelaide.
2. Two Hands Wines
Founded in 1999, Two Hands Wines has one goal (ok, obsession): to showcase the full range of what Australian wine can be. It’s a philosophy that has seen them earn international acclaim from some of the world’s most influential critics, but it’s also one that’s evident in every bottle of Two Hands wine you pick up.
Two Hands name is inspired by the artisanal, hands-on approach that founder Michael Twelftree and his dedicated team take to the crafting of each wine. They focus on highlighting the nuances of Shiraz from six prized regions across Australia. They work closely with their own vineyards as well as a select band of growers to ensure that the full potential of each individual site is reached year after year.
Angels’ Share, from McLaren Vale, is a testament to that focus. A wine that’s both classic and boundary-busting, it displays tremendous build, detail and density with aromas of lavender, cranberries and minty floral Asian spice. On the palate it’s rich and sumptuous with a deep set, fruit-driven character and a long finish.
Visit the Two Hands Cellar Door at Kraehe House in Marananga to taste your way through the impressive portfolio. You’ll get a true sense of how the climate, soils and vineyard locations of each region influence the wines you drink. It’s the kind of experience that’ll leave you wanting more. And with a cellar door team as passionate about their job as they are about the wines, you’ll have no trouble racking up a few more bottles on your return trip home.
3. Bird in Hand
While many cellar doors have opted for clean, modern spaces that let the wines do all the talking, others are taking a much more playful approach. One of Adelaide’s best is Bird in Hand, the eatery offspring of shiraz-supplying heavyweight d’Arry’s. Here, you can look out across picture-perfect vineyards while tucking into the 10-course degustation. Expect smoked trout with mulled wine sorbet, Gawler River quail with rhubarb and raspberry frangipani tarts and enough cheese platters to make a lactose-intolerant person cry.
The Lane Vineyard in Lenswood is another excellent option for a winery lunch, particularly on a crisp winter’s day. There’s nothing quite like gazing out over the vineyards punctuated by neatly-stacked rows of vines, with a glass of sauvignon semillon in your hand and a plate of melt-in-your mouth beef skewers with leeks, Woodside goat’s cheese and rye on your table.
If you’re in the mood for something a little bit different, head to the city of Adelaide and try out Lot 100. This New York-style joint is multi-leveled with moody lights, vintage light fixtures and several nooks to hide away with your special someone. It’s a wine bar and restaurant created by local business owners – a top sommelier, winemaker, cider maker and distiller – so you can expect delicious food from chefs Tom Bubner and Shannon Fleming alongside an impressive selection of craft beverages including ciders, ales and wines from the Adelaide Hills.
4. Jacob’s Creek
South Australia is one of the world’s premier wine regions, with a long list of award-winning vineyard restaurants to choose from. With many of them embracing the cooler months with warm interiors and cosy menus, they are perfect for an intimate winery dinner or romantic getaway this winter.
Located just 8 kilometres from Adelaide’s CBD, Magill Estate is a true winery restaurant icon with a cosy (weekend only) cellar door and fine dining restaurant with decadent degustation experiences on offer. A visit here is also a chance to taste Penfolds Grange which carries an impressive reputation worldwide.
A defining feature of the winery is its Rubik’s cube architecture which embodies the complexity of the winemaking process. Designed by the winery’s fourth-generation family member, Chester Osborn, this unique building features benchmark environmental design that is both functional and aesthetic.
Guests can take part in an informal or structured wine tasting, learn about the Barossa’s heritage and culture through the interpretative gallery and enjoy lunch at Our Table restaurant which serves contemporary Australian food matched to the winery’s recommendations. As well as a range of Jacob’s Creek wines, the restaurant offers cellar door exclusives from other Barossa Valley wineries and even a few big names from Burgundy in France. The restaurant’s wine list is backed up by a selection of local craft beer and spirits including microbreweries like Big Shed Brewing and Pirate Life plus distillers such as Applewood and the Adelaide Hills Distillery.
5. Shaw + Smith
Shaw + Smith is a winery in the Adelaide Hills region, located in the Mount Lofty Ranges about thirty minutes from Adelaide. It was founded in 1989 by cousins Martin Shaw (a pioneering flying winemaker) and Michael Hill-Smith MW, making wines exclusively from the Hills – Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, utilising a variety of cultivars or “clones” to reflect vineyard site characteristics. Shaw + Smith owns two large vineyards in Lenswood and Balhannah and a cellar door and Tasting Room at Balhannah.
The grapes are hand-picked during a small window of ideal ripeness to ensure the best quality. This allows the grapes to express their full flavours and varietal characters, which are then balanced by the winemaker’s craft, knowledge and expertise.
The winery produces a wide range of wines that are recognised as some of Australia’s finest. Its Sauvignon Blanc from the 2021 vintage is a prime example displaying zesty citrus fruit, nashi pear and passionfruit aromas, with fresh limey fruit and restrained tropical fruit on the palate. It has a dry finish and impressive purity.
6. Golding Wines
When it comes to destination dining in South Australia, there are plenty of winery restaurants offering stand-out experiences. Some are five-star fancy, others are relaxed and at one with nature. Whether you’re in the mood for a crisp white, fruit-flavoured red or something bubbly, these cellar door eateries will have you salivating and sipping.
Tucked away in the McLaren Vale wine region, Muni offers a casual and friendly cellar door experience with a menu that champions local wines (and their cult-classic syrahs). A great suburban eatery that also pushes the boundaries of what’s possible, you can sit and relax here to enjoy a glass of vino before or after a film, or dine on a scrumptious dinner that’s been paired with the latest vintage.
The quaint Alpha Box & Dice is another quirky addition to the McLaren Vale cellar door scene, located in a heritage-listed barn. Their alphabetised wine tastings offer a fun alternative to a standard tasting session. In winter, the inviting mahogany decor is a perfect place to keep warm, while in summer, you can lounge on the grass and indulge in a bottle of their Alpha Box & Dice Rosé or Last Hurrah Sparkling.