A Guide To South Australia's Best Winery Experiences

South Australia’s wine regions cater to all tastes – from its robust shiraz to aromatic whites and experimental drops aged in buried amphorae.

Hundreds of wineries across the state make every imaginable type of wine, and cellar doors these days do far more than just sell the finished product. Visitors can find a growing range of unique experiences on offer alongside the wine: here are six of the best.

1. The Home Of Grange

Penfolds Magill Estate is more than just the spiritual home of Australia’s most famous wine. The original winery on the edge of the Adelaide foothills has a 175-year history, and it was there that pioneering chief winemaker Max Schubert began experimenting with a new red blend in the 1950s. Initially, the new red was so poorly received by critics and the public that Schubert was ordered to stop production. Instead, he continued to make Grange in secret, hiding several new vintages in the depths of the cellars until management saw the wine’s potential.

The Ultimate Penfolds Experience lets you tour the original working winery and famous bluestone cellars, including the otherwise unremarkable cupboard where Schubert hid his forbidden fruit. And most importantly, you can then retire to a private tasting room to sample a range of Penfolds’ super-premium wines, including the iconic Grange.

Penfolds is more than just the spiritual home of Australia’s most famous wine

2. A Surreal Degustation

The five-story d’Arenberg Cube is the most eye-catching building in McLaren Vale, and the views out over the lush Lofty Ranges and cliff-ringed beaches of the Fleurieu are worth the trip alone. Amazingly, what’s inside is even more memorable. Shockingly bright harlequin-covered chairs and lurid artworks are just a hint of what awaits in the Cube restaurant.

The chefs’ mission is to engage the imagination and challenge convention, and they succeed abundantly at their task. Fusing Heston-style molecular gastronomy with Lewis Carroll’s creativity, some of the offerings include “coals" of barramundi and vegemite, sherbet that’s sucked off a mirror through a rolled hundred dollar bill and 3D printed dishes. In comparison, the Dali exhibition being displayed on the grounds looks downright conventional. Whether you think it’s unfiltered madness or pure inspiration, it’s impossible to deny that the result is one of the most memorable meals in the country.

3. Tawny Time Capsules

If Chester Osborn at d’Arenberg is the wine world’s mad hatter, Warren Randall must surely be its master perfumier The olfactory wizard has created a sensory paradise at his Seppeltsfield complex in the heart of the Barossa.

The soothing scent of olive oil soap at Vasse Virgin is enhanced by hints of sandalwood and essential oils, while the kitchen at Fino Seppeltsfield is responsible for a range of tantalising aromas. But entering the Centennial Cellar is like ascending to a loftier plane. Walk into this magical space and you’re immediately be engulfed by a warm cloud of toffee and almonds. This is the angel’s share of barrels representing every vintage of tawny dating back to 1878, a collection that is unrivalled anywhere in the world. You can only enter on a guided tour and, fortunately, all of them include at least one tasting. Taste your birth year direct from the barrel, sample a 100-year-old tawny or embark on the ultimate choose-your-own-adventure with This Is Your Life , a selection of five vintages that can go back as far as 1902.

Seppeltsfield complex in the heart of the Barossa

4. Be A Winemaker For A Day

Plenty of wineries allow you to blend your own wine, but Coonawarra’s Raïdis Estate goes one step further and gives you control over every step of the process. Each vintage, a select few wine enthusiasts gather at the friendly-family winery and help to make that season’s Kefi. And they’re in charge of everything, from picking the grapes to deciding what kind of oak and fermentation method to use (with a little guidance from the winemakers).

The day begins with a strong Greek coffee before you head out to pluck grapes directly from the vine. After crushing the fruit, the hard work is done and you can indulge in an elaborate Greek feast accompanied by plenty of Raïdis back vintages. Then you can sit back and wait for updates on how the wine is progressing and, once it’s ready to be released, you’ll receive a bottle in the post so you can see just how well you did.

5. Learn From The Best

The Adelaide Hills is the land of the long lunch, and few are more satisfying than Shaw + Smith ’s. Perched above a beautiful lake near Balhannah, the cellar door is one of the most picturesque in the region, and the views from the vineyards are even better. After beginning the Friday Table experience with a walk through the vines, venture behind the scenes of the winery with a tour through the barrel halls and fermentation rooms as you learn the craft of winemaking and sample wines in various stages of maturation.

Retire to a private room for a guided tasting of some limited edition single site wines and sit down to a meal where each of the courses is paired with two vintages for side-by-side comparison. Shaw + Smith is the only winery in Australia that’s home to two Masters of Wine, and you can see if some of their expertise has rubbed off on you by finishing with a blind tasting opposite one of the winery’s top guns.

This cellar door is one of the most picturesque in the region

6. The Ultimate Cellar Door

You won’t find a more convenient vineyard than the one at the National Wine Centre of Australia , in the Adelaide CBD. Seven varieties are grown here, but they’re mostly for educational purposes and the 120 wines on offer in Australia’s largest tasting room represent all 65 wine regions around the country.

That means there’s something to suit every taste and budget on offer from the Enomatic dispensers (which represent a small selection from the 18,000-bottle cellar). If the choice is overwhelming and you need a little assistance, ask one of the centre’s sommeliers to take you on a tour followed by a master class that takes you to any wine region in the country.

Architectural facade of National Wine Centre of Australia

Makers, bakers, artists, chefs, crafters – Ballarat and its surrounds are overflowing with creative spirits. All dedicated to keeping traditional skills alive for a city that is humming with artful energy.

Modern makers: a new generation of artists and artisans

“Keeping craft alive is a noble cause,” says Jess Cameron-Wootten, a charming and passionate master leathercrafter and cordwainer, who handmakes traditional leather boots and shoes in Ballarat’s old Gun Cotton Goods Store.

Ballarat was recognised in 2019 as a UNESCO Creative City of Craft and Folk Art, and today it’s a place where craft traditions converge with contemporary needs. Nothing quite captures this convergence as a visit to Wootten , the workshop and store of Jess Cameron-Wootten and his partner Krystina Menegazzo.

heritage buildings in Ballarat — Ballarat’s streets are lined with heritage buildings. (Image: Matt Dunne)

Jess’s father was an artisan bootmaker, or cordwainer. Now Jess and Krys and their small team of artisans continue the tradition, but with a modern spin. The company’s boots and shoes, made completely from scratch, are renowned for their quality and longevity. Wootten also craft shoes, bags, belts, leather aprons, wallets and more.

Cosy beanies, gloves, alpaca socks, “unbreakable” shoelaces and various other goods – many from local craftspeople and small-scale makers – fill the shop’s shelves. “We’re always happy to support a mate,” says Jess. “People love to see the workshop and where things are made. Our clients care about quality and sustainability,” Krys comments. The company slogan ‘Made for generations’ says it all.

Ruby Pilven’s ceramics at Ross Creek Gallery. (Image: Tara Moore)

For Ruby Pilven, craft is also in the DNA – both her parents were potters and with her latest porcelain ceramics, Ruby’s young daughter has been helping add colour to the glazes. “I grew up watching my parents in the workshop – I’ve always been doing ceramics,” she says, although her Visual Arts degree was in printmaking. That printmaking training comes through particularly in the rich layering of pattern. Her audacious colour, unexpected shapes and sudden pops of 12-carat gold are contemporary, quirky – and joyful.

You can see Ruby’s handcrafted ceramics, and work by other local and regional artists, at Ross Creek Gallery , a light-filled space surrounded by serene bushland, across from the mudbrick house her parents built in the 1980s. A 10-minute drive from Ballarat, it’s a tangible link to the region’s well-established craft traditions.

How Ballarat is preserving the past

artisans making crafts at the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades, Ballarat — The Centre for Rare Arts & Forgotten Trades holds workshops to preserve crafts and skills.

While tradition is ongoing, there’s a danger that many of these specific type of skills and knowledge are fading as an older generation passes on. Step forward the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades .

The seven purpose-built studios occupy a fabulous modern building adjacent to Sovereign Hill, with state-of-the-art facilities, enormous windows and landscape views across to Warrenheip and Wadawurrung Country.

artisanal works at the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades, Ballarat — Check out artisanal works at the Centre for Rare Arts and Forgotten Trades.

Practising artisans run hands-on workshops. Fancy making your own medieval armour? Or trying your hand at blacksmithing, spinning wool, plaiting leather, weaving cane or craft a knife? Book a class and learn how. “It’s about creating awareness and also sharing knowledge and skills before they are lost,” explains Deborah Klein, the centre manager.

A city steeped in food and flavours

Chef José Fernandez preparing American streetfood at Pancho — Chef José Fernandez creates vibrant South American street food at Pancho. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

One skill that hasn’t been lost is that of cooking. Ballarat’s burgeoning gastronomy scene runs the gamut from an artisan bakery (the atmospheric 1816 Bakehouse) to cool coffee shops, speakeasy cocktail bars and distilleries to fine-dining venues. But I’m still surprised to find Pancho , José Fernandez’s South American street food restaurant, serving fried cheese tequeños, fiery fish tacos, Argentinian grilled chicken.

The room is as lively as the food – a whirl of colour filled with gifted and thrifted paintings, photos, tchotchkes (trinkets), plants. There’s a Mexican abuela aesthetic going on here. Even before the music and mezcal kick in, it’s fun. Heads up on the drinks menu – an authentic selection of mezcal, tequila, South American wines and Mexican cerveza.

a cocktail at Itinerant Spirits, Ballarat — Enjoy a cocktail at Itinerant Spirits. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

The spirit is willing, so after lunch we head towards the gold rush-era Ballarat train station and across the line to the old 1860s Goods Shed for Itinerant Spirits . At one end, a massive German copper still looms behind a wall of glass. The fit-out embraces deep olive-green tones, original bluestone walls, steamer trunks as coffee tables, heritage timber floors, oversized lamp shades and cognac-hued modernist leather seating.

the Itinerant Spirits Distillery & Cocktail Bar, Ballarat — The distillery operates from an old goods shed. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

Gallivanter Gin, Vansetter Vodka and Wayfarer Whiskey – the key spirits distilled – star at the bar. The spirits are crafted using grains from the Wimmera Mallee region, and native botanicals foraged in the Grampians. Seasonal cocktails are inspired by local people and places (I loved The Headland, inspired by Sovereign Hill and flavoured with old-fashioned raspberry drops). Sample the spirits, and join a cocktail masterclass or a distillery tour. It’s a seductive setting – you’ll likely find yourself ordering a charcuterie platter or pizza as the evening progresses.

The Ballarat stay combining history and luxury

one of the rooms at Hotel Vera, Ballarat — The rooms at Hotel Vera have a contemporary style. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

New lives for old buildings keeps history alive. Vera, Ballarat’s boutique five-star hotel, has taken it to the next level: it’s a palimpsest, a subtle layering of early 1900s and 1930s Art Deco architecture with a sleek new wing. There are seven spacious suites, each a dramatically different colour, with designer chairs, blissful bathrooms. High-end pottery and hand-picked artworks imbue the spaces with personality.

Vera’s intimate, award-winning restaurant, Babae, is subtly theatrical with sheer drapes and gallery lighting, its bespoke timber furniture and brass-edged marble bench setting the stage for food with a sharp regional focus. “We have goat’s cheese from a local supplier, handmade granola from local Vegas & Rose, truffles from nearby Black Cat Truffles, fresh food from our garden, and regional wines,” says joint owner David Cook-Doulton.

Celebrating the local makers, bakers, growers and producers, and the master chefs who work their magic is all part of the rich tapestry that links Ballarat’s history to its vibrant present.

A traveller’s checklist

Getting there

It’s 90 minutes from Melbourne, either on the Western Freeway, or hop on a V/Line train from Southern Cross Station.

Staying there

Hotel Vera is a centrally located Art Deco boutique hotel. Consider Hotel Provincial , which feels like a sleek country house, but with its own restaurant, Lola.

a contemporary room at Hotel Provincial, Ballarat — Hotel Provincial has country house vibes.

Eating there

dining at Mr Jones, Ballarat — The table is set at Mr Jones. (Image: Tony Evans/ Visit Victoria)

Culinary whiz Damien Jones helms Chef’s Hat winner Mr Jones Dining with quiet assurance. His modern Asian food is deceptively simple with deep, intense flavours. Low-key, laid-back ambience, lovely staff, thoughtful wine list.

Cocktails are definitely a thing in Ballarat. Reynard (fox in French) is foxy indeed, a clubby space with top-notch cocktails and small bites. Grainery Lane is extravagantly OTT with its massive 1880s bar, myriad chandeliers, brass gin still, Asian-inspired food and lavish cocktails.

dining at Grainery Lane, Ballarat — Dining at Grainery Lane.

Playing there

a laneway filled with artworks in Ballarat — An artful laneway in the city. (Image: Ballarat Tourism)

Check out local design legend Travis Price’s wall murals in Hop Lane with its colourful canopy of brollies, or in Main Street. The Art Gallery of Ballarat’s off-site Backspace Gallery showcases early-career artists in a stylish, contemporary space. First Nations-owned and run Perridak Arts connects people to place, bringing together art and crafts in this gallery/shop.

a woman admiring artworks at Perridak Arts Gallery — Perridak Arts is a First Nations-run gallery. (Image: Tony Evans)

The wineries of the Pyrenees are close at hand with their welcoming cellar doors and robust reds. Join a behind-the-scenes tour at the Centre for Gold Rush Collections .

Don’t forget the giant bluestone Kryal Castle , ‘the land of adventure’, for a little medieval magic, and not just for the kids: get ready for Highland-style feasting, jousting, even overnight stays.

A guide to South Australia’s best winery experiences