South Australia

South Australia Holiday Planner & Guide 7 Adelaide is known as the Vineyard City, and with good reason. Within the city square mile, a working vineyard in the National Wine Centre of Australia educates and inspires visitors and winemakers alike. Famed wine label Penfolds has its spiritual home and cellar door just 8km from the city centre, conducting tours and private tastings across the property. In addition, South Australia has 18 distinct wine regions dotted throughout the state, producing 60% of all of Australia’s wine. The world’s oldest vines can be found in South Australia, still producing fruit some 170 years on, thanks to a viticulture environment that is phylloxera-free, a pest that has crippled other wine regions across the globe. The varied environments in South Australia gives rise to many styles, varietals and subtleties of wine: the Mediterranean climate of McLaren Vale 45 minutes south of the city; the crisp, cool-climate whites of the Adelaide Hills; the Southern Ocean breezes and microclimates of Kangaroo Island, and warm terra rosa soils of the Coonawarra in the State’s south. Then there’s the fruity acidity of Rieslings from the Clare Valley two hours’ north of Adelaide, and of course, iconic big, bold shiraz from the Barossa. For those partial to a tipple or two, you’re never far from an excellent glass of South Australian wine. The best way to take it all in is to hire a guide or join a local tour with those in the know. Behind the scenes access, museum wine tastings, and meet the winemaker experiences are just the start of your wine adventure. DAY 1 Drive south 45 minutes from Adelaide to the McLaren Vale wine region. Visit some of the 70-odd stellar wineries such as Gemtree, Coriole, Wirra Wirra and Alpha Box & Dice. Have lunch at the iconic d’Arenberg Cube. After lunch, join a tour and do a tasting or blend your own wine experience. Drive an hour to the Adelaide Hills and continue your wine-hopping at places such as The Lane, Shaw + Smith, Bird in Hand and Golding Wines. Check in to your accommodation at Sequoia with stunning, uninterrupted views over the Piccadilly Valley. Dine inhouse at the acclaimed Hardy’s Verandah restaurant. DAY 2 Drive an hour north to the Barossa and stop in at Jacob’s Creek and St Hugo for tours and tastings. For lunch, try Fino at Seppeltsfield, then taste your birth year tawny in the Centennial Cellar, wander around the JamFactory art gallery and head to Yalumba for a tour of their cooperage. You’ll be spoilt for choice with dinner – make the difficult decision between FermentAsian or Appellation, and overnight at The Louise, one of the Luxury Lodges of Australia. DAY 3 If you’re staying at The Louise, then Breakfast with the Kangaroos is a must. After, drive an hour north to the Clare Valley and visit Sevenhill Cellars, the oldest winery in the region, established in 1851. Have lunch at Slate at Pikes Winery and indulge in tastings of their wine and beer. In the afternoon, visit Skillogalee and Jim Barry Wines. Overnight at the Clare Country Club. DAY 4 Hire a bike from your accommodation and ride along the Riesling and Rattler Trail, stopping in at Tim Adams and Mr Mick Wines. Have a light lunch of tapas at Mr Mick Wines and head back to Adelaide for dinner in the city. Overnight at one of the many excellent options in Adelaide. T O P W I N E R Y E X P E R I E N C E S • d’Arenberg Cube, Fleurieu Peninsula • Taste your birth year at Seppeltsfield, Barossa • Lot 100, Adelaide Hills • Cycle the Riesling Trail, Clare Valley • Penfolds Grange tasting, Adelaide • Panorama Experience at The Lane, Adelaide Hills For a more detailed itinerary visit southaustralia.com/roadtrips