5 minute read
Secret sips
With more than 350 cellar doors nestled among 76,000 hectares of vineyards, South Australia is spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing a hidden cellar door
STORY AND IMAGES COURTESY OF TOURISM SA
It’s no secret South Australia knows wine, but wander a little off the well-worn track and you’ll be rewarded with hidden cellar doors pouring up wine in a beautiful setting. Here, our eight favourites waiting to be discovered.
1. Ten Miles East, Adelaide Hills
Set your coordinates Ten Miles East and step into a storybook-perfect cellar door. Frequented by those in the know, this Adelaide Hills winery and cellar door is one of the most idyllic and undiscovered spots to drink wine in South Australia. Their vineyard footprint is small, stretching just nine acres and with six varietals grown and bottled. But with varieties like the Georgian Saperavi— one of the few grapes which has both red skin and flesh—a visit to Ten Miles East is a discovery for all senses. Surrounded by rambling, terraced gardens reminiscent of an English manor, the 100% estate grown wine is poured from a tiny 1800s stone barn. Find a spot nestled among the trees, perched lakeside or sprawled on the lawns with a BYO picnic spread and they’ll pour your wine wherever you settle.
2. Samson Tall, Fleurieu Peninsula
Consider yourself a devout wine connoisseur? Add Samson Tall to your cellar-door bucket list. Not your average cellar door, Samson Tall is a boutique winery located in a picturesque McLaren Vale church dating back to 1854. Pull up a pew (literally) and let winemaker Paul Wilson pour you a few of his favourite drops or head outside to enjoy a bottle of heaven-sent grenache-mataro rosé on the deck. There’s a piano waiting to be played, lush lawns primed for picnics, and a resident winery dog, Miller, in need of pats (your pup is welcome, too). Don’t miss the historic graveyard out the back.
3. David Franz, Barossa
The son of Peter Lehman, David Franz, has forged his own path in the wine world with his exciting take on Barossa wine culture. Combining old school methods with innovative and creative thinking, David Franz wines will redefine your expectations of the Barossa region. With a cellar door in an original 1860’s cottage, discover their wonderful wines and perhaps one of the best views the Barossa has to offer.
4. CRFT, Adelaide Hills
Perched in one of the highest altitude grape growing regions in the country lies a lesser-known hero of the Adelaide Hills. CRFT is a certified organic label run by wine young-guns Candice Helbig and Frewin Ries, who collectively have 48 vintages under their belt. Set to the backdrop of the Mount Lofty Ranges, the unique Piccadilly micro-climate allows wine to be produced with minimal intervention. Bountiful rainfall means the vineyards are unirrigated and native ducks, rather than pesticides, keep insects under control. Here, grape growing conditions are likened to those of the Champagne wine region in France and are among the coldest, wettest and most elevated in Australia. The result is relatively low cropping but quality yields which are used to create 13 singlevineyard wines. Best sipped metres from the vines on which they were grown, CRFT’s cellar door is a converted barn cradled by vineyards.
5. Kimbolton, Langhorne Creek
Kitted-out industrial shipping containers designed by renowned architect Damian Chwalisz create the perfect secret spot to while away an afternoon at Kimbolton Wines. Take a bottle of Montepulciano Rosé (crisp, fresh and dry) to the rooftop deck and soak in views across Langhorne Creek’s vineyards or head to the lawns with a regionally-inspired platter playing lawn games below.
6. The Blok, Coonawarra
Take the road less travelled and unearth the world-class wine region that is Coonawarra. Nestled in the heart of the Limestone Coast of South Australia, Coonawarra is home to a number of welcoming cellar doors, such as the The Blok—a quaint cellar door taking residence in an old homestead. Serving traditional varietals from sparkling pinot chardonnay to a selection of reds, this delightful and small family-owned cellar door is worth the visit.
7. The Joinery Wine Room, Port Elliot
Journey south of Adelaide to the idyllic seaside town of Port Elliot—home to postcard-worthy beaches and the Joinery Wine Room. A cellar door serving Charlotte Dalton Wines and Cooke Brothers Wines is the perfect spot to relax with a glass or bottle while grazing on a platter of local produce. Stay for a while or stop by to pick up some wines to go—this cellar door won’t stay hidden for long.
8. Between the Vines, Adelaide Hills
Hidden at the bottom of a lush valley, Between the Vines is as much a secret garden as a vineyard. Descend down the tree-lined driveway to the family-run cellar door, where a charming Tuscanstyle tasting room sits on the edge of the fiveacre vineyard. Framed by hills festooned with vines, private alfresco nooks are tucked all around the cottage-style garden and vineyard, while panoramic views await on the rooftop deck. Inside, there are countless cosy corners to sip wine paired with a local cheese platter. You’ll find Between the Vines on the edge of the leafy hamlet of Stirling in the Adelaide Hills.
