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.

Curiosity awaits in the Cube restaurant

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.

Share a unique bottle at Raidis Estate

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

Island life just got even sweeter.

Once a humble sheep farm established in the 19th century, Louth Island is now the site of an opulent eco-conscious property that’s redefining Australia’s luxury accommodation landscape.

Since first opening its doors in 2023, Rumi on Louth has expanded in carefully crafted stages, each more impressive than the last. And now, with the unveiling of its brand-new cabins, the resort is poised to elevate the experience once again.

The current accommodation options

While the future is looking particularly bright for guests of Rumi on Louth, the current accommodation options are nothing to sneeze at. Presently, the resort boasts a one-bedroom ocean view suite with an open-plan kitchenette, in-suite bar, en suite with rain shower and king-size bed.

Wake up to views of the sea from your one-bedroom suite.

There are also four ocean view king rooms available, each offering rain showers, king-size beds and in-room amenities like coffee machines and 65-inch flatscreens. No matter what room you stay in, you’ll be treated to floor-to-ceiling windows that soak in uninterrupted ocean views across the pristine Spencer Gulf.

For larger groups, the gorgeous private retreat is the ideal escape. It features one queen-size and eight king-single rooms, two bathrooms, a fully equipped kitchen, spacious living area, split-system air conditioning and large private deck with outdoor furnishings.

Earlier this year, Rumi on Louth’s founder Che Metcalfe also revealed his $20-million plans for 23 earth-sheltered villas and a VIP residence with its own private beach and horizon pool. But clearly, that was just the beginning.

The new cabins

Just when you thought it couldn’t get more impressive, another chapter begins. South Australian entrepreneur and former CEO of Uniti Group, Che Metcalfe, who bought Louth Island in 2021, has just announced additional accommodation for the eco-resort.

The new cabins will join 23 private earth-sheltered villas.

Rumi on Louth will add 22 new ocean view cabins to its portfolio during its next phase of development, with hot tubs and a tennis court to match. While not a lot is known about the specific design of these new cabins or how they will differ from the existing rooms and upcoming villas, Metcalfe’s track record hints at something special. In adherence to its core ethos, the rooms will be fully off-grid and sustainable, too.

Rumi on Louth is completely powered by solar energy.

Rumi on Louth is completely powered by solar energy, equipped with advanced compost/recycling systems and even has its own desalination plant. The addition of chicken coops and vegetable gardens will also help the eco-resort on its mission to restore and revegetate Louth Island.

This forward-thinking approach has already landed the resort among Australia’s best eco-retreats, so guests can enjoy their stay knowing it won’t leave an environmental footprint.

The rest of the resort

If you can tear yourself away from your room, there’s plenty to keep you occupied across the 135-hectare property. Current guests can indulge at the onsite day spa, dine at the two-hatted Samphire restaurant and partake in a variety of signature experiences.

Dine on fresh local produce at two-hatted Samphire restaurant.

From dreamy beach picnics and cooking masterclasses to catamaran cruises and kayak fishing, you’re spoilt for choice. Or simply wile away the day at Louth Island’s stunning secluded beach.

When plans were revealed for Rumi’s earth-sheltered villas at the start of 2025, an extensive blueprint for new resort-style facilities came with it. Think pickleball courts, a Japanese-style onsen and a five-star restaurant, plunge pools, saunas and private cabanas, as well as a map of walking trails around the island.

Enjoy a private cabana on the beach.

The details

Rumi on Louth is situated on Louth Island, just a few kilometres off the coast of Port Lincoln in South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula. It is completely self-sufficient, off-grid and sustainable, with conservation and regeneration at its heart.

The resort is only accessible by boat – guests will be picked up from Port Lincoln Airport and transported to the resort via its amphibious water vessel, Sealegs. Day visitors are also welcome, but transport to the jetty for pick up must be arranged independently.

Louth Island is only accessible via boat transfer.

Reservations are open now, with room prices varying from $630 per night in an ocean view king room to $945 per night for the one-bedroom ocean view suite. The private retreat can be booked from $2500 per night with a minimum stay of two nights.

No date of completion has been confirmed for the second phase of development, but with the green light granted, construction is now moving ahead. Watch this space!

A guide to South Australia’s best winery experiences