The must-visit wineries on Kangaroo Island

Carla Grossetti Carla Grossetti
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Kangaroo Island is making a splash on the drinks front. Here’s the lowdown on the best wineries on Kangaroo Island with a brewer and distiller thrown in for good measure.

Whether watching a sunset over the Backstairs Passage with a glass of chilled chardonnay in hand, enjoying pizza and live music at a local brewery or sipping on spirits at a cutting-edge cellar door, here’s our guide to Kangaroo Island’s wineries, breweries and distillers.

Pouring wine in a glass, False Cape Wines, Kangaroo Island, South Australia
Enjoy a glass of Kangaroo Island’s award-winning wines. (Image: Meaghan Coles)

False Cape Winery

The history of growing grapes on KI dates back to the early 1900s and is woven into the island’s culture. False Cape Winery upcycled an old steel hay shed and patched it with recycled wood, jetty timbers and limestone to construct its cellar door, located on the Willson River, just 15 minutes from Penneshaw. Enjoy a glass of the award-winning Willson River riesling with a cheese platter and chunky homemade pie.

Aerial view, False Cape Wines, Kangaroo Island, South Australia
The history of growing grapes on KI is woven into the island’s culture. (Image: Isaac Forman)

Dudley Wines

The spectacular cellar door at Dudley Wines is perched on the clifftops of Kangaroo Island’s north coast, boasting endless ocean views across Backstairs Passage to mainland Australia. There are truly no Dudley duds; all the wines are winners. We love, love, love the Dudley Bubbly NV and 2018 Stud Shiraz. The cellar door menu includes platters, oozy grilled brie and gourmet pizzas; lunch bookings preferred.

Dudley Wines, Winery in Kangaroo Island, South Australia
The spectacular cellar door at Dudley Wines is perched on the clifftops of KI’s north coast. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission)

Bay of Shoals

Arrive by yacht to Kangaroo Island and you will receive a discount at Bay of Shoals due to winemaker John Willoughby’s side obsession for sailing. Bay of Shoals’ cellar door and vineyard doubles as a maritime museum thanks to its vast collection of wooden boats and nautical flotsam and jetsam. Pair a bottle of sav blanc with a seafood platter of Spencer gulf prawns, smoked mussel pâté and hot-smoked salmon.

Lunch with wine pairing at Bay of Shoals Wines, Kangaroo Island, South Australia
Order a bottle of sav blanc to pair with your meal. (Image: Meaghan Coles)

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Springs Road Wines

The cellar door at Springs Road Wines is in a pitch-roofed tin shed on the northern part of Kangaroo Island. Turn off the Playford Highway and slice through the sheep paddocks and vineyards to arrive at the striking cellar door at Springs Road Wines, sister vineyard to Battle of Bosworth in McLaren Vale.

Pull up a pew on the deck to sip Springs Road little island fizz – a fresh and juicy sparkling shiraz/cabernet – or a full-bodied chardonnay.

Time your visit for Pizza on the Deck; check website for next session and book ahead to secure a spot.

Tin Cellar Door at Springs Road, Kangaroo Island, SA, Australia
The cellar door at Springs Road Wines is in a pitch-roofed tin shed.

Kangaroo Island Spirits

Inspiration for Australia’s first dedicated gin distillery, founded by Jon and Sarah Lark, came from Jon’s brother Bill, founder of the award-winning Lark Distillery in Tasmania. Kangaroo Island Spirits is now owned by the mighty Mighty Craft, which still operates out of the original cellar door.

Book a table in the Gin Garden to enjoy the Wild Gin, distilled using boobialla (KI’s native juniper).

Wild Gin and mixed drinks at Kangaroo Island Spirits, South Australia
Book a table in the Gin Garden to enjoy the Wild Gin. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission)

The Islander Estate Vineyards

You’re guaranteed a warm welcome at The Islander Estate Vineyards . Sip on a selection of wines and nibble on a picnic-style platter of local artisanal produce at the tasting room, located near a crook in the Cygnet River. Learn about the history of the vineyard during a tutored tasting that touches on the measured style of winemaking favoured by Frenchman Jacques Lurton, who hails from Bordeaux.

Exterior of The Islander Estate Vineyards, Outside Seating, Kangaroo Island, SA, Australia
Sip on a selection of wines at The Islander Estate Vineyards. (Image: Josie Withers)

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Amadio Wines

Amadio Wines is located on one of the main streets of Kingscote on Kangaroo Island. It’s adjacent to Vino e Cucina in a beautiful heritage building. Kangaroo Islanders in the know head here to try a handful of Amadio’s best wines at the aptly named restaurant which is as much about the wines as the food. Work your way through the wine list until you’re woozy and then pick up a few bottles of your favourite varietals to take home.

Exterior of Amadio Wines, Kangaroo Island, SA, Australia
Try a handful of Amadio’s best wines. (Image: Meaghan Coles)

Kangaroo Island Brewery

Although Kangaroo Island Brewery is the only brewery on KI, it’s a broad church when it comes to welcoming a diverse craft-beer audience. In addition to sampling brilliant brews from the onsite taproom – such as the Coastal Lager, Sheoak Stout and Indian Pale Ale – the brewery hosts regular tap takeovers. You can also get a decent bite to eat (pizzas on Fridays and Sundays; ploughman’s boards, burgers and fries every other day) in the rustic brewhouse, which was cobbled together using materials recycled from old piers, wharves and shearing sheds.

Exterior, Kangaroo Island Brewery, Kangaroo Island, SA, Australia
Kangaroo Island Brewery is the only brewery on KI. (Image: Josie Withers)

Kangaroo Island Ciders

Graham and Mary Jones planted an apple orchard on their Kangaroo Island property in 2004. From little things, big things grow. The enterprising couple have planted more than 30 different varieties of dessert apples and their humble cider house, Kangaroo Island Ciders , now produces a range of award-winning ciders and sparkling juices. You can sample four ciders in a tasting paddle at the cafe of nearby Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Oil Distillery .

Glasses of Cider at Emu Ridge Eucalyptus Oil Distillery, Kangaroo Island, SA, Australia
You can sample four ciders in a tasting paddle at the nearby Emu Ridge Distillery.

Kangaroo Island Ligurian Honey Mead

Mead is also having a moment on KI: head to Kangaroo Island Ligurian Bee Co to pick up a bottle of Kangaroo Island Ligurian Honey Mead . The ancient Greeks referred to honey mead as ‘ambrosia’ or ‘nectar’ and you can buy bottles of the stuff to bathe in and beautify your body when you visit Kangaroo Island Ligurian Bee Co (formerly Island Beehive), which was one of the first organic honey producers in Australia. Beekeeper Peter Davis teamed up with Maxwell Wines to produce the mead and it’s on the money.

Honey drips off a hive frame at Kangaroo Island Ligurian Bee Co
Pick up a bottle of mead made with honey from the Kangaroo Island Ligurian Bee Co. (Image: South Australian Tourism Commission)
Carla Grossetti
Carla Grossetti avoided accruing a HECS debt by accepting a cadetship with News Corp. at the age of 18. After completing her cadetship at The Cairns Post Carla moved south to accept a position at The Canberra Times before heading off on a jaunt around Canada, the US, Mexico and Central America. During her career as a journalist, Carla has successfully combined her two loves – of writing and travel – and has more than two decades experience switch-footing between digital and print media. Carla’s CV also includes stints at delicious., The Sydney Morning Herald, and The Australian, where she specialises in food and travel. Carla also based herself in the UK where she worked at Conde Nast Traveller, and The Sunday Times’ Travel section before accepting a fulltime role as part of the pioneering digital team at The Guardian UK. Carla and has been freelancing for Australian Traveller for more than a decade, where she works as both a writer and a sub editor.
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8 of Australia’s ultimate road trips

    Riley Wilson Riley Wilson
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    From the Kimberley to Cape York, explore Australia’s epic and varied landscapes on curated and all-inclusive, intimate adventures via custom-built all-terrain coaches with Outback Spirit.

    From the tip of the Northern Territory to the rugged coast of the country’s southernmost point, Australia is a continent ripe with diverse and distinct adventures that are captivating and inspiring in equal measure. Luckily, so many of them are accessible by car with epic road trips that showcase the journey as much as the destination. With Outback Spirit, the award-winning and eco-certified tour operator from leading experiential tourism group Journey Beyond, the road less travelled – accessible in custom-built all-terrain coaches chaperoned by expert local guides – is the only way to go.

    From the dramatic jewels of the Kimberley in Western Australia to the remote stretches of Savannah Way in the country’s far north, Outback Spirit does all the hard work on all-inclusive, small-group tours that pause at an exclusive network of lodges and safari camps – so you can just enjoy the ride.

    1. The Kimberley

    With an otherworldly ambience that must be experienced to be understood, the Kimberley is a cornucopia of breathtaking cliffs, stunning gorges and exceptional waterways. A highlight of the 13-day Jewels of the Kimberley adventure is the spectacular 18-minute scenic helicopter flight over the Bungle Bungles. You’ll encounter a bounty of new perspectives elsewhere, too, between the astounding cruise through the Attenborough-approved Buccaneer Archipelago, humbling walks beneath ancient rock drawings, and evenings spent in the comfort of Outback Spirit’s exclusive-use, well-appointed Ngauwudu Safari Camp Safari Suites.

    Ngauwudu Safari Camp
    Relax in Ngauwudu Safari Camp Safari Suites.

    2. Arnhem Land

    The Traditional Lands of the Yolngu People reach into your heart and stay there. Outback Spirit’s 13-day Arnhem Land Wetlands & Wildlife tour was conceived in extensive consultation with Traditional Owners to guarantee a true immersion in Country. Explore the world’s largest outdoor rock art gallery; try your luck catching a metre-long barramundi; and discover pristine ecosystems from freshwater swamps to rocky escarpments. Relax each night in comfortable lodges exclusive to Outback Spirit, including the iconic Seven Spirit Bay Resort. Here, sophisticated luxury villas are perched on the bay’s edge overlooking clear, turquoise waters of Coral Bay.

    Seven Spirit Bay in arnhem land
    Enjoy the views at Seven Spirit Bay Resort.

    3. Cape York

    Travelling from Cairns to Cape York and back over 13 days, the small-group Cape York Wilderness Adventure tour runs from May to September, with unparalleled access to stunning sacred destinations and vibrant experiences on Thursday, Horn and Friday islands in the Torres Strait. The World Heritage-listed Daintree Rainforest is a star of the expedition, with the exclusive guided Dreamtime Gorge Walk with a Kuku Yulanji elder taking place beneath lush ferns, with the commanding rumble of Mossman Gorge in the distance.

    tour guide at Mossman Gorge
    Join the Dreamtime Gorge Walk. (Image: TEQ)

    4. Margaret River

    The nine-day Margaret River & Rottnest Discovery highlights fine wine, great food, art, music and local produce at Leeuwin Estate on the vineyard-packed banks of the Margaret River, pausing to explore the ancient underground caves and towering Karri timber forests. Start the journey with a ride on the iconic Indian Pacific and pop to Rottnest Island on the tail-end of the trip, with 10,000 quokkas to befriend and 63 gorgeous beaches to explore before lunch. With bubbles included, of course.

    food and wine at Leeuwin Estate
    Treat your tastebuds at Leeuwin Estate. (Image: Tourism WA)

    5. Savannah Way

    On this 15-day Leichhardt’s Savannah Expedition , Outback Spirit’s custom all-terrain Mercedes-Benz coaches cross two states from Cairns to Darwin. After visiting the most northerly camp of the Burke and Wills Expedition of 1860/61 and visiting the see-it-to-believe-it Millaa Millaa Falls (refreshing swim optional!), you’ll indulge in three nights at the million-acre Lorella Springs Station, a sunset dinner cruise on the Gulf of Carpentaria and a dip in warmed thermal pools in the middle of the wilderness.

    aerial of Millaa Millaa Falls
    Dive into Millaa Millaa Falls. (Image: TEQ)

    6. Central Australia

    The captivating splendour of Uluru is the central focus of the eight-day Red Centre Explorer tour, which includes Alice Springs and Kings Canyon among its stops. Hosted on the sacred lands of the Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara Anangu, this itinerary is grounded in the landscape, with visits to the critically acclaimed Field of Light installation, a multi-course dinner under the stars at Ayers Rock Resort, and a didgeridoo performance to accompany bush-tucker-packed snacks all within the shadow of the sacred geological site. Awaken early for a sunrise over the pindan plateau, the image of which will remain in your memory for a lifetime to come.

    two people in front of the field of light
    Marvel at the Field of Light installation (Image: Tourism NT/ Lola and Jira/ Uluru Kata-Tjuta NP)

    7. Flinders Ranges

    The remote South Australian landscape is your playground on the 11-day Outback South Australia tour, which takes in the sights (including Wilpena Pound and beloved Lake Eyre), sounds and flavours of the ‘festival’ state. At Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary, cosmos chasers will enjoy a tour of the stars at the accredited onsite astronomical observatory as endangered yellow-footed rock wallabies bounce in the dark. The next day, guests will take to open-air 4WDs with expert guides for the Ridgetop Tour to explore the breathtaking, unique 1600-million-year-old landscape within the Flinders Ranges.

    mist around Wilpena Pound in flinders ranges
    See the impressive Wilpena Pound. (Image: Emile Ristevski)

    8. Tasmania

    Take in stunning views from Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park (or, afterwards, from the comfort of Cradle Mountain Lodge) on the 12-day curated Tasmanian Wilderness Explorer itinerary. Taste the incredible food on Bruny Island and wander Wineglass Bay in Freycinet National Park. Traverse the glacial-formed Dove Lake on a 5.7-kilometre hike; soak up sombre history at Port Arthur; and pose with penguins in Penguin before settling in for the night at Outback Spirit’s suite of exclusive partner lodges.

    Wineglass Bay in tasmania
    See the spectacular Wineglass Bay. (Image: Chad Dewson)

    Find your Outback Spirit with the 2026 season. Book now to receive Earlybird savings up to $2200 per person at outbackspirittours.com.au .