South Australia is the nation's home of wine.
Not only do we produce more wine that the other Australian state's combined, but we are also home to world-famous growing regions like the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale and some of the most prestigious labels.
Our status as a wine leader was reflected in our strong showing at the recent Global Best Of Wine Tourism Awards, which were held in Verona, Italy.
Dandelion Vineyards came back from Verona with the global Best Of Wine Tourism Award for Architecture and Landscape, but there's still a chance for the other South Australian regional winners to win the People's Choice Award.
The South Australian wine tourism businesses in the running are:
- Beresford Estate, McLaren Vale (Regional Winner) – Accommodation category
- Dandelion Vineyards, McLaren Vale (Global Winner) – Architecture and Landscape category
- Sidewood Estate, Adelaide Hills (Regional Winner) – Culinary Experiences category and Sustainable Wine Tourism Practices category
- McLaren Vale Distillery, McLaren Vale (Regional Winner) – Innovative Wine Tourism Experiences category
- Watervale Hotel, Clare Valley (Regional Winner) – Wine Tourism Services category
- Kimbolton Wines, Langhorne Creek (Regional Winner) – Wine Tourism Services category
For more information, and to cast your vote, click here.
From tractor shed to global award winner
Dandelion Vinyards’ Wonder Room started life as a rundown old tractor shed.
With a little vision and a lot of hard work it was transformed into a space that blended rustic and modern and seamlessly connected indoor and outdoor spaces, a haven where guests could appreciate the stunning natural beauty of McLaren Vale.
Elena Brooks said she and Zar were “absolutely delighted” to receive the prestigious award.
“The Wonder Room was a true team effort, and we couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve accomplished together,” she said.
“Our vision was to create a space that blends seamlessly with the natural beauty of McLaren Vale and the architecture, with its respectful and modern design, plays a big part in that.
“This recognition is a testament to the hard work of our team and our shared commitment to showcasing the best of our region through both our wines and the environment we’ve created.”
The Global Best Of Wine Tourism Awards, which were presented at the Great Wine Capitals Gala Dinner on 24 October, celebrate innovation and excellence in wine tourism through the greatest wine regions in the world.
Adelaide has been a member of the prestigious Great Wine Capital Global Network (GWCGN) since 2016.
GWCGN is an exclusive group of 12 internationally renowned wine regions including Bilbao/Rioja (Spain), Bordeaux (France), Cape Town/Cape Winelands (South Africa), Hawke’s Bay (New Zealand), Lausanne (Switzerland), Mainz/Rheinhessen (Germany), Mendoza (Argentina), Porto (Portugal), San Francisco/Napa Valley (US), Valparaiso/Casablanca Valley (Chile), and Verona (Italy).
Australia returns to Chinese wine lists
The award comes on the back of figures that show South Australia’s wine industry has experienced a major rebound since China dropped a four-year-long campaign of imposing heavy tariffs on the product in March.
According to Wine Australia's Export Dashboard, wine sales from South Australia into China have risen from $4.2m in the year to September 2023 to $517.4m this year.
The re-opening of the Chinese market saw SA's wine exports up 44.6 per cent at 96.6 million litres, with a total value increase of 73.5 per cent to $1.2 billion.
Hong Kong was SA's second-biggest wine export market, followed by the UK, Singapore, USA and New Zealand.
Cabernet sauvignon topped our varietal list, with $334.6m worth of the popular red going overseas - up from $172.6m, with shiraz, cabernet blends, shiraz blends and chardonnay rounding out the top five.
The Adelaide chapter of Great Wine Capitals is a partnership between the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA), South Australian Tourism Commission, South Australian Wine Industry Association, and the University of Adelaide.
