December 16, 2020
Travel

12 regional cellar doors with a view

Nothing beats sampling a few wines before relaxing with your chosen glass, and maybe a few nibbles, as you take in the scenery of SA’s gorgeous wine regions.

Adelaide Hills: The Lane
Producer of outstanding single-vineyard wines, The Lane has four distinct tiers of wines, best explored over a long lunch or through a tasting. The Heritage, Estate, Provenance and Lane ranges celebrate a strong sense of place with head winemaker Turon White at the helm. The Lane lies just outside Hahndorf’s town centre, including a contemporary restaurant and tasting room with spectacular views of the Mt Lofty Ranges.

Adelaide Hills: Longview Vineyard
Located outside the small town of Macclesfield, Longview Vineyard offers casual wine tastings, personal wine flights, intimate dining experiences and laidback lunches. The cellar door space was built using recycled materials, creating a rustic-chic yet modern feel. Keep an eye out for the large works of street art created by participants of the annual Piece Project event.

Fleurieu: Mollydooker
The fun-loving and playful Mollydooker at McLaren Vale invites visitors to enjoy wine tastings, platters and panoramic views across the region. Co-founder and award-winning winemaker Sarah Marquis is known for her rich and full-bodied reds including shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, red blends and sparkling varieties. White wine lovers can indulge in the still or sparkling verdelho. A selection of tastings are available in the cellar door, which is a large, modern space. Fun fact: Mollydooker is Aussie slang for a left-hander!

Fleurieu: Serafino
The Serafino name has come a long way since its humble beginnings in 1964 when Serafino (Steve) Maglieri arrived in Australia from Italy. Now Serafino Wines is a well-known McLaren Vale destination, the property holding 200-year-old gum trees, a stunning lake, cellar door, restaurant and accommodation. Try and nab a spot on the deck, overlooking the stunning lake while enjoying wine, small bites and platters topped with seasonal produce.

Barossa: Pindarie Wines
Pindarie Wines is located on Barossa’s western ridge above the contoured farm, which provides stunning views. Visitors can taste award-winning wines in the 1860s stables or relax with a glass under the towering peppercorn tree. Owners Tony Brooks and Wendy Allan offer a gourmet seasonal lunch featuring platters of local produce and gourmet homemade pies. Open seven days from 11am.

Barossa: Seabrook Wines
Seabrook Wines at the base of Mengler Hill encapsulates the Barossa experience: fine wine made by family vignerons with platters of local produce and exceptional hospitality. The Seabrook family have been part of the Australian wine industry for more than 140 years. In 2005, fifth-generation winemaker Hamish Seabrook revitalised the old 1878 label as a tribute to his family lineage in the wine industry. At his Barossa winery, the tasting room is set within an original cosy 1854 settler’s cottage adorned with original historical family photographs and boasts some of the best views of the Barossa from the tasting deck.

Riverland Wine Centre
The Riverland Wine Centre at Pike River, south east of Renmark brings together more than 25 of the region’s wineries. There are interactive displays on each winery, whetting one’s appetite to taste and discover more. Visitors can also browse through the delicious fare of local producers with sharing platters, cellar snacks and desserts. The wine centre, overlooking the Pike and Murray, is open daily from 11am to 4pm.

Clare: O’Leary Walker Wines
This year marks the 20th anniversary of O’Leary Walker Wines. Keep an eye out for special offers and exciting projects, beginning with a freshly renovated space at the cellar door, on a hilltop in Leasingham. Jack Walker and Luke Broadbent have been working on the label’s Seasonal Release project, which sees them creating hand-crafted small-batch wines designed to meet seasonal drinking conditions, as well as showcasing emerging new varietals. The first wine released was the 2019 Pinotage, and the next should be ready around December. Talented local chefs have crafted seasonal menus to complement the full O’Leary Walker range, with a full lunch service available Thursday to Sunday. 

Clare: Eldredge Wines
A stunning rural setting is just the beginning at Eldredge Wines. The natural bushland setting surrounds the Clare Valley cellar door, housed in a restored cottage, with decking overlooking a large dam and lawn area, waiting for visitors to unwind with their wines. Just a few kilometres from the Clare township, in Spring Gully, Eldredge Wines is an idyllic valley spot, offering local goods and providore along with guided tastings. A popular spot for intimate functions and weddings, the cellar door now includes an outdoor boutique teepee experience.

Kangaroo Island: Springs Road
Springs Road is the newest cellar door in Cygnet River, located at the site of the producer’s 100 per cent certified-organic vineyards. After a short drive seven kilometres west of Kingscote on the Playford Highway, turn down Springs Road’s long dirt driveway through vineyards and sheep paddocks to arrive at the cellar door, where visitors can relax on the deck with a glass of chardonnay, cabernet sauvignon, or shiraz while looking out over Nepean Bay. Enjoy a light platter of sourdough crackers and South Australian cheese. Open daily during school holidays and January.

Limestone Coast: Balnaves
There’s something for everyone at the family-owned Balnaves of Coonawarra: outdoor games, a tranquil duck pond, picnic cheese boxes, and an incredible garden with more than 900 bush roses. The award-winning wine room is equally welcoming; during winter, you’ll struggle to drag yourself away from the open fire. Try “The Tally” – a simply outstanding super-premium cabernet sauvignon. Balnaves Chardonnay is also a multiple trophy winner, and a fantastic example of Coonawarra whites done right.

Eyre Peninsula: Peter Teakle Wines
Eyre Peninsula is establishing itself as a bona fide wine region with its maritime climate lending a unique flavour to its first ever vintage being crushed in Port Lincoln. Peter Teakle opened the peninsula’s first winery last year and has installed a crush facility for the estate’s own grapes along with nearby Boston Bay wines. The vintage looks promising with Teakle’s chief winemaker – the talented Liz Heidenreich from the Clare wine region – overseeing proceedings.

This information first appeared in The SALIFE Food & Wine List 2020.

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