We profile three South Australian wineries to visit this season.

KRONDORF WINES

Krondorf Wines is one of the Barossa Valley’s best-kept secrets. Walk through the unassuming, yet welcoming, door in a stone façade on Tanunda’s main street. Here, you’ll discover a sleek wine tasting room that would feel at home in any city laneway.

From Wednesday to Sunday, locals and visitors to the region are known to regularly stop at Krondorf for casual wines by the glass. From Krondorf’s bright and fresh whites to red berry and spiced Grenache, guests look forward to the award-winning winery’s annual vintage release of limited wines, reflecting the best of the Barossa.

A familiar delight to the palate is Krondorf’s beautifully curated Barossan charcuterie platters. From anchovies and prosciutto to local and loved identity Maggie Beer’s Vintage Cheddar and Cabernet Paste, each drop can be paired with some of the region’s best and freshest produce.

Stay a little longer for an exclusive and in-depth masterclass that reveals the region’s true icons and learn the secrets that make Krondorf’s wines so highly regarded and coveted.

For the ultimate in luxury, an overnight stay includes premium accommodation, dinner, a scenic helicopter flight over the Barossa Ranges and Krondorf’s vineyards, plus a private masterclass with lunch.

32–34 Murray Street, Tanunda
08 8561 2298
krondorfwines.com.au
@krondorfwines

CHAPEL HILL

Did you know McLaren Vale’s first chapel moonlights as a cellar door? Now known as Chapel Hill, the 158-year-old ironstone structure is a favourite among wine lovers for good reason.

Celebrated for its expression of the McLaren Vale, the winery, open seven days a week, has designed three tastings that showcase the best of its sea-view sub region – from its expressive whites to its complex reds.

Choose your own tasting journey with the Chapel Hill flight, structured to accommodate wine preferences that stretch the spectrum. Or get to know the winery’s flagship reds in the Icons Tasting while nibbling on a produce platter.

For the purists, the Shiraz Masterclass is a five-glass crash course into Chapel Hill’s most famed shiraz – including a taste of the iconic single-vineyard drop, ‘The Vicar’ – and a lesson in how the McLaren Vale surrounds sculpt each release.

These tasting experiences are only elevated by the chapel’s spectacular setting: a stained-glass window (made in Glasgow in 1770) casts a warm glow over the room while local artwork adorns its walls. In the warmer months, you can sprawl out on the lawns while savouring a shiraz. Or, during vintage, spot the winemakers hard at work in the adjoining winery.

Chapel Hill Road and Chaffeys Road,
McLaren Vale
08 8323 8421
chapelhillwine.com.au
@chapelhillwine

SHINGLEBACK WINE

Award-winning Shingleback Wine not only credits its connection to the land and McLaren Vale’s soil in helping to craft wines where flavours and maturity are perfectly balanced, but the cool ocean breeze and long summers each play their part.

Originally established by two brothers in 1998, Shingleback Wine started as a family affair. Today, it remains a familiar and friendly icon in the region where other families and friends now gather for spontaneous wine adventures or more structured and guided flights.

Renowned globally for its well-defined reds, like shiraz and cabernet sauvignon, Shingleback’s casually sophisticated food offering is just as impressive. Tender pork terrine and vineyard platters are plated with the same care, featuring a selection of local cheeses, smoked almonds, in-house marinated olives, and other fresh produce that pair perfectly with each glass.

For a quarter of a century, Shingleback has called McLaren Vale home, delighting visitors with their recently refurbished cellar door. Original beams and stone walls are now complemented by contemporary touches, including a polished stone bar and enhanced vineyard vistas – all at the gateway to McLaren Vale, just off the Victor Harbor Road turn-off.

3 Stump Hill Road, McLaren Vale
08 8323 9919
shingleback.com.au
@shinglebackwine