From Clare Valley to the Barossa and McLaren Vale, 11 SA wine businesses are in the running for tourism honours and a shot at the world stage
It’s been a challenging few years for parts of South Australia’s wine industry, but there’s still plenty happening beyond the bottle.
Eleven SA wineries and wine tourism businesses have been shortlisted for the 2027 Best Of Wine Tourism Awards, recognising everything from cellar door experiences and restaurants to accommodation, sustainability, art and architecture.
The Clare Valley, Barossa, McLaren Vale, Adelaide Hills and Currency Creek are all represented, with the South Australian winners earning a shot at international honours in New Zealand next month.
The shortlist includes two Clare Valley favourites, Paulett Wines & Bush deVine Restaurant and Slate Restaurant at Pikes Wines.
The Barossa has four businesses in the running, with Chateau Tanunda, Jacob’s Creek, On Cockatoo Lane and Tscharke Wines making the cut.
McLaren Vale is represented by Beresford Estate and d’Arenberg, while BK Wines flies the flag for the Adelaide Hills and Home of Plenty represents Currency Creek.
The National Wine Centre in Adelaide rounds out the 11 finalists.
Wine Tourism Goes Beyond The Cellar Door
The awards recognise a part of the wine industry that has become increasingly important to SA’s wine regions, getting people through the door and encouraging them to eat, drink, stay and spend locally.
Seven categories cover Accommodation, Architecture and Landscape, Art and Culture, Culinary Experiences, Innovative Wine Tourism Experiences, Wine Tourism Services and Sustainable Wine Tourism Practices.
The awards have previously delivered plenty of wins for SA’s wine regions, with McLaren Vale, the Adelaide Hills and Langhorne Creek among those recognised in 2024.
Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development Clare Scriven said the shortlisted businesses helped showcase South Australia while contributing to regional communities and economies.
“South Australia is recognised around the world for our premium wine and outstanding visitor experiences, which are underpinned by hard work, innovation and passion for our wine industry,” she said.
A Shot At The World Stage
The South Australian winners will be announced at the SA Wine Industry Dinner at the National Wine Centre on Thursday, September 17.
They’ll then head into the international Best Of Wine Tourism Awards, held during the Great Wine Capitals Global Network annual conference in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand, in October.
There they’ll go up against businesses from some of the world’s leading wine regions.
This year also marks 10 years since South Australia joined the Great Wine Capitals Global Network.
So while there’s no pretending it’s been an easy run for the wine industry, there are still plenty of reasons to raise a glass to what SA’s wine regions are doing beyond the bottle.
This year also marks 10 years since South Australia joined the Great Wine Capitals Global Network.
Find out more about the 2027 Best Of Wine Tourism Awards and the full shortlist.
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