Is This Australia’s Most Iconic Cellar Door?
Awash with history and character, and the spiritual home of Grange – Australia’s most revered wine – Penfolds Magill Estate, just outside of Adelaide, is a bucket-list cellar door for wine aficionados all over the world. Here are five reasons why this South Australian icon should be on your must-visit list, from the on-site restaurant and incredible winery tours.
It’s right on Adelaide’s doorstep
Forget signing up for a wine tour or driving out of the city for hours to catch your first glimpse of the vines. Magill Estate’s location in the neighbourhood of Magill – a mere 15 minutes’ drive from the Adelaide CBD means unprecedented easy access to a winery.
It’s a step back in time
It was 1844, when a little-known English couple arrived in Adelaide, bought 200 hectares of land for a mere £1200, built a cottage and planted vine cuttings they had carried all the way from England. That couple was Dr Christopher and Mary Penfold. Those vine cuttings gave way to Australia’s most famous wine. And that cottage? It’s still there. Preserved in its original 19th-century glory. Join the two-hour Ultimate Penfolds Experience, held daily at 11am for groups of two or more, to walk through the cottage, replete with antique furniture and rugs, and the historic vineyards.
It’s a true-blue cellar experience
The real draw card, though, is the network of moodily lit tunnels beneath the property, and the hall lined with barrels full of Grange. Each barrel contains about 400 bottles, worth a quarter of a million dollars. Walk through the esteemed vintage cellar as part of the Iconic Penfolds Experience, before arriving in a private tasting room where you can sample some of the most sought-after Penfolds wines – including one vintage of Grange.
It has topnotch restaurants
No cellar door is complete without an outstanding restaurant and this one’s got two. Magill Estate Kitchen is the one to visit when you’re after something casual – blonde timber confines, Grange by the glass and a brunch menu that includes everything from coconut chia puddings and poached eggs with crisp polenta for breakfast to beef cheek or barramundi for lunch. Both Magill Estate Kitchen and Magill Estate Restaurant are led by Executive Chef, Scott Huggins. Let him enthrall you with an indulgent, ever-changing dégustation menu, paired (of course) with topnotch wines, as you overlook the vines.
It’s just so beautiful
Even if you’re not into wine, the estate is worth a visit for its sheer beauty. Set on five hectares of land with lush vines and exposed-brick buildings, the estate looks over the glorious Mount Lofty Ranges in the distance, and it’s the spot to be at sunset for that envy-inducing Insta shot.
