South Australia’s Off-Beat Wine Experiences

Indulge in these wine experiences outside the ordinary.

La Buvette Drinkery

It’s not obligatory to wear a beret at this chic backstreet wine bar but one wouldn’t go amiss. La Buvette is a loving recreation of a French drinking den, complete with blue tiles, French varietals (mostly organic or biodynamic) and plates of garlicky escargots. Signature drink: pastis, naturellement.

Hutton Vale Farm

The Angas family has been farming the country around the Barossa since 1843. Today, their property, Hutton Vale, produces fine wool, pork, cider, preserves, grass-fed lamb and small-batch wines. Guests can walk through the vineyards, enjoy the farmhouse fare and sample elegant wines at their source.

Mother Vine

Are you an unashamed wine snob? Then hop on your fixed-gear bike and pedal over to Mother Vine, an Über-cool wine shrine in Adelaide’s fashionable East End. The 350-strong wine list ranges from affordable South Aussies to lush imports like the 2004 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche – priced at $3500 a bottle.

Longview

Sunday tapas at this idiosyncratic, wayward and entertaining Adelaide Hills winery is something of an institution among those in the know. The family-run operation has embraced fruit-driven wines, farmyard graffiti and seriously steep terrain, and the Longview wine portfolio – overseen by Barossan wunderkind Ben Glaetzer – covers the accessible and the baroque. Luxury accommodation and street-art exhibitions are also on offer.

Vineyard Safaris

As far as viticultural bragging rights go, it’s hard to imagine anything topping Icons of the Barossa – a small group tour led by wine expert Tim Wildman, an Englishman with a formidable knowledge of Australian wine. Guests meet iconic winemakers, such as Prue Henschke, and sample rare and exquisite vintages.