With each region offering their own varieties and wine styles reflecting the terroir, we’ve selected five of our favourite wine destinations to visit while enjoying a luxury trip to Australia. These idyllic regions not only offer world-class wines but exquisite fine dining to match, luxury accommodation to unwind within, serene natural surrounds, and more.
South Australia
One of Australia’s most esteemed and prolific wine states, South Australia is credited with opening Australia as a premium wine destination to the world. It is blessed with several distinctive wine-producing regions all within close proximity. This state is home to the famously full-bodied and rich Barossa Old Vine Shiraz, the cool-climate elegant Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blancs of the Adelaide Hills, and the elevated and energetic Grenaches of McLaren Vale.
With their own unique heritage and histories, contrasting landscapes and terroir, as well as viticulture varieties to discover, each region offers a distinct experience. The Barossa, Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale are all popular destinations to take a fully customised tour personalised to suite your palate, alongside the smaller but still exciting regions of Clare and Coonawarra. With luxury hosted accommodation and scenic luxury lodges found in the heart of these scenic locations, embarking on a luxury wine journey around South Australia is effortless and rewarding.
Victoria
Regional Victoria is a popular weekend playground offering dramatic contrasts from Melbourne city. Only an hour’s drive east, the Yarra Valley and Dandenong Ranges is Victoria’s main wine-producing region and home to craft spirits producers, over 80 cool-climate cellar doors, and undulating ranges of mountain ash forest. To the south, the Mornington Peninsula offers pristine coastline, green hinterland, and boutique accommodation set upon the region’s vineyards.
These wine regions are best explored in VIP style with locals who are eager to show off the region’s hidden gems and boutique producers, alongside bigger names like De Bortoli, Moët & Chandon, and award-winning gin distillery Four Pillars. The region is home to exceptional Chardonnay, sparkling wine, and Pinot Noir, alongside beer and cider producers with a history dating back to the 1800s. Regional Victoria’s wine regions are flexible and popular destinations for travellers of all palates.
Tasmania
Found a stone’s throw off the coast of Australia’s mainland, Tasmania has quickly made a big impact on Australia’s wine industry. Its largest region is the Tamar Valley in the north which produces 40% of Tasmania’s distinct and cool-climate wines, which perfectly pair with the region’s exquisite food offerings.
With strong and cooling ocean breezes from all directions, Tasmania’s slow ripening and late harvest presents dry, aromatic wines of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Sparkling wines for travellers to enjoy amongst dramatic scenery of dolerite-capped mountains, sprawling UNESCO Heritage wilderness areas to hike, and while resting in stylish five-star accommodation.
Western Australia
Western Australia’s lush south-west corner is home to nine extraordinary wine regions including Australia’s second oldest wine region Swan Valley, and the coastal Margaret River. A Mediterranean climate with strong maritime influences creates a consistently high-quality output and an even mix between red and white varieties in a dry vintage comparable to Bordeaux wines.
There are over 90 cellar doors with wines, craft beers, and gins in the Margaret River region with picturesque vineyard accommodation placing you perfectly within the landscape. Taste the region while overlooking migratory whales breaching in the bay or across the rolling valleys and vineyards, and then explore the region’s forests, caves, walking and cycling trails, and beaches.
New South Wales
Home to the first vineyard plantings in the country, regional New South Wales is home to a dozen wine regions offering both cool and warm climate wines. The Hunter Valley offers a rich history, with many of the pioneering producers who planted the earliest grapes in the 1800s still operating today.
A perfect country escape for those seeking serenity only two hours from Sydney, the Hunter Valley has over 150 cellar doors to discover. These offerings are close to National Parks rich with flora and fauna, outstanding accommodation options, and outdoor activities including hot-air ballooning, horse-riding, and bike-riding through picturesque scenery. The Hunter Valley is the perfect play for a day tour with passionate local providers.
