Nearly 50 new cellar door experiences across SA

Unique funded projects include interactive wine experiences in the Adelaide Hills, wine barrel tasting pods in McLaren Vale, grapevine charcoal drawing workshops in the Barossa and an audio-visual wine tasting experience in the Clare Valley.

Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development David Basham said wineries thought outside the square to build their tourism and hospitality offering in accessing the 'Unique Wine Experiences Fund Grant Program'.

"With COVID-19 restrictions impacting cellar door trade, this grant program was created to provide an economic stimulus by attracting visitors to wineries across South Australia," Minister Basham said.

"Our funding has unlocked more than $500,000 worth of new projects which will encourage more people to visit our wonderful countryside to experience some of South Australia's fantastic cellar doors and help support for our regional economies and local jobs.

"The wine industry is a key economic driver for South Australia generating more than $2 billion in revenue per year and I am excited to see the almost 50 new cellar door experiences come to fruition.

"The projects, ranging from cellar door upgrades and enhancements, to a multi-sensorial and interactive tasting-in-the-dark wine experience, will improve visitor experiences and create must-visit destinations.

"2021 is the Year of South Australian Wine and these initiatives have been designed to help cellar doors maximise their direct sales opportunities from the strong domestic tourism we are experiencing right across the state.

"South Australians are rightly proud of our state's wine industry and now, in the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic, are exploring the regions like never before.

"Our state's 18 picturesque wine regions are the envy of the world, and these grants will help develop additional premium wine experiences in every region.

"With 50 per cent of all of Australia's bottled wine and almost 80 per cent of Australia's premium wine produced here, there is no doubt South Australia is the 'Wine State'."

"I would encourage every South Australian to take the time to explore what is on their very doorstep.

"This program builds on the Government's $5.4 million State Budget initiative to expand and diversify wine export markets."

Unique Wine Experiences Fund Grant Program – Project List

Adelaide & Hills

• $5,000 – Ashton Hills Vineyard – Immersive Pinot Noir vineyard and winery tour.
• $5,000 – Barristers Block Wines – Overhead heating in the Hay Shed to create all weather space for groups.
• $5,000 – Lazy Ballerina – Outdoor kitchen for food and wine experiences.
• $5,000 – Patritti – Urban tours, blending classes, functions, member and private tasting visitor experience.
• $3,900 – Sinclairs Gully – Interactive red winemaking experience.
• $5,000 – Shaw + Smith – Refit of the Wine Tasting Room to enhance experiences.
• $5,000 – Somerled Wines – Creation of a private tasting area for tastings with Somerled owner Rob Moody.

Barossa Valley

• $5,000 – Artisans of Barossa – Five Senses Tasting wine experience.
• $5,000 – Ballycroft Vineyard and Cellars – Helicopter landing site accessibility for winery visitors.
• $3,000 – Gibson Wines – 'A Day with The Dirtman' unique experience with Rob Gibson.
• $5,000 – Gomersal Wines – Cellar Door upgrade for dining, bespoke function packages and wine experiences.
• $4,999 – Greenock Creek Wines – Interactive Cellar Door wine experience development.
• $3,250 – Hayes Family Wines – Improving online booking and reservation capability.
• $3,777 – Lou Miranda Estate – Winemaking tour and wine blending class.
• $5,000 – Seppeltsfield – 'Great Terrace Vineyard Tour'.
• $2,500 – Steinborner & Reynolds Family Vineyards – Charcoal drawing and production classes.

  *$5,000 – The Cutting – Tasting platform in the vineyard.

Clare Valley

• $5,000 – Kilikanoon Wines – A tasting hut in the Morrison Vineyard for wine tasting and education.
• $4,500 – Knappstein Enterprise Winery – 'Terroir to Table' guided vineyard tour.
• $4,750 – Matriarch and Rogue Wines – Eco-friendly pop-up Cellar Door.
• $5,000 – Mount Horrocks Wines – Audio-visual and wine tasting experience.
• $5,000 – Paulett Wines – Digitally interactive degustation luncheon experience.
• $5,000 – Sevenhill Cellars – Pop-up bell tent winemaker tastings and private functions.

Coonawarra

• $3,200 – Koonara Wines – Cellar Door façade and seating capacity upgrade.

Eden Valley

• $1,522 – Paisley Wines – 'Paisley Revealed' and 'Paisley Vineyard Family' visitor experiences.
• $3,220 – Poonawatta – Visitor picnic area and Cellar Door extension.

Eyre Peninsula

• $1,522 – The Gardner's Vineyard – Installation of tourist signage.

  McLaren Vale

• $5,000 – Agostino Wines – Cellar Door and children's play area upgrade.
• $5,000 – Accolade Wines – Multisensorial and interactive tasting in the dark wine experience.
• $1,177 – Beach Road Wines – Fleurieu produce and tasting wine experience.
• $5,000 – Bec Hardy Wines – 'Forty Years of Pertaringa' and 'From the Sea and Vines' wine experiences.
• $5,000 – Beresford Wines – Personalised wine label printing experience.
• $5,000 – Berg Herring Wines – 'Wine Barrel Tasting Pods' wine experience.
• $5,000 – Chalk Hill Wines – Guided 'Five Senses Odyssey' wine experience.
• $5,000 – Foggo Wines – 'Foggotoni flights' and fortified cocktail making masterclass wine experience.
• $3,215 – Hither and Yon – 'Willunga Wander' Cellar Door tour.
• $5,000 – Kay Brothers Wine and Olive Company – Outdoor viewing deck and nature play-space.
• $5,000 – Lloyd Brothers Wine – Cellar Door lighting, furniture and glassware upgrade.
• $5,000 – Loom Wine – New food program to enhance the Cellar Door wine experience.
• $5,000 – Oliver's Taranga Vineyards – Guided Taranga Terroir showcase wine experience.
• $5,000 – Pirramimma Wines – Vineyard viewing hut with historical presentation.

Mount Benson

• $5,000 – Cape Jaffa Wines – Underground Barrel Hall guided tasting and winery tour visitor experience.

Riverland

• $5,000 – Whistling Kite Biodynamic Vineyard – 'Make Your Own Magic' wine experience.
• $5,000 – Top Block Wines – Viewing platform for showcasing small-scale wine production.

Southern Fleurieu

• $5,000 – Charlotte Dalton Wines – The Joinery at Factory 9 outdoor seating area.

Yorke Peninsula

• $5,000 – Barley Stacks Wines – Cellar Door upgrade.
• $3,125 – Emoyeni Wines – Outdoor artificial lawn area and upgraded carpark