South Australia’s Best of Wine Tourism winners revealed
The winners of this year’s Best Of Wine Tourism Awards have been revealed, showcasing the high quality and range of wine production and tourism experiences available around South Australia.
Presented at the South Australian Wine Industry Dinner and Awards at the National Wine Centre on 19 September, the Best Of Wine Tourism Awards are a key component of South Australia’s Great Wine Capitals Global Network membership, which formally recognises South Australia as one of the top wine producers in the world benchmarking the state against prestigious regions such as Bordeaux and the Napa Valley.
While celebrating innovation and excellence in wine tourism, the awards continue to maintain a strong focus on sustainability while also recognising the importance of sustainable practices in all aspects of the wine industry, including grape growing, production and packaging.
The 2025 Best Of Wine Tourism Award winners are:
Accommodation: Beresford Estate for creating a luxe offering in a beautiful vineyard setting, that provides an exceptional stay and complete experience for guests.
Architecture and Landscape: Dandelion Vineyards for delivering a “wow” factor with its Wonder Room, thoughtfully designed to capture the stunning views of McLaren Vale.
Culinary Experiences: Sidewood Estate for setting the standard with its outstanding range of gastronomy experiences, attention to detail and excellent customer service.
Innovative Wine Tourism Experiences: McLaren Vale Distillery for its genuine point of difference, honouring Australia’s significant history of fortified wines and adding a rich layer to attract new fans in this category.
Wine Tourism Services (joint winners): Kimbolton Wines for going above and beyond to deliver diverse, inclusive and accessible experiences, and drawing visitors to the hidden gem of the Langhorne Creek wine region.
Wine Tourism Services (joint winners): Watervale Hotel for its commitment to the Clare Valley wine region that shines through, with engaging displays and experiences, championing local wine producers and enabling visitors to learn about the region as a whole.
Sustainable Wine Tourism Practices: Sidewood Estate for its commitment to sustainable practices across the business, complemented by inclusive experiences and community collaboration, reflecting a love of the craft and the region.
Winners of the South Australian awards will now compete for a Global Best Of Wine Tourism Award in their nominated category, which will be presented at the Great Wine Capitals Gala Dinner & Global Best Of Wine Tourism Awards Ceremony in Verona, Italy, on Thursday 24 October.
Adelaide, South Australia has been a member of the prestigious Great Wine Capitals Global Network since 2016.
The local Steering Committee is a partnership between the Department of Primary Industries and Regions, the South Australian Tourism Commission, the SA Wine Industry Association, and the University of Adelaide.
For more information on Great Wine Capitals and the Best Of Wine Tourism Awards, visit https://adelaidegreatwinecapital.com.au/home.
Quotes attributable to Zoe Bettison
Congratulations to all the winners of the 2025 Best of Wine Tourism Awards, representing exactly why we are one of the 12 Great Wine Capitals of the World.
South Australia is home to the best wine tourism experiences in the world – and that is a credit to our hard-working producers and tourism operators that are committed to delivering an exceptional product to the world from our unique wine regions.
With more than one third of all international tourists visiting a winery during their trip to South Australia prior to the pandemic, we know how important it is to have our products showcased and attracting recognition on a global scale.
The environmental sustainability initiatives, reliable accessibility practices, innovative collaboration techniques, and premium wine tourism offerings demonstrated by the winners will showcase South Australia to the world when they compete in the global awards.
While the Best Of Wine Tourism Awards showcase South Australia’s unique wine offerings –, they also highlight the amazing tourism experiences visitors and locals can immerse themselves into while exploring our state.
From a hotel in the Clare Valley to a winery in Langhorne Creek, this year’s winners show the breadth of our different wine regions and the range of experiences available.
I wish all the winners best of luck in the global awards next month.
Quotes attributable to Clare Scriven
South Australia is known around the world for high quality of wine and wine tourism experiences around our state throughout our 18 wine regions.
I am especially pleased to see that sustainability of wine tourism is highlighted in the awards, as it is critical we ensure our industries are able to survive and thrive for the enjoyment of generations to come.
Our membership of the Great Wine Capitals global network highlights the amazing quality of our wine regions and proves that we hold our own against iconic wine regions such as Bordeaux, Napa Valley and Rioja.
I congratulate all winners, and I wish them the best of luck when the global winners are announced.