Originally published in Delicious – 21 March 2025
The best wine regions in Australia worthy of a road trip are those that offer discerning drinkers opportunities to really take in the terroir. From the fertile valleys of the Barossa to Western Australia’s Wine Country capital, Margaret River, here are 15 of the best vineyards oenophiles need to pop in their Google maps the next time they’re wanting to road trip.
BY CARLA GROSSETTI
Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
The Canberra District Wine Region has more than 40 wineries within 35 minutes’ drive of the nation’s capital. The district is recommended in Lonely Planet’s Wine Trails Australia & New Zealand as the ultimate Australian wine region to explore in just a few days. In between knocking on cellar doors such as Shaw Wines and Clonakilla Wines, road trippers should book a table at Pavilion Restaurant at the newly reimagined Pialligo Estate. Beltana Farm also beckons as a bougie place for a getaway.
Barossa Valley, South Australia
The Barossa Valley is celebrated around the world as a premium wine-producing area for shiraz. Taste and graze your way along the self-guided Barossa Food and Wine Trail where you can weave between farm gates, artisan producers and cellar doors. When you’re not sipping on a rich red, dine at renowned restaurants such as Appellation at The Louise, part of the Baillie Lodges collection. You’ll be in the Barossa in less than one hour’s drive from Adelaide.
Adelaide Hills, South Australia
This cool-climate wine region just a 40-minute drive from Adelaide is one of the state’s best-kept secrets. The compact wine region is dotted with small-scale producers and home to Handhorf, one of the oldest surviving Germanic settlements in the country and a contender for Australia’s most beautiful town. Visit the fairy-tale village to sample sauvignon blanc at grape-to-glass bars such as the Adelaide Hills Wine Bar and Haus Restaurant. Splurge on a night at Sequoia Lodge or the lovely Mt Lofty House.|Continue corkscrewing around the Adelaide Hills to lunch at LVN at the family-owned winery Bird in Hand.
Clare Valley, South Australia
You won’t find busloads of tourists pouring into cellar doors along South Australia’s Riesling Trail. What you will find is century-old vineyards that have moved the needle from being best known for their winemaking heritage to having a global reputation for excellence. Pick up a bottle of Clare Valley riesling to go with your Coffin Bay oysters while road-tripping around the Clare Valley where the viticultural landscape is like an ephemeral artwork in autumn. Stay at the retro Mill Street Retreat in Clare, within walking distance of cellar doors.
Hunter Valley, New South Wales
Choose the country roads less travelled in the Hunter Valley to visit boutique estates such as Wombat Crossing Vineyard and Greenway Wines. Alternatively, narrow your focus to the patchwork of premium wineries around Pokolbin such as Tyrrell’s, known for its semillon, and Scarborough Wine Co, which has a family-friendly cellar door. The Hunter Valley is just two and a half hours from Sydney so you can be lunching at EXP. or Muse in no time. Extend your stay with a detox at Elysia Wellness Retreat.
Mudgee, New South Wales
It’s just three and a half hours from Sydney to Mudgee, where road trippers will find a rich tapestry of experiences on offer. Ask anyone who has visited the region and they’ll likely effuse fondness for the classic country town and its bucolic surrounds. A world of wine tastings await at dinky cellar doors such as De Beaurepaire Wines and Robert Stein. Lowe Wines is also a must-visit in Mudgee where you can wine and dine at Zin House and stay onsite at boutique studio Shed by Zin. You can also get away from it all with a glamping trip to Evamor Valley.
Orange, New South Wales
Pinball from a roadside stall selling apples (not oranges) by the roadside to a truly perfect picnic spot at Printhie Wines (curated by Ultimate Winery Experiences Australia). Squeeze the most out of your trip to Orange with a balloon flight over the Belubula Valley. And schedule your road trip to Orange Wine Country to coincide with Orange F.O.O.D. Week from 28 March to 6 April or truffle season in winter. Luxury accommodation offerings include Borrodell and Basalt, which make great bases from which to road trip around this NSW wine region.
The Grampians, Victoria
Those dreaming of a road trip to The Grampians should drop a few pins on their map app to connect the dots between cellar doors. This dynamic destination has a winemaking history dating back to the 1860s. And, in fact, heritage estate Seppelt Great Western is credited with pioneering Australia’s first-ever sparkling shiraz here in the 1890s. Take a detour to The Drives, a three-kilometre network of underground cellars and plan a perfect pit stop at the Royal Mail Hotel. Counter-balance all that hedonism with an extended hiking holiday from luxe Mount William Station.
Yarra Valley, Victoria
Savour your road trip around the Yarra Valley by delving deep into Melbourne’s Food Bowl. Stick to the Melba or Maroondah highways until it’s time to turn off on backroads that run like rivulets into the countryside. The Yarra Valley’s proximity to Melbourne makes it popular region for a weekend getaway. Head to Healesville, the oldest grape-growing region in the state where the first vines were planted in 1838. And enjoy a farm-to-fork lunch paired with estate wines at Oakridge Wines in Coldstream. Stay at Pyrenees Views by Tiny Away, which offers great views of the countryside, pulled up like a crocheted green bedspread all around.
Tamar Valley, Tasmania
The fertile Tamar Valley yields some of the best wines in Lutruwita/Tasmania. Recently ranked No. 4 in Lonely Planet’s Top Regions list in Best in Travel 2025, the Tamar Valley is a wine region worthy of a road trip. Apart from the valley views, which are charming, there is perhaps no better way to deepen your affection for Tassie than to combine it with the practise of wine tasting. Play paper, scissor rock to determine the designated driver before looping around the region’s official wine route. Don’t miss the cellar door at Josef Cromy Wines housed in the original 1880s homestead that sits alongside the striking modern restaurant.
King Valley, Victoria
King Valley is three hours from Melbourne and four hours from Canberra. But once you arrive, the vineyards in Victoria’s High Country are all within easy driving distance of each other. Hire an e-bike to pedal along Prosecco Road in the region first settled by Europeans in the 1880s. Enjoy a glass of Prosecco beside the grapevines embroidered into the King Valley countryside at destination wineries such as Dal Zotto and Sam Miranda Wines. Stay at Church Lane, in the pretty town of Milawa, where you can enjoy dinner at Ava or Merlot in Lancemore where local wines are entwined in the menu.
Margaret River, Western Australia
Western Australia’s Margaret River/Wadandi Boodja is one of the must-visit wine regions in Australia for a road trip. And while the cellar doors in the southwest corner of the state attract casual quaffers, the excellent microclimate for growing grapes means the region is on the map for serious oenophiles, too. Look beyond the mottled rows of grapevines at Voyager Estate and Vasse Felix and you’ll find plenty more to do besides wining and dining. Carve off to Cape Lodge where you can wine and dine in situ at the Yallingup property’s acclaimed restaurant.
Bellarine Peninsula, Victoria
The Bellarine Peninsula is a region best known for its beautiful beaches. But, as wine boffins will tell you, the coastal region is worth a road trip for its cool-climate wines, too. It’s an easy drive from Melbourne to the Bellarine Peninsula’s vineyards which were first established by Swiss settlers in the mid 19th century. Mute your work WhatsApp chat so you can literally take the foot off the pedal for a long weekend at Leura Park Estate or Terindah Estate. Just a short hop away is Jack Rabbit, a vineyard with views across the bay to Geelong and the You Yangs. It’s the perfect pit stop for a bowl of local Portalington mussels and glass of chardonnay. Make sure you factor in a visit to the underrated Moorabool Valley.
Great Southern, Western Australia
Despite being the largest wine region in mainland Australia, Great Southern WA flies well and truly under the radar. Drive along the scenic Albany Highway about four and a half hours from Perth to find low-key cellar door experiences and warm, welcoming locals. Wineries dotted around Denmark, Albany, Mt Barker and Prongurup are known for producing elegant reds and whites that hint at the evolution of the district. Head to Majuba Country Lodge where you can eat, stay and play. Or linger over lunch at Parisian-inspired bar Liberte inside the historic London Hotel in Albany.
Shoalhaven, New South Wales
The Shoalhaven has a lot to offer in the way of epicurean adventures. The region is calling to everyone from road trippers escaping Sydney for the weekend to Canberrans who want someone else to take the wheel while embarking on a guided food and wine tour. Expect a relaxed reception at cellar doors such as Two Figs Winery and Coolangatta Estate and a more elevated experience at Cupitt’s Estate, which also has luxe accommodation. Want to make a long weekend of it? Book a stay at Bangalay Luxury Villas, or Bannisters by the Sea in Mollymook, two of the region’s best restaurants with rooms.
Media first published on Delicious.com.au: https://www.delicious.com.au/travel/australia/gallery/weve-found-best-wine-regions-australia/
