Plan a trip
A route through the vines
Pick a country and a style, and we'll sketch a few days through it — real sub-regions in a sensible order, with what to expect at each stop and when to go, drawn from everything already on the site.
Where to
Style preference
Your route
A focused 3-stop route through Australia
The character of this trip
Big skies, old vines, easy hospitality
Australian wine country is one of old vines, some more than a century old, and of cellar doors where the person pouring is often the person who made the wine. Around Adelaide, the Barossa, McLaren Vale and Clare Valley sit close enough to see in one trip and are different enough to be worth it: powerful Shiraz, generous Grenache, bone-dry Riesling. Distances between regions are enormous, so choose one corner of the country and go deep.
A focused route through what's currently documented
Australia has 4 places mapped on Ampelos so far. The route below draws on the ones within reach of each other — enough for a short, honest route rather than a full itinerary — and will grow as more of the country is documented.
Stops
3
Total driving
~215 km
Behind the wheel
3h 54min
Worth setting aside
4–5 days
What to expect
Notable producers
- Grosset — Auburn; a leading producer of Riesling, including Polish Hill and Springvale.
- Jim Barry — A family estate making Riesling, with The Florita, and Shiraz, with The Armagh.
- Pikes — Polish Hill River; a family estate known for Riesling and Shiraz.
Best time to visit
Come for harvest, in late autumn (May), when the cellars are busiest — or earlier, in early summer (December), for a quieter, greener look at the vines.
~105 km · 1h 54min to the next stop
Moving from a Riesling-led stop to a Syrah-led one, the route changes grape as well as place: Clare Valley, then Barossa Valley.
What to expect
Notable producers
- Penfolds — Home of Grange, Australia's most famous wine, with a Barossa winery at Nuriootpa.
- Henschke — In neighbouring Eden Valley; Hill of Grace Shiraz from very old vines.
- Torbreck — Known for The Laird and other Shiraz from old vines.
Best time to visit
Come for harvest, in early autumn (March), when the cellars are busiest — or earlier, in spring (October–November), for a quieter, greener look at the vines.
~110 km · 2 hours to the next stop
Barossa Valley is Syrah country; McLaren Vale is Grenache. The drive between them is a change of grape, and the glass changes with it.
Notable producers
- d'Arenberg — A family estate founded in 1912, known for Shiraz and Grenache and a cellar door in the shape of a cube.
- Wirra Wirra — A long-established estate whose name has been associated with McLaren Vale since 1894.
- Coriole — A family estate, known for Shiraz and for old vines.
Best time to visit
Come for harvest, in mid-autumn (April), when the cellars are busiest — or earlier, in early summer (December), for a quieter, greener look at the vines.