Although most Canadians travelling to Australia visit Sydney and Melbourne, most neglect to travel to Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. And it’s their loss! Adelaide is one of the most livable cities in the world. It was the world’s first planned city and is bordered by parklands with lots of beautiful gum trees.
Today Adelaide is known as the “festival city” for its variety of cultural festivals. It is also called the “wine city.” South Australia produces over half of Australia’s wine and there are vineyards minutes away in the Adelaide Hills, half an hour away in the Southern Vales, and about an hour away in the famous Barossa Valley.
But the first step a wine enthusiast should visit is the National Wine Centre in Adelaide. Built in 2001 next to the beautiful Botanic Gardens, it’s an architectural treat, but what it holds inside is the real attraction. Guests can extend their knowledge of Australian wine styles by tasting fine wines, or enjoying a meal from the seasonal tapas menu in the ground floor Cellar Door.
The National Wine Centre experience is perfect for everyone from the complete novice to the wine connoisseur. As a national centre, you will be able to learn about and taste wines not only from South Australia, but from all over the southern continent, including New South Wales’ Hunter Valley, Central Ranges, and the Canberra District, plus Victoria’s Yarra Valley, Heathcote, and Rutherglen and Tasmania’s Tamar Valley.
During my recent trip to South Australia, General Manager Jason Bird took me and my host and mate D’Arcy Walsh on a tour of the Centre. We began with the wine discovery journey. It’s a state-of-the-art interactive exhibition of winemaking, introducing the technology, soils, varieties of grapes and styles of wine.
The Journey also includes the role of wine in Australian history, highlights the position of Aussie wine in the global market, and explains the relationship between food and wine.
Next we descended into the cellar which stores 120 different types of wines from all over Oz, including the iconic Penfold Grange and Henschke Hill of Grace. Spending time with rows of the best Australian wines made me thirsty and curious to discover what some tasted like.
Just in time, Bird guided us to Australia’s largest tasting room, the very popular Wined Bar. There you can pour and taste every wine from Grange to boutique wines. With all the best cellar doors in one bar, you can find the perfect wine to suit your taste and budget
We were joined by wine coordinator, James Boden who is responsible for choosing the 120 wines on tap. Boden poured us some of the tradional varieties like Shiraz and Riesling, and some of the newer blends like GSM (Grenache, Shiraz, Mourvedre) and Spanish and Italian varieties like Tempranillo, Fiano and Nebbiolo.
To find about more about the many attractions at the National Centre in Adelaide, visit wineaustralia.com.au
Eric Hanson is a Richmond wine writer who has just returned from a month touring the wine regions of South Australia.
Ehanson0705@gmail.com
