Adelaide is officially designated as one of the Great Wine Capitals of the world – an exclusive & internationally noted network of elite wine regions.
Sometimes we need reminding just how good we have it here in South Australia. Take our wine, for example.
South Australia produces premium, world-class wine and provides exceptional wine tourism. We have some of the oldest vines in the world, we produce half of Australia’s bottled wine and almost 80 per cent of the nation’s premium wine.
We have nine distinct wine regions in the state, most of them within just a few hours drive of Adelaide, and the city is home to the National Wine Centre and all national wine industry representative and research bodies, including Wine Australia, the Winemakers’ Federation of Australia, Wine Grape Growers Australia and the Australian Wine Research Institute.
So it should come as no surprise that Adelaide has been invited to join the exclusive and internationally renowned network of Great Wine Capitals – a remarkable network of wine regions which includes the 8 internationally renowned wine regions of San Francisco/Napa Valley (US), Bordeaux (France), Bilbao/Rioja (Spain), Cape Town (South Africa), Mainz/Rheinhessen (Germany), Mendoza (Argentina), Porto (Portugal) and Valparaìso/Casablanca Valley (Chile).
Penfolds Chief Winemaker and Premium Food and Wine from our Clean Environment Ambassador Peter Gago agreed that becoming a Great Wine Capital made perfect sense.
“It’s very exciting and timely to witness Adelaide joining such a well-respected global wine network. I believe our South Australian wine and food industries and culture will benefit greatly from the opportunities this will create – now and into the future,” Mr Gago said.
This recognition will strengthen our international reputation for food and wine production and tourism and reinforce our position as Australia’s premium wine and food state.
So sit down with a glass of excellent South Australian wine and check out the new Adelaide Great Wine Capital website, or simply have a look at some of my blog posts about wine tourism opportunities – like Longview in the Adelaide Hills or Chapel Hill at McLaren Vale – and start planning your next wine excursion. It’s world-class, and right on our doorstep.
I love that there are so many vineyards in Adelaide, and so accessible from the city centre too. Definitely something that Sydneysiders can appreciate!
You do live in a lovely area bursting with great food and wine!