The Best Barossa Wineries and Vineyards

It’s difficult to overstate the significance of Penfolds – both as an essential Barossa cellar door and as a legendary Australian wine producer, founded in 1844. Penfolds’ famous Grange is one of Australia’s most collectible wines, and the only Australian wine granted heritage status by the National Trust. In 2021, a bottle of Penfolds’ debut 1951 Grange vintage sold at auction for $142,131 – not your average bottle of plonk!

At Penfolds Barossa Cellar Door, sign up for a 90-minute ‘Make Your Own Blend’ tour ($95), on which you step into winemaker mode and create your own mix of shiraz, grenache and mataro (something akin to Penfolds’ popular Bin 138 blend). Win friends and influence people with your take-home bottle. Also available is a one-hour ‘Barossa Ultimate Tasting’ experience ($100), on which you sip your way through a range of Penfolds’ drops and learn how they create the secret Penfolds Collection. 

Time Out tip: If you’re in Adelaide, we recommend a visit to Penfolds Magill Estate, where the story began. The property features a fine dining restaurant, cellar door, underground drives, Grange Cottage (the original home of the Penfolds family) and the Magill Estate Kitchen – a casual bistro offering brunch and lunch.

Address: Provenance Barossa, 30 Tanunda Rd, Nuriootpa

Opening Hours: Daily 10am-5pm

Price: Tastings start at $45

Similar to some of the other big-ticket Barossa wineries, the cellar door at Jacob’s Creek, one of Australia’s leading wine exporters, is less of a tasting booth, more of a lifestyle – the kind of place where you come to sip some wines, then stay all day.

If you’re in leisure mode (this is you, right?), have a coffee and a platter lunch in the café, sniff out some herbs in the kitchen garden, or spread a blanket by the vines and launch into a picnic hamper (you can keep the blanket!). Feeling more active? Send down a few aces on the tennis court, play table tennis, explore the bike tracks and native gardens, or wander along the banks of slow-flowing Jacob’s Creek itself.

Distractions and attractions are certainly myriad, but wine remains the main game here. Tastings are democratic and affordable, starting as low as $5 (non-redeemable). If you want to grab a bottle or two to go, ask about Jacob’s Creek’s adventurous ‘Limited Release’ range, featuring the likes of vermentino, gewürztraminer and fumé blanc, plus organic and biodynamic wines.

Address: 2129 Barossa Valley Wy, Roland Flat

Opening Hours: Daily 10am-4.30pm

Price: Tastings from $10

The shining star of the Eden Valley sub-region, just over the hill from Angaston in the eastern Barossa, is Henschke. The vineyards here have been producing grapes for more than 150 years – plenty of time for the Henschkes to figure out how to make a great red. And indeed, their Hill of Grace Shiraz – big, booming and velvety – is second only to Penfolds Grange on most people’s lists of vin rouge must-dos.

The Hill of Grace Experience ($650) is your chance to slip some across your lips, with tastings, a winery tour, and a look around the namesake Hill of Grace vineyard, with its chunky vines and cute stone chapel. Or book a visit to Henschke’s cellar door for a suite of less wallet-threatening tasting experiences, starting at $10 (waived if you buy a bottle). The cellar door itself is an old-meets-new fusion of stone, steel and stylin’ stools. 

Address: 1428 Keyneton Road, Keyneton

Opening Hours: Mon-Sat 9am-4.30pm

Price: Tasting from $15 

You’ll most definitely want two hands to double park yourself at this charming winery in Marananga, located just off “The Avenue of Hopes and Dreams”, also known as Seppeltsfield Road. In 1999, founders Michael Twelftree and Richard Mintz set out to make the finest fruit-focused shiraz-based wines. Fast forward 25 years, and they’re still crushing it, producing exceptional wines from various regions across Australia and boasting a diverse range of varietals across four distinct portfolios.

During the cooler months, you can cosy up by the open fire in their historic cellar door while sampling wines from their Picture, Garden, Single Vineyard, Showroom and Flagship Series. During summer, enjoy a tasting flight on the sun-drenched deck, which features a stunning mural by local artist Lucinda Penn.

Address: 273 Neldner Road, Marananga

Opening Hours: Daily from 11.00am-5:00pm

Price: Tastings from $15

Magically secluded in the western Barossa backblocks, Seppeltsfield is less like a winery, more like a historic wine village. This sprawling complex of gorgeous stone buildings, founded in 1851 by recently arrived Silesian immigrant Joseph Seppelt, was Australia’s biggest wine producer in the early years of the 1900s. On-site today you’ll find regional fine-dining superstar Fino, coffee roaster/café Octeine, the Jam Factory art and design hub, Vasse Virgin luxe soap factory, a cooperage, Seppeltsfield’s cellar door, and all manner of tours and experiences. Give yourself at least an afternoon to soak it all up!

Getting here is half the fun. From Tanunda or Nuriootpa, take Seppeltsfield Road – a meandering drive through the vines along a roadway lined with surreal colonnades of date palms, planted in the 1930s. Pay your respects at the Greek-inspired hilltop Seppelt Family Mausoleum en route, built in 1927. When you eventually roll into the cellar door, don’t miss a lick of tawny port.

Address: 730 Seppeltsfield Road, Seppeltsfield

Opening Hours: Daily 10.00am-5pm

Price: Tastings from $40 

Many Barossa wineries capitalise on their history, their esteemed family lineage, their historic architecture, and their sleek steel-and-glass cellar doors. It's all very appealing but St Hallett takes a different approach; namely, producing an excellent and affordable range of blends and pure varietal wines, using only Barossa grapes, and delivered without a whiff of pomp or pretence. You could even say that St Hallett is a humble outfit, which they needn’t be, given that the Lindner family founded the winery in 1944, one of the original Barossa wine families, who emigrated from Silesia in 1838. But history isn’t the main focus here: St Hallett is all about characterful wines, unpretentious service and good bang for your buck.

Cellar door tastings start at $10 for five wines. Generous cheese platters, hampers, picnic baskets and chocolate-and-wine tasting flights are also available.

Address: 24 St Hallett Road, Tanunda

Opening Hours: Daily 10am-5pm

Price: Tastings from $10 

Good enough for Daniel Ricciardo? Good enough for us mere mortals, too. Actually, St Hugo is more than good enough. And you don’t have to be a hot-blooded Formula One driver to enjoy yourself here (…you might even get a taste of the Ricciardo-branded vino ‘DR3 x St Hugo’, available in high-speed 2014 shiraz or fast-cornering 2015 cab sav).

But beyond savvy marketing collabs, St Hugo remains an essential Barossa winery, offering a slick, contemporary cellar door experience grounded in Barossa bloodlines. St Hugo is named after Hugo Gramp, grandson of Barossa pioneer Johann Gramp, who planted his first vines in 1847 and went on to found Gramp & Sons winery. Hugo was running the family biz by 25, but died in a plane crash in Victoria in 1938, aged just 43. These days, St Hugo continues grandpa Gramp’s traditions. 

Address: 2141 Barossa Valley Way, Rowland Flat

Opening Hours: Fri-Mon 10.30am-4.30pm

Price: Tastings from $50

When Peter Lehmann passed away in 2013, the Australian wine world went into collective mourning. Lehmann was a fifth-generation Barossa winemaker – a much-loved figure across the valley, and across the nation. He’s often credited with saving the Barossa wine industry in the 1970s when a grape glut sent many growers to the wall. In a fit of altruism, Lehmann bought up the excess grapes, built a winery, made some wine and sold it, funnelling the profits back to the grateful growers.

With an epic redgum tasting bar, the cellar door here occupies an 1880s stone structure nestled into the banks of the North Para River. 

Address: Para Rd, Tanunda

Opening Hours: Thur-Mon 10.30am-4.30pm

Price: Tastings from $10 

The son of Barossa winemaking legend Peter Lehmann, David had some big shoes to fill, and he’s done so by doing things a little differently. The rustic cellar door at his winery, not far from the old man’s estate alongside the nearby North Para River, is a quirky, ramshackle affair – all wonky old timbers, corrugated iron and stone – with a little terrace studded with umbrellas and wine-barrel tasting tables. Sit and sip as your eyes wander over the vine views, and you indulge in a tasting platter of fine regional delicacies (nuts, smallgoods, cheeses, breads, olives, oils, and vinegars). You see? You don’t have to be a big, brassy Barossa Baron to nail this cellar door gig.

On the wine front, David casts his net beyond the Barossa proper, into the Eden Valley (semillon and riesling) and as far as the Adelaide Hills (chardonnay) – but shiraz is why everybody’s here (some things you shouldn’t do differently). An excellent sticky (botrytis semillon) and an old tawny will round off your tasting afternoon.

Address: 94 Stelzer Road, Stone Well

Opening Hours: Daily 11am-5pm 

Price: Tastings from $10

On the outskirts of Angaston, Yalumba is Australia's oldest family-owned winery, harking back to 1849 when Brit brewer Sam Smith planted his first vines here. Smith took off to the Victorian gold rush in 1852, returning to Yalumba with a princely £300 in his pocket. Most of this bounty went towards building Yalumba’s amazing old stone buildings (including a vertically challenged chimney), which make the detour off the main road all the more rewarding.

As any Australian alive in the 1980s will tell you, Yalumba is a brand synonymous with the humble wine cask. Yalumba may have built a modern fortune at the budget end of the wine spectrum, but at the cellar door here, you can broaden your understanding of their offerings with some exceptional Barossa reds. Book ahead, or walk-ins are welcome. Winery tours range from one to four hours.

Address: Eden Valley Rd, Angaston

Opening Hours: Daily 10.00am-5pm

Price: Tastings from $15 

Whoa, this place is big! The turreted, château-like main building is a Barossa architectural icon, built in 1880 from bluestone quarried at nearby Bethany. It was South Australia’s second-largest building at the time (after a Port Adelaide wool store), and by 1892, it was pumping out 200,000 gallons of vino a year. The Seppelt family (local wine royalty) bought the winery during WWI, but by 1998, it had become a crumbling ruin. Cue wandering South African winemaker John Geber, who happened to be cycling past and bought the place on spec.

But enough history. A couple of decades (and many millions) later, Château Tanunda is back in the game, bottling up affordable wines that deliver boundless Barossa single-vineyard authenticity. At the top of the tree, hundred-year-old vines (some of them 150!) contribute to the ‘Everest’ range of fine semillon, shiraz and grenache. 

Address: 8-16 Murray Street, Tanunda

Opening Hours: Daily 10am-5pm

Price: Tastings from $20

Like a fine wine, Charles Melton has only improved with age. This charming Barossa winery began its journey in 1984 with the release of its first wine and sparkling red. As a young lad, Charles Melton worked as an apprentice to Peter Lehmann before teaming up with his wife, Virginia, to launch his namesake brand. It’s a full family affair, with daughter Sophie Melton joining the business as a winemaker in 2022. 

Charles and Sophie have crafted the perfect tasting list, aptly named ‘The Family Affair,’ to showcase their varied winemaking styles. Tastings are complimentary with the purchase of any bottle or $15 solo.

Address: 194 Krondorf Rd, Krondorf 

Opening Hours: Daily 11am-5pm 

Price: Tastings from $15 

Regularly finding itself on top of ‘SA’s Best Regional Dining’ lists, the restaurant at Hentley Farm is just as well-known as the cellar door. On the wine front, the key to success here has been the soil. This part of the northwestern Barossa is traditional farming country, but with the aid of a 1950s geological survey map, winery founders Alison and Keith Hentschke zeroed in on some acres of deep red soil over limestone bedrock – a solid shiraz set-up – and bought the farm in 1997. The first Hentley Farm wines – shiraz, zinfandel, grenache and viognier – rolled off the (charmingly modest) production line in 2002, all grown within the estate’s boundaries.

Today, Hentley Farm is memorably high-end, but remains understated, unhurried and un-snooty. Cellar door tasting fees (redeemable with purchase) vary depending on quality, quantity, and duration, starting at $45. But why not stay for lunch? Hentley Farm restaurant is a total knockout, serving up regional fare sourced from the farm, along nearby Greenock Creek, or from local farmers’ fields and vegetable gardens.

Address: Crn Gerald Roberts Rf & Jenke Rd, Seppeltsfield

Opening Hours: Daily 10am-4pm

Price: Tastings from $45

If you're looking to kick back and relax on sprawling lawns and gardens with a glass of wine in hand, Chateau Yaldara is the place to do so. This historic winery, located near Lyndoch, was founded in 1947 by Hermann Thumm, a European immigrant who arrived in Australia in 1946.

The chateau is an absolute landmark in the Barossa Valley, set on the banks of the North Para River at the site of an old flour mill dating back to 1855, which was later converted into a winery. The name "Yaldara" comes from a local Aboriginal word meaning "sparkling".

Thumm's passion for handcrafted, estate-grown wines and his warm, welcoming personality are one of the biggest selling points of Chateau Yaldara. But beyond wine tasting, the winery also offers a genuine Barossan experience, complete with a friendly cellar door team, a riverside restaurant serving local artisanal foods, and opportunities to explore its historic cellars and museum. 

Address: 159 Hermann Thumm Drive, Lyndoch

Opening Hours: Daily 9:00am-4.30pm

Price: Tastings from $10 

Arguably the best of the Barossa’s boutique producers (oh, how they argue), Rockford is a marvellous collision of heritage vibes (ramshackle 1850s farm buildings) and respect for the winemaking past. Freestone walls, warming winter fireplace, bottles with corks... It’s an endearing package. But Rockford’s wines are really why you’re here – approachable, affordable and down-to-earth. Just as earthy is winemaker Robert O’Callaghan, who brings an old-school attitude to his trade, using traditional methods and equipment.

O’Callaghan is also a writer: his annual newsletter, the Rockford Rag, was as hotly anticipated as every new vintage of his fast-selling Basket Press shiraz, sourced from specifically chosen plots of old Barossa shiraz vines. Whether or not there’ll actually be any Basket Press available for tasting when you visit is a seasonal question: autumn (April to March) is probably your best bet, with brilliant vine colours a bonus. Furthermore, improve your chances of securing some elbow room inside (it’s an intimate cellar door) by arriving early or late. 

Address: 131 Krondorf Road, Tanunda

Opening Hours: Daily 11am-5pm

Price: Tastings are complimentary

Nuriootpa is a pragmatic service town, while Tanunda is touristy; Lyndoch and Greenock are outliers. Zero in on little Angaston (population 2,100) instead, our favourite Barossa town, with lovely old architecture and great cafés and pubs along its bendy main street. A few kilometres to the west is Saltram, a property established not long after William Salter jumped off the boat from Devonshire in 1844. Shiraz has been Saltram’s focus since day one, but at a tasting session here today, you might get a look at an adventurous shiraz-tempranillo blend or a tawny.

The glass-fronted restaurant here, Salter's Kitchen, is a mod addition to the historic stone estate and is usually buzzing, serving generous wood-oven pizzas (try the lamb, olive, goat’s cheese and rosemary edition), plus shared platters and steaks. Book ahead for everything.

Address: 435 Angaston Road, Angaston

Opening Hours: Daily 10am-5pm 

Price: Tastings from $30 

"This is not your typical cellar door experience," writes one reviewer of Murray Street Vineyards, "the attention to detail in the tastings and the hospitality is second to none."

We can concur. Unlike typical bar tastings, Murray Street offers a more relaxed tasting experience where classic Rhône and Bordeaux varietals and blends are paired with gourmet platters. Set against the lovely gardens, vineyard views, and charming stone buildings, it's a winery that's perfect for enjoying wine at leisure, under the grapevines, or by the crackling outdoor fires. 

The delicious local food pairings are one of the winery's biggest highlights. The platters include local meats, cheeses, fruits, and artisanal produce that make the accompanying wines sing – it's one big gastronomic chorus! In terms of what wines you can expect to sample, Murray Street is known for its top-tier Shiraz, Grenache, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Rhône-style blends. 

Address: 37 Murray Street, Greenock

Opening Hours: Mon 11am-4pm; Thur-Sun 10am-5pm

Price: Tastings from $45 

Picture this. You arrive at a beautifully restored 19th-century farmstead, perched atop the rolling Western Ridge of the Barossa Valley. The sun is out, the views are sweeping, and there are panoramic views of vineyards, farmland and distant ranges. You pull up a chair under the shade of a pepper tree, glass in hand, to soak it all in.

You've arrived at Pindarie Winery. Renowned for its stunning setting, historic cellar door, and exceptional wines. The cellar door is located in old stables, offering a charming and rustic atmosphere with gorgeous views over the valley, including pastoral scenes of sheep grazing among the vines. It is a smaller, family-style winery that feels intimate and personal, making it a highlight of any Barossa wine tour.

Oh, and it gets better! The Grain Store restaurant is a real highlight, offering paddock-to-plate cuisine. Think gourmet pies, shared platters, and country-style fare, all made with locally sourced produce. It's simple, stripped-back but delicious and serves as a wonderful complement to the estate's wines. 

Address:  946 Rosedale Road, Gomersal

Opening Hours: Daily 11am-5pm 

Price: Tastings from $15

If you're after the quintessential Barossa Valley wine journey, Elderton is a fantastic place to start - steeped in history, crafted with passion, and expressed through some of the region's finest wines.

Whether you want to savour a creamy Chardonnay or a bold Shiraz, the wines at Elderton tell a story of place and family, founded in 1982 by Neil and Lorraine Ashmead. Elderton produces a whopping 30,000 cases annually, primarily red wines, including Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Merlot, alongside white varieties such as Chardonnay, Riesling, and Semillon. 

Make sure to try their flagship wine, the Command Shiraz, made from vines planted around 1894, celebrated for its richness, vibrancy, and traditional Barossa character. The winery remains family-owned and is consistently rated among Australia's best – why not see for yourself why?

Address: 3–5 Tanunda Road, Nuriootpa

Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 10am-5pm; Sat-Sun 11am-4pm

Price: Tastings from $25

As soon as you step onto the grounds of Langmeil Winery, you are instantly transported into the heart of Barossa's winemaking heritage. The estate is a tapestry of beautifully restored 1840s stone buildings, manicured gardens and ancient vines - home to some of the oldest Shiraz vines in the world, known as 'The Freedom 1843', making it a living museum of Barossa's winemaking past.

The atmosphere at Langmeil Winery is both grand and comforting: think crackling fireplaces in winter, sun-dappled courtyards in summer. Visitors to the winery rave about their seated cellar door tastings, which are often complimentary and tailored to you're interests. Be sure to try their signature experiences, such as 'The Freedom Experience' and 'Old Vine Garden Experience', which offer intimate tours of the historic vineyard and curated tastings of rare, old-vine wines in Riedel glassware. 

Address: Crn of Langmeil Rd and Para Rd, Tanunda

Opening Hours: Daily 10am-4pm

Price: Tastings from $75 

Nestled in the picturesque Hoffnugsthal Valley near Lyndoch lives one of the region's longest-standing grape-growing families. The Kies family have been growing grapes here since 1857, and their six-generation legacy is palpable throughout the winery, reflected in the quality and character of their wines. 

Expect crisp, fruit-driven whites to rich, full-bodied and fortified wines. Their Sparkling Shiraz Rosé is a *chef's kiss*, celebrated for its vibrancy and flavours of berries and spice - this is the Barossa Valley in a cup. Tastings are unhurried and complimentary, and guests can also enjoy free guided tours of the winery and barrel hall, led by winemaker Bronson Kies, offering an insider's view of sustainable and minimal winemaking practices. 

Address: 1303 Barossa Valley Way, Lyndoch

Opening Hours: Daily 9am-4pm

Price: Wine tastings are complimentary, with no booking required for groups of eight guests or fewer. 

Want to know a fun fact? Tscharke Wines is one of only three certified organic and biodynamic wineries in the Barossa Valley. When it comes to sustainability, biodiversity and soil health, Tscharke is about as good as it gets. 

Nestled on the ancient soils of the Western Ridge in Marananga, surrounded by rolling vineyards, the estate combines a family-owned organic and biodynamic farm with a modern, thoughtfully designed winery featuring an elevated tasting area overlooking an underground cellar lined with traditional barrels. And no, that isn't the wine getting to your head; Tscharke Wines do in fact have peacocks strutting their stuff across the grounds. 

Their wines are praised for their richness, complexity and longevity, with varieties like Shiraz, Grenache, Montepulciano and Savagnin showcasing the terrain of the Western Ridge. The 'Girl Talk' Savagnin and 'The Master' Montepulciano are standouts. Beyond winemaking, Tscharke actively educates and engages the community through sustainability workshops and environmental initiatives. 

Address: 376 Seppeltsfield Road, Marananga

Opening Hours: Mon-Thur 10am-5pm; Fri 10am-7pm; Sat noon-7pm

Price: Tastings from $125