McLaren Vale has made a good showing at the 2023 Best of Wine Tourism Awards, announced last weekend, taking out three of the seven awards.

The best of the best South Australian wine tourism experiences were named the opening night of CheeseFest – Gather and Graze.

The awards are a celebration of wine tourism and recognise excellence in South Australia’s wineries and wine tourism experiences.

They are part of South Australia’s membership in the prestigious Great Wine Capitals Global Network, which acknowledges excellence in grape and wine production and highlights the world’s finest wine tourism regions.

Award winners go on to represent South Australia at the International Best of Wine Tourism Awards, which will be presented in Argentina in early November.

Beresford Estate took out the award for Wine Tourism Accommodation for its 5-star tourism accredited destination providing the highest standard of luxury accommodation.

Joint winner in the category of Wine Tourism Services, Oliver’s Taranga Vineyards is a sixth-generation family-owned business with a heritage cottage cellar door. 

Beach Road Wines, with its alfresco restaurant in among the vines, won the award for Sustainable Wine Tourism Practices.

Langhorne Creek was also recognised at the awards, Grapes for Good winning the special award for Tourism Collaboration Excellence for its partnership with Zoos SA.

Their collaboration supports conservation efforts at Monarto Safari Park and creates a trail for people to discover the wines of Langhorne Creek.

Clare Scriven, Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, says there was an increased focus on sustainability.

"It’s fantastic to be able to recognise our world leading wine makers from South Australia, which is undoubtedly Australia’s premier wine state.”

Minister for Tourism, Zoe Bettison says wine tourism is a vital part of South Australia’s tourism industry, particularly for regional areas of the state.

"Nearly 60 per cent of the total $6.2 billion in visitor economy expenditure in the year to December 2021 – including wine tourism – was spent in regional South Australia," she says.

"The range of winners recognised in the 2023 Best of Wine Tourism Awards showcase the high quality of innovation, sustainability and tourism experiences across South Australia’s wine tourism industry."

Full details of the awards and the winners can be viewed on the Great Wine Capital website.