Frequently asked questions

Definitely — tasting at boutique cellar doors is genuinely the best way to learn what you actually like, rather than what you're told you should like. Most first-timers on our shared and private tours leave understanding a lot more about their own taste, what the words on the back of the bottle mean, and often find they enjoy more styles than they expected to. You don't need to know anything about wine walking in.

On the shared tour, we choose three boutique wineries on the day from a rotating network of more than 60 regional partners, and you're travelling with up to five other guests. On a private tour, it's just your own party in your own vehicle, and the day is built around what you actually drink. Price aside, it really comes down to whether you want a sociable shared day or one shaped entirely around your interests.

On the shared tour, never more than six guests, and we often depart with just two. On a private tour it's only your own party — nobody else joins you — and the per-person price comes down as your group grows, typically from two guests up to six or seven depending on the tour.

To prevent parties of one booking a shared tour and then us having to cancel on them because we haven't met minimum numbers, all bookings for 1 pax must be made via request. Send us the date you're after, the tour and region, along with your personal details like accommodation and dietary needs - we'll process the booking for you and send off a payment link.

If you'd like to book a private tour for 1 person, you'll have to book the two person price and just mention that it's only one person travelling. Your guide will keep you company throughout the tour should you wish, otherwise they'll leave you to the staff at the wineries. The one caveat is that they will join you for lunch - our restaurant partners require a minimum of 2 guests for a booking.

All three are easy day trips from Adelaide — the Barossa is about an hour north, McLaren Vale about 45 minutes south, and the Adelaide Hills about 30 minutes east. The Barossa is best known for big, structured Shiraz and the region's most iconic names; McLaren Vale pairs more easy-drinking wines with a coastal, relaxed feel; the Adelaide Hills is cooler-climate country, better suited to Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and sparkling, and it's private touring only — we don't run a shared tour there. If you're not sure, tell us what you like to drink and we'll point you to the right one.

Matthew is a trained sommelier, born and raised in South Australia, and has been immersed in these wine regions for nearly thirty years. He's travelled across many wine regions, from Napa to Walla Walla, Sardinia to Istria, Georgia to Waiheke Island, and shares his expertise with the team. The guides who work alongside him are wine professionals too, drawn from sommelier, winemaking, international wine sales and WSET backgrounds. We host regular wine-nights sharing bottles we've collected on our travels to further our combined knowledge and understanding of wine from across the globe. The team are not simply drivers in a penguin outfit reciting a script. Depending on the tour, guides with more experience and understanding tend to be utilised for the more premium touring options as required.

On the shared tour, it depends on the day — your guide chooses three wineries from a rotating network of more than 60 boutique producers, so there's no fixed route. On the Wine Experience private tours, there's a default itinerary listed on each tour page however, during the booking process we ask you some questions about what you like, dislike, where you might like to go, a bit about how much you're into wine, and how much you tend to spend on a bottle. From this, your guide uses their expertise of the region to choose three wineries that suit your preferences. On our top-tier private tours — Ultimate Winery Experiences, Barossa Shiraz Enthusiast and The Pinnacle — the wineries are fixed and named upfront, because that specific access is the whole point of the tour.

On a private tour, yes — tell us what you drink and who you'd like to visit during the booking process, and we'll build the itinerary around it wherever we can. It's not unconditional, since some of the best boutique wineries only open by arrangement, but we'll always try. We also find it best if you let us know what you like to drink, instead of where you'd like to go - the best wineries to visit aren't always the commercial ones you know, but those with similar styled boutique wines and a more authentic offering. On the shared tour, the day's three wineries are up to your guide on the day, so we can't guarantee a specific stop, though it's worth mentioning to us in the booking process.

In the Barossa, producers we visit regularly include Langmeil, Rockford, Two Hands, Gibson, Tomfoolery, David Franz, Rusden, Torbreck, Corryton Burge, Charles Melton, Greenock Creek, Turkey Flat, and Murray Street among others — though exactly which of those you get on your day depends on the day itself, since we deliberately don't run a fixed circuit. It's less about one "best" winery and more about matching the right small producer to what you already enjoy. The weather plays a huge part too, different locations shine in sunny weather, whereas others are suited to colder days.

In McLaren Vale, producers we visit regularly include Oliver's Taranga, Yangarra, Kay Brothers, Samuels Gorge, Lino Ramble, d'Arenberg, Bondar, Aphelion, Bekkers, and Inkwell among others.

In the Adelaide Hills, our most visited wineries would be Deviation Rd, Shaw + Smith, The Lane, Murdoch Hill, Sidewood, and Tapanappa among others.

If you're looking for this sort of thing, your best bet is McLaren Vale - the book on Australian wine sustainability was written there (literally by one of the two people who witnessed Matthew's wedding vows) and 99% of the growers there are certified sustainable. Organics is part of that process and the region champions both. While many wineries will not be certified organic (lots of red tape and quite costly) most of them follow the principles 99.9% of the time.

Sulfur is the preservative that gets an unfairly bad reputation — it's naturally occurring, and a standard bowl of breakfast cereal with dried fruit typically has around twice the sulphites of an entire bottle of wine. Most of the wineries we visit lean toward a low-sulphur approach anyway, so it's genuinely not something you need to worry about. Your guide will happily talk you through what's actually worth looking out for on the day

We're generally wary about walking guests into the vines themselves for photos, out of respect for the vineyards' own biosecurity practices. We have the oldest surviving vines on the planet here in South Australia, and walking into the vineyards can introduce diseases and pests that exist in other states like Victoria and New South Wales.These pests and diseases would decimate the entire industry. There's still plenty to photograph at the cellar doors, from the grounds and from the side of the road in select safe locations - your guide will always point out the best spots.

Every tour includes all tasting fees, a proper sit-down restaurant lunch with wine, and door-to-door transfers in our Mercedes vehicles — nothing is left for you to work out or pay for at the cellar doors. All taxes and tips are built into the price too, so the only thing you'll actually spend money on is wine you choose to buy or ship home.

Yes — every tour includes a proper sit-down restaurant lunch, usually seasonal shared-style dining, not a grazing platter. Our restaurant partners cater to all sorts of dietary needs. Tell us about any allergy or dietary requirements you may have when you book and we'll notify the restaurant in advance.

On the shared tours, pickup is from downtown Adelaide hotels, along with a select few places in the Barossa (Barossa Shiraz Estate, The Louise, Novotel, Kingsford, The Villas, Stonewell Cottages, and bnb's in Tanunda). On a private tour, it's door-to-door from your Adelaide accommodation, or Barossa, McLaren Vale, or most Adelaide Hills accommodation for tours located within the same region as the tour. We can also arrange pickup/drop off from Mount Lofty House, Sequoia Lodge, Adelaide Airport, or the Ghan Terminal for most private tours - just contact us in advance your arrival/departure details as it may affect the content and timing of your tour.

It's best to contact us before booking to see if we can pick up from your accommodation located outside of the downtown Adelaide or North Adelaide areas (postcodes 5000 and 5006). Note that the Adelaide Hills is a huge region, so if you're staying somewhere in the Hills, always reach out first. If your accommodation is in a tricky spot (somewhere our vehicle genuinely can't reach) we'll contact you directly beforehand to arrange a suitable alternative meeting point nearby — you won't be left without a plan. It's worth telling us where you're staying as early as possible so we can sort this out well before your tour date, not on the evening before departure.

For popular dates, especially over the Australian peak season from October to April, book as early as you can once your South Australia dates are set. Our top-tier private tours — The Pinnacle and Barossa Shiraz Enthusiast — depend on by-arrangement bookings with the wineries themselves, so they need even more notice, and neither runs on Sundays.

More than 48 hours before departure, you're entitled to a full refund. Between 24 and 48 hours out, you can reschedule free within six months, or forfeit 50% of the price if you don't rebook; inside 24 hours, the booking isn't refundable except in genuinely exceptional circumstances, at our discretion. If you book and need to reschedule your departure date, let us know as soon as possible so we can reschedule you.

All prices are listed in Australian dollars, GST included. You can pay by credit card — Visa, Mastercard, Amex or JCB, no surcharge from us, though your own bank may treat it as an international transaction — or by bank transfer, which needs to clear within 7 days of your booking request - details will be provided at time of booking.

It's not expected in Australia, but genuinely appreciated if your guide made the day special. There's no set amount — entirely your call.

Most of our wine tours are strictly 18 and over. The one exception is our "Wine Experience" range, where children can be considered on application — get in touch and we'll talk it through before you book.

Rain doesn't stop the day — the itinerary runs as planned, and everything on it is indoors aside from short walks between the car and the cellar door. In the South Australian summer, temperatures can sit in the 40s (over 100°F); we choose tasting rooms with shade and air conditioning and keep you out of direct sun where we can. On a genuinely extreme weather day, including a total fire ban, we reserve the right to modify or cancel a tour, with a full refund or reschedule offered — that's a judgement call we make on the day, not an automatic rule tied to a fixed rating.