MasterChef’s Adam Liaw, South Australian Tourism Commission and lastminute.com.au reveal why it’s the Aussie favourite

According to a recent survey by leading travel and lifestyle website lastminute.com.au*, South Australian wine regions tickle the fancy of one in five Australians, who voted the Barossa and Clare Valley as their preferred destination for some serious wine swilling.

And the proof is in the hotel bookings* with the Clare Valley (up 28%) and the Barossa (up 22%), exceeding or matching the year-on-year growth of their popular interstate counterparts including the Margaret River (up 22%), the Hunter Valley (up 9%) and the Yarra Valley (up 8%) via lastminute.com.au.

This popularity could be driven by an exceptional combination of holiday, wine and dine experiences, as described by MasterChef 2010 winner and host of Destination Flavour, Adam Liaw:

“Having grown up in the Adelaide Hills I can vouch that the new and established wine and dine experiences are so fantastic you‘ll want to discover more. From a delicious lunch under the Barossa sun, to award-winning natural wines and cheeses from the Adelaide Hills or delicious Rieslings from the Clare Valley, SA wine regions delivers in spades in terms of a great break,” said Adam.

"South Australian wines are now acclaimed the world over. Whether it's a Shiraz from the Barossa or a Riesling from the Clare Valley, South Australian winemakers have created their own style and take pride in creating unique and distinct wines."

David O’Loughlin, Director Marketing & Communications, South Australian Tourism Commission believes the combination of progressive offerings and operators and well-known heritage experiences, entices visitors to indulge their senses when they visit SA, especially in the Barossa region.

“The Barossa is constantly evolving and providing new experiences for the discerning visitor. Its proximity to Adelaide makes it an easy day-trip but to truly enjoy all it has to offer, visitors should take the opportunity to stay in one of the region’s diverse accommodation options,” said David.

Whether it’s the easy access from Adelaide, world-class dining, the history or the collection of some of Australia’s finest wineries, travellers are flocking to South Australia to discover all that the region has to offer.

“lastminute.com.au customers are snapping up opportunities to wine and dine in South Australia. Of all the state’s wine regions, the Clare Valley has established itself as the hot spot to be with a year-on-year growth in hotel room night bookings of 28%,” said lastminute.com.au General Manager, Kirsty Harrison.

“The Barossa continues to hold its own in the popularity stakes with a 22% increase in hotel room nights booked to date this year compared to the same period last year.” 

You can discover what the fuss is about for yourself with lastminute.com.au’s SA Wine regions sale, which runs for the month of September and includes amazing deals for hotels and experiences in the region – visit www.lastminute.com.au. 

South Australia wine facts:

• SA has more than 200 cellar doors within an hour’s drive of the CBD
• The Barossa alone has more than 80 cellar doors and 150 wineries
• Sevenhill Cellars in Clare is the oldest winery in the region and was built by Jesuits in 1851
• Langmeil Winery is one of Australia’s oldest surviving vineyards.  They are still producing Shiraz from 160-year-old vines
• Seppeltsfield Winery produces a 100-year-old wine, which has been released every year since 1978