Postcard from Adelaide – National Wine Centre of Australia
I’m in the lovely city of Adelaide at the moment and yesterday I spent a good part of the day wondering the city. As I’m in one of the major wine producing states of Australia, it was no surprise to learn that they have the National Wine Centre of Australia right here in the town.
The Centre is inside the Botanical Gardens which can make for a nice stroll to get there. The Centre is on the edge of the Gardens so you can also drive up and park nearby. Officially opened in 2004, the beautiful building housing the Centre has one of the largest open cellars in the Southern Hemisphere, they have up to 38,000 bottles with 12,000 in the cellar at any time.
The Centre architecture has won quite a few awards and it’s a unique construction of steel and wood, very cool and sleek. There are interactive displays including interviews with Australian winemakers and even a make your own wine display. I found that a lot of fun, especially considering my Eden Valley riesling was ‘awarded’ a Silver Medal 😉
They offer free daily tours at 11:30 everyday but you can walk in anytime for a self guided tour. Afterwards, there is a cafe on the ground floor where they offer regional and varietal wine tastings, all at very reasonable prices. The great thing about Adelaide is that wine is soooo reasonably priced.
A fun way to get an overview of Australian wine before you head out to the vineyards.
The Centre is open 7 days a week 9am – 5pm
Located at the corner of Botanic and Hackney Roads.