Australian vineyard rows in golden evening light, blue ranges behind

South Australia · 1 – 9 August 2026

Vows in the Vines

Nine days through Clare Valley riesling country, McLaren Vale shiraz and sea cliffs, the green of the Adelaide Hills and the laneways of the city.

Clare ValleyMcLaren ValeAdelaide HillsAdelaide CBD
The journey At a glance
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The plan

Nine days, at a glance

Tap any day to jump straight to it. Everything below is live: every venue links out to its website, menu, booking page and map pin.

Flights

  • Out · VA1388Sat 1 Aug · Brisbane 08:45 → Adelaide 11:10 (Virgin Australia)
  • Home · VA1393Sun 9 Aug · Adelaide 11:50 → Brisbane 14:45 (Virgin Australia)

Aim to reach ADL ~2 hrs before the flight home.

Hire car · Hertz

  • Pick upAdelaide Airport, Sat 1 Aug ~11:15 · Terminal Car Park Bldg
  • Drop offAdelaide Downtown, 74 Blyth St, Sat 8 Aug by 11am (Sat hrs 8am–1pm)

Booking ref L4661520812 · fuel up before returning.

Where we sleep

  • Sat 1 – Tue 4Donnybrook Cottages · 12 Stanley St, Clare
  • Tue 4 – Fri 7SULTANA (Maximalist) · 36A Kangarilla Rd, McLaren Vale
  • Fri 7 – Sun 9Hilton Adelaide · 233 Victoria Square (in 3pm, out 12pm)

Good to know

  • WeatherEarly-August is SA winter: roughly 8–16°C, often wet. Warm layers & a raincoat.
  • Cellar doorsMany are booking-essential; several close Mon/Tue in winter. See the flags list below.
Time zone: Adelaide runs 30 minutes behind Brisbane (ACST). Check every booking time against the right clock, especially the flights.
Booked · locked in To confirm · booking recommended To decide · optional / flexible Info · travel, drives, at-home meals

Between regions

Drive times

Every leg of the loop, with the route notes worth remembering.

Gulf St Vincent N Sat 1 · ~2 h Tue 4 · via Penfolds Magill Fri 7 · via Hahndorf ADL Airport in Sat 1 · out Sun 9 Clare Valley Days 1–3 Adelaide CBD Days 8–9 Adelaide Hills Day 7 McLaren Vale Days 4–6 · ★ the vows

The loop: north to riesling, south to the sea, home through the Hills.

Tastings

Cellar doors & wine

A tasting flight of wines lined up on a barrel

Twelve doors across the week, from the Jesuits' 1851 cellars at Sevenhill to the d'Arenberg Cube's surrealist maze. Most are booking-essential in winter; a couple welcome walk-ins. Check the pill on each card.

Before we go

To confirm & flags

The loose ends, in priority order. HIGH items are the ones that can genuinely change a day.