National Wine Centre

Way to go Ingrid!!

I had done a little research online before my trip to Adelaide on the Wine Museum, but when I arrived I was a confused. The building is quite huge, but the museum portion and restaurant were much smaller than expected.

Ingrid assured me I was in the right place. She pointed me in the direction to start the museum tour, and said when I finish to return to her in the cafe.

The museum is a nice small educational space. It discusses the beginnings of wine, types of varietals - their tastes, smells, growing conditions, and best results. I've been learning about wine for over 30 years and was impressed by these few rooms and all the information.

Next I headed back to Ingrid in the cafe. Where she explained I needed a wine card. This card could be swiped in any and or all of the cafe machines to purchase a taste, half glass or full glass of any of the 100 Australian wines available. They were set up in sixes by varietals, favorites and price.
Ingrid also showed me the simple menu that paired well with wines. I went with a create your own charcuterie board. It was perfect.
It was a gorgeous 85 degrees out, perfect for their patio. The only negative was if the occasional breeze popped up, there was a foul odor from a nearby garbage dumpster.

A large portion of the building is used as an event venue. And a good section of the basement level stores thousands of cases of Australian wine.

All in all a great way to spend several hours learning, eating and tasting so many of Australia's wine that you may never find anywhere else.

The "Wine Centre" opened in 2001 and is a public exhibition building about winemaking & its industry in South Australia. The front of the building looks like a section of a wine barrel. Outside the building are rows of grapevines, showing 7 local varieties of grapes.

We walked around the center's interactive exhibits about winemaking, introducing us to the technology, varieties & styles of wine. There is a wine tasting area, & we can even create our own wine.

We shared an Australian kangaroo platter & charcuterie platter while sampling some delicious Australian wines in the Wined Bar. There were red, white, sparkling, sweet & fortified wine flights from $15-$18. Beer, cider, cappuccinos and liquor are on the menu as well. I tried the white wine flight and my husband the sweet wine flight, all of the local wines were amazing! Lunch was reasonable with wine, tax and tip it was $53 American dollars total.

Perfect stop for lunch after walking through the Botanic Garden. The building itself was very unique, modern take on a wine barrel. There were plenty of seating outside the front doors filled with diners, and we were glad to get a table. We ordered through a server who came to our table, but I went inside to use the enomatic wine dispensers for a self-guided tasting, and brought out the wines to enjoy with our food.

For the tasting, you need to leave either an ID or credit card in exchange for a card to keep track of your tastings. The card is inserted into the slot above the wine you want to taste, then you choose the size (tasting, half glass, full glass). Prices vary from wine to wine, going from A$2 to about $10 for a tasting. There are clear descriptions of the wines, the regions, and the tasting notes, and you can also see the label as well. It is such an interesting concept, and I admit I probably imbibed more than I normally would just to play with the buttons. If you still cannot decide on your own, there is a somm ready to help you, and he even gave me some free tastings too! All in all, I tried about 10 different wines, and got a couple glasses of my favorites, just for A$43 (30 USD).

As for the food, I was really was not expecting much, and was very pleasantly surprised. The offerings are pretty upscale for a very decent price. We got a delicious mushroom gnocchi, salad with thinly shaved fennel, and charred greens for A$48 to share between two people.

Stopped in here while visiting the Botanic Gardens. It started to rain and we needed shelter, so why not shelter in a place that service wine and food? We did a quick tour of the museum upstairs first, and then went downstairs to the food and wine area. My wife and I ordered the charcuterie board, and then got a card for sampling wines. Each of us sampled small amounts of about six different wines. Very simple and tasty process. Kids ordered food as well, and seemed to enjoy themselves. Service was super friendly. The young lady had just moved to the area, but you never would've known that by her demeanor. Would come back again.

This place just has to be Adelaide's best kept secret when it comes to cafe's, let alone the obvious advantage of the wines on offer for tasting.
If your into exquisite food that's presented beautifully and tastes awesome whilst being so affordable, just jake a quick walk through the Botanic Gardens to the wine centre.

Highly recommend it

My chapels and churches are scattered throughout the Hills, Barossa and McLaren Vale. But when I need to go to my cathedral, I come here.

Friday's meet the maker (or whatever it is called these days) is highly variable, tastings can be fantastic or terrible (Yes, you, Lane wines). But for $25 it is quite a good deal.

Alternatively skip the tasting and head to the main event of Uncorked where people tend to gulp wine in apocalyptic fervor. Yep almost every other Friday, people confess their sins... And then sin some more.

Personally, when I come to this house of worship, I prefer to stay in the bar ogling the cellar and tasting divine drops. Their wine list is heavenly, to say the least.

I'm lucky to have gone to quite a few events at the National Wine Centre, I'm even more lucky that they've all been free. It's honestly one of the best event venues I've been to because it's an interesting space and has good food (It is beat by a Sony night at the Adelaide Zoo because...well they had Pandas).

There are a few special events that the Wine Centre holds, like their wine dinners, uncorked evenings, and meet the maker sessions. They're all a chance to find out a little more about wine, to enjoy a chance to socialise, and to just have fun.

Then there are the things you can actually do at the Centre, like taking a walk through their displays, eating at the cafe (something I'm yet to do, but I have eaten a 5 course meal at a Wine dinner and it was delicious), or take part in one of the many tasting options. One of these is the chocolate & wine tasting with chocoMe. I got to experience a special media night at the Wine Centre recently, while the set up was different the chocolates and wines are the same. They're gorgeous and delicious. And I'm getting side tracked.

As I've mentioned before I've also been to the wine centre for other events like product nights, and it's a good venue if you're planning your own events.

I'm yet to spend a dime here, which is just lucky for me, but I'll be brining my sister along for a chocolate & wine tasting as soon as she's back from a holiday.

Very beautiful facility mainly for the neat architecture that makes the place resemble a smashed wine barrel from certain perspectives. The inside is a little like a mixed bag. There is a vast walkway up to the exhibit space on the first floor where you have an interactive exhibit that attempts to show you all you need to know about wine making in a very limited way, but it tries.

There are short films, squeeze and sniff spots and a big bar for wine tasting.

The wine tasting happens between 10am - 5pm and if you call ahead you can arrange it with them and get a little extra special service. They are closed Good Friday, Christmas and New Years Day, but the rest of the time they are open. You are able to pick up a brochure that directs you through a self-guided tour experience, and given the amount of detail imparted to you at your own direction, it is best to give yourself a good hour to wander through if you are interested in the whole subject of wine. If you just want to taste it - give yourself ample time for water and coffee afterwards.

This space is a free Internet WI fi zone, and there is a nice cafe with some outdoor seating, but the glare of the sun in the afternoon on a hot day makes it a bit of a heat bucket so be warned. The inside is like a wine cooler, the outside can be hazardous to your health.

Having said that I love the facility as a space where you can hire the banquet hall and throw a shin dig. Check out the menu.

I have attended a couple and loved the feeling. It's not like being in Adelaide at all.

A cool looking building, resembling a wine barrel, this function and wine centre is very nice inside and out and is located amongst the Botanic Gardens.

I have had a few work functions here and the catering is amazing, the food and wine service are right up there with top class.

The waitors all wear white shirts, ties and black pants and hold their hand behind their back balancing numerous wine glasses on a tray.

They offer wine education courses, wedding venues, banquets, an exhibition and a cafe.

Definitely not for a budget though, but well worth the money.

#Uncorked on Friday afternoon fortnights is a constant winner.
New wineries each session, reliable music, much fought over free cheese platters (or buy your own food and let others drool with envy) & the opportunity to sample via wine flight different varieties before leaping into a specific glass or bottle.
A state of wineries in a city location!