Simon Tolley, Wotton Family Wines and Main & Cherry to open new cellar doors in regional SA

Wine enthusiasts rejoice! The Hills and McLaren Vale regions will welcome a number of new cellar doors from next year.

Wine enthusiasts will be able to expand their tasting experiences from next year with the opening of new cellar doors in regional SA.

It follows a year of uncertainty for the local wine industry, hit hard by bushfires and COVID-19.

This includes Simon Tolley Wines in Woodside, which experienced extensive property damage as a result of the Cudlee Creek bushfires, including the loss of 30 per cent of their vines.

This rendered the 2020 vintage unsaleable due to the effects of smoke taint.

Despite the challenges, Simon Tolley and his wife Narelle have been busy executing their long held ambition to create a home for their wine brand.

Simon and Narelle Tolley with their dog Tilly at the partially built cellar door of Simon Tolley Wines in Woodside. Picture Matt Turner.

From January, the couple will officially open their first cellar door in Woodside, adjacent their award-winning luxury accommodation Simon Tolley Lodge.

The new tourism destination will operate from Thursday through to Sunday and showcase the company’s complete collection of premium Adelaide Hills wines.

“We wanted to create a home for our wines, a space where people can relax and enjoy wine in the same way we like to enjoy it,” Mrs Tolley said.

“It’s really an extension of our own home.

“People can come to our cellar door for a tasting or a glass of wine, stay for a while and chat to Simon and me about our wines and the viticulture, while looking out over the beautiful vineyards.”

Wotton family set for fruity undertaking in Uraidla

The Wotton Family in Uraidla are also busy preparing for the construction of their first cellar door.

More prominently known for their cherry picking business on Greenhill Road, Grant, his wife Annie and son Cam have launched development plans with the Adelaide Hills Council to construct a cellar door for their wine brand Wotton Family Wines.

The undertaking will see a merger of their love for cherries and grapes, promising a unique tasting experience.

The Wotton family will open a new cellar door at Greenhill Road in Uraidla. Grant with his wife Annie, son Cam, and Massie the dog. Picture Sarah Reed

“We’ve been growing grapes since the early nineties and all our fruit has been going to Petaluma Wines.

Three years ago, we decided to keep some for ourselves and got Brian Croser and his team to make us some of our own wine.

“We eventually started selling that online but now want to jump on the bandwagon of, for anyone who drives down Greenhill Road, to showcase our wines through that at our cellar door.”

Mr Wotton said their current collection included a 2018 Piccadilly Chardonnay, a 2018 pinot noir, a 2019 Rose and a 2020 Pinot gris. A sparkling Rose is currently in the making.

Wotton Family Wines will open a brand new cellar door in Uraidla. Source: BeyondInk

“The plan is to have that wine ready for the opening,” he said.

“People will be able to enjoy that with cheese platter at a small capacity with personalised tasting.

“This year we’re also going to keep some premium fruit and are thinking about squashing that to make cherry wine.

“There’s not a lot of people who do anything with cherries, certainly not wine, so we’re looking at expanding into that in the future.”

Impressive views, produce at Chandlers Hill’ Main & Cherry

A third cellar door is also in the making at Chandlers Hill.

Main & Cherry Winery are set to commence construction on a cellar door with views of the Happy Valley Reservoir and Gulf St Vincent.

Owner and winemaker, Michael Sexton said plans to construct a cellar door had been in the making since mid 2019 with a completion date set for late 2021.

Main & Cherry are opening a new cellar door in 2021.

“We currently mainly work with independent retailers and restaurants but also have distributors interstate.

“However, the potential of this site really promoted the desire of opening up a cellar door and I think we now have enough wines in our portfolio to warrant it.

“I think it will be nice to have a home for our wines and for people to see where it all comes from.

“That story often gets a bit lost in retail land so it will be nice to share that a bit more intimately.”

Main & Cherry are opening a new cellar door in 2021.

Residing in Chandlers Hill with his partner and two children since 2016, after growing up on his family’s original Cherry Gardens Vineyard, Mr Saxton said the region’s cooler climate helped grow beautiful Shiraz and Grenache.

He said he hoped to compliment wine tasting experiences with locally sourced ploughman’s lunches and platters.

“We also probably do the occasional pop up food truck we want to keep things small and casual for families, as that’s what we’re all about.”