South Australia’s best wineries revealed in the latest Messenger poll

The votes have been tallied and the results are in. SA’s top winery – as voted by you – is one with a proud history dating back 170 years. SEE THE FULL LIST OF WINNERS

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Producing some of the state’s best wines has been the lifeblood of the Potts family for 170 years.

In 1850, British migrant Frank Potts, who had arrived in SA on the HMS Buffalo just 14 years earlier, established Bleasdale, the first winery and vineyard at Langhorne Creek.

More than 2500 votes were cast by our readers in the latest Messenger poll to find SA’s best cellar doors, with Bleasdale topping the list, followed by Rockford Wines, in Tanunda, and Skillogalee, in the Clare Valley.

Bleasdale general manager Leigh Warren credited the winery’s ongoing success to its proud history, which included the production of Frank Potts Cabernet Blend, Mulberry Tree Cabernet Sauvignon and Bremerview Shiraz.

“Langhorne Creek … is often overshadowed by McLaren Vale and the Barossa Valley, but we know that we continuously grow premium fruit which makes really good wine and I think people really like that,” Mr Warren said.

“I think people also like the history that sits behind our brand with Frank Potts immigrating to Australia on the Buffalo in 1836, before building up this winery 14 years later after that.

“So we got that deep, rich history, which I think sets us apart.”

Mardi Eckert and senior winemaker Paul Hotker of Bleasdale Wines at Langhorne Creek, which has been voted top winery in our latest Messenger “best of” poll. Picture: Morgan Sette

Despite the winery’s longstanding popularity, Mr Warren said the business had faced a number of challenging months due to COVID-19.

However, he said visitors were increasingly returning to the winery on weekends, as people sought out experiences not too far from Adelaide.

“(Business) has been up and down … and we certainly had to be flexible, which I think a lot of businesses have been doing,” he said.

“But since May, numbers have been pretty good as people are getting out to the region.

“Sometimes, I think that there is this perception that Langhorne Creek is a long way away, but it’s really just an hour from the CBD.

“With six or seven cellar doors in Langhorne Creek now, you can really make a day out of it.”