Trailblazing Artisans of Barossa unveil $3.1m cellar door development

A group of Barossa wineries has unveiled a $3.1million cellar door plan – complete with a restaurant and tasting rooms.

The entrance to the Artisans of Barossa development expected to open in October. Picture: Supplied

A trailblazing collective of eight small-batch wineries has unveiled its plan for a $3.1 million cellar door and culinary hub, just outside of Tanunda.

The Artisans of Barossa development will have a 200-person capacity and feature a restaurant, tasting rooms, provedore selling local produce and expansive deck overlooking the group’s new shared vineyards.

Adjacent to the intersection at Vine Vale Road and Barossa Valley Way in Tanunda, the central new facility is expected to be completed by October.

The future lawn and large terrace at the Artisans of Barossa development expected to open in October. Picture: Supplied

Chief operating officer Howard Duncan said the group had been a pioneer since its founding in 2005.

“This is the culmination of a 15-year partnership with a group of small-batch winemaking mates, there’s been a lot of winemaker collaborations but none have reached this scale,” Mr Duncan said.

“The range of experiences which will be available is exciting, from food masterclasses, to three different tiers of wine tasting, it’s going to be a real asset for the whole Barossa.

“One individual winery could not do anything of this scale, their collaboration has allowed the whole management team to come on-board and bring it to the next level.”

Like a number of projects in the Barossa, the Artisans of Barossa development was aided by a $400,000 state government regional growth fund grant.

Construction of the state-of-the-art facility began in February, with the project employing 12 full time equivalent workers during construction and set to employ 25 staff once complete.

In 2011 the Artisans first cellar door was opened on Magnolia Road Tanunda, before the group moved to a Murray Street address in 2018, creating the Vino Lokal wine room and bar.

The group plans to maintain this presence on Murray Street in conjunction with the new facility with Mr Duncan describing the relationship between the two sites as “symbiotic”.

The future tasting lounge at the Artisans of Barossa development expected to open in October. Picture: Supplied

“Both places will be complementary to each other, Vino Lokal will be a great wine bar and the new building will be a great showcase of our eight producers,” he said.

“Ryan Edwards will be our head of cuisine, hailing from the renowned Appellation restaurant.

“Ryan also has a fascination with indigenous food cultures and is excited to be bringing that to the table.

“We’re also bringing a really strong platform for regional local food in our new provedore, which will sell premium Barossa produce on site.”