Australia's 5 top wine region experiences

DITCH the tacky, overpriced wine tours and do as the wine experts do. You can thank us afterwards.

Try port from your birth year at Seppeltsfield. Picture: Supplied

OUR wine regions capture the rustic simplicity of country Australia, bringing together Old World food and wine culture, inevitably brought in by the vignerons themselves. The best thing is the plethora of local expert enthusiasts - equal parts farmer, entrepreneur, scientist, artist, philosopher and poet - that are willing to impart their knowledge and passion to visitors.

So to really experience the magic of a wine region you can forget the tour guides - talk to the locals. We asked the Vinomofo team for their most amazing wine experiences, and these five would get a three star Michelin rating in any book.

1. Friday lunch at Apex Bakery (Barossa Valley, SA) - Recommended by Leigh "The Chief" Morgan

The Barossa is a food mecca, and the Apex Bakery in Tanunda is an institution. They boast the oldest wood-fired oven in the Southern Hemisphere, and on Fridays, a bunch of locals from three generations rock up with bottles of their finest and 3cm-thick T-bones from the local butcher. Have a chat to Brian, David, Jonny or Marie, and ask them if you could join them in the back kitchen for the most amazing slow-cooked lunch experience with locals that are the heart and soul of the Barossa.

Fresh bread at the Apex Bakery. Picture: Supplied

2. Tasting aged Hunter Semillons at Tyrrell's (Hunter Valley, NSW) - Recommended by Justin "JD" Dry

I won't be alone in saying that my favourite Australian white wine is the 1999 Tyrrell's Vat 1 Semillon, and I'll never forget tasting it with Chris Tyrrell sitting in his barrel shed - combining amazing history, insane wine and a chat with a great guy. A trip to NSW isn't complete without a visit to one of the country's most unique, consistent and intelligent producers. You may not get a back vintage tasting with Chris, but trying their single vineyard Semillons on the land they were grown is reward enough for the trip.

The Tyrell's cellar door is the perfect spot for tastings. Picture: Supplied

3. Centenary Tasting at Seppeltsfield (Barossa Valley, SA) - Recommended by Andre "Hurricane" Eikmeier

Another Barossa experience, but the most incredible thing I've ever had the honour of experiencing. There's a hall at Seppeltsfield with around 130 barrels of Port, dating back to 1878 - one for each year. You can walk down the hall and taste from your birth year, as well as one of the 100-year old Para Ports. It's truly humbling to think that these people had the patience and perseverance to save this liquid gold. You never have (and never will) taste anything like it. It's truly an honour and a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Try port from your birth year at Seppeltsfield. Picture: Supplied

4. Weekend lunch at Samuel's Gorge (McLaren Vale, SA) - Recommended by Adam "Adsy" Trovarelli

McLaren Vale is personified by a lazy summer picnic lunch at Samuel's Gorge. The drive up the classic Chaffey Road, past the rolling hills of Rosemount's vineyards, gives you a glorious glimpse of what's to come. But the best thing about this cellar door is the relaxed and welcoming staff. Instead of pushing vino down your throat to get you out the door, their approach is much more personal. There's no pretentious, elaborate bar segmenting the public from the staff - it's more of an Italian family experience. Not only is their juice wicked, but they let you bring your own picnic to enjoy the massive view of the gorge with friends and family. So before you go, make sure you head down Main Road and stock up at Blessed Cheese. Match this with a couple bottles of Grenache and Mourvèdre and the scene is set for a cracker afternoon.

Lunch with a view at Samuel's Gorge. Picture: Supplied

5. Watching the sunset with the best sparkling and oysters in Australia at Freycinet Vineyard (East Coast, Tasmania) - Recommended by Chris "Bagel" Coffey

There are so many awesome hidey-holes in Tasmania, but if I had to nail it down to one it has to be on the East Coast. Freycinet Vineyards are a tiny producer, but in my mind, they have been making the best vintage bubbles in the country since French-trained sparkling specialist Claudio Radenti married into the talented Bull family over 20 years ago. Grab a chilled bottle of their eponymous bubbles Radenti and head around the Moulting Lagoon toward Coles Bay to find Australia's best oysters at Freycinet Marine Farm to match, sold out of a van on plastic plates. Set up on the adjacent picnic table, crack open the bubbles and watch the longest, laziest and most haunting sunset you'll ever see. Welcome to Tassie.

At Freycinet Vineyard sunsets are amazing, and so are the days. Picture: Supplied

For more tips on Australian wine visit Vinomofo.com