SA cellar doors set to benefit from Coalition’s $20m tourism promise

SA wineries, distilleries and breweries would be offered top-up grants to overhaul their businesses if the Coalition is re-elected.

South Australian wineries, distilleries and craft breweries would be able to cash in on $20m in grants as part of the Coalition’s plan to boost the tourism industry.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has promised to pour an extra $15m into the wine, spirits and craft breweries sector, with individual grants of up to $100,000 for small and medium businesses to upgrade their tourism facilities.

The Coalition would also invest an extra $5m in tourism events if re-elected on May 21.

Finance Minister Simon Birmingham said South Australia was in a unique position to capitalise on the promised investments.

“This is all about backing South Australia’s iconic wine industry, which is a major tourism drawcard and jobs generator for our state,” Senator Birmingham told The Advertiser.

“Our winemakers are world-class and this is about making sure they can continue to offer visitors world-class cellar door experiences.”

Finance Minister Simon Birmingham visiting local wine business Patritti to spruik the Coalition’s election pledge. Picture: Roy VanDerVegt

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has promised to pour $20m into the wine, spirits and craft breweries sector. Picture: Jason Edwards

Business grants from the $15m fund would need to be matched by individual companies and be used to construct or upgrade facilities that are essential to attracting tourists.

The Coalition would also invest an extra $5m to provide tourism and local government organisations with grants of up to $100,000 to create new events and experiences.

“Tourism is key to our plan and this funding will help bring in more tourists to local businesses, meaning more people touring our breweries and wineries, more people buying products and ultimately businesses employing more people,” Mr Morrison said.

The grants would provide an “incredibly important opportunity” for Dover Gardens winery Patritti, its general manager, Justin Tiller, said.

“We are an unusual winery, because we sit in the suburbs of Adelaide, so we don’t currently have access to the regional tourism grants that are available,” Mr Tiller said.

“We’ve been really challenged as an industry by wine tariffs in China and also Covid.”

Patritti has been making wine in SA for nearly 100 years, but the business only started wine tastings at its cellar door last year.

“We’ve got to a certain level with our own investment, but we need to invest in more facilities in terms of shelter, heating, toilet facilities, commercial kitchen facilities – we need to invest in all of those things,” Mr Tiller said.

Patritti’s general manager, Justin Tiller, winemaker Ben Heide and export manager Anna Nuttall in the Patritti cellars. Picture: Matt Loxton

Originally published as SA cellar doors set to benefit from Coalition’s $20m tourism promise