SA’s Grapes for Good named International Winner
A South Australian wine tourism experience has won global recognition at the prestigious 2023 Best of Wine Tourism Awards in Argentina.
Grapes For Good, which uses South Australian wine to highlight the plight of endangered animals while enticing tourists to visit multiple wineries across the region, has been recognised as a 2023 Best of Wine Tourism global winner.
The project began when Langhorne Creek based Kimbolton Wines joined forces with Zoos SA in 2021 with a cabernet sauvignon raising funds for cheetah conservation. It has since grown into a partnership with six Langhorne Creek wineries: Bleasdale, Bremerton, Lake Breeze, The Winehouse, and Vineyard Road, as well as Kimbolton Wines.
Each winery donates part proceeds of a limited-edition wine to conservation work for a different threatened species through Zoos SA. Artwork on the bottles features the threatened species supported by each wine, including the Ring-tailed Lemur, the Plains Zebra, and the giraffe.
The six wineries have formed a trail, encouraging visitors to experience all of the Langhorne Creek wineries along the way – helping multiply conservation efforts, as well as driving increased tourism and expenditure.
The 2023 Best of Wine Tourism Awards were presented at a gala dinner in Mendoza, Argentina on Thursday 3 November 2022 Great Wine Capitals Annual Meeting and Conference.
The Best of Wine Tourism Awards celebrate innovation and excellence in wine tourism and provide an opportunity to gain exposure and recognition for the wine tourism businesses’ commitment to providing leading wine tourism experiences.
South Australia is a member of the elite Great Wine Capitals Global Network, which acknowledges excellence in grape and wine production and highlights the world's finest wine tourism regions. It formally recognises South Australia as one of the top wine producers and wine destinations in the world and benchmarks against prestigious regions such as Bordeaux and the Napa Valley.
The awards are coordinated by Great Wine Capitals steering committee, which includes representatives from the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA), the South Australian Tourism Commission (SATC), the South Australian Wine Industry Association (SAWIA), the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia.
Minister for Primary Industries, Clare Scriven said the announcement of Grapes for Good as a global Best of Wine Tourism award winner is further proof South Australia’s wine tourism experiences are among the best in the world.
"I commend the founders for the innovative pairing of wine with animal conservation work," Minister Scriven said.
"Congratulations to the South Australian winners and nominees of the Best of Wine Tourism Awards, with special congratulations to Grapes For Good. This is global recognition for the outstanding wine tourism experiences on offer right here in South Australia."
Minister for Tourism, Zoe Bettison congratulated all involved in the Grapes for Good initiative, which not only highlights South Australia’s world-class wineries, but its trailblazing innovators who work together to create top-shelf visitor experiences.
"This international recognition puts South Australia – and the Langhorne Creek wine region – on the global stage and helps cement our state’s reputation as a must-see wine destination," Minister Bettison said.
Pre pandemic, 36 per cent of international tourists to South Australia undertook an activity that involved visiting a winery. Wine is a major tourism drawcard, and it’s wineries like Kimbolton Wines that attract visitors to our state and make SA known as Australia’s wine capital."
Learn more at https://adelaidegreatwinecapital.com.au/awards.