An innovative Langhorne Creek winery has won multiple awards in the past four years – this time for setting new standards in accessibility and family-friendly wine tourism experiences.
Kimbolton Wines has just added another accolade to its list of achievements: joint winner of the 2025 Best Of Wine Tourism Award for Adelaide, South Australia. The family-owned winery was recognised in the Wine Tourism Services category, for “going above and beyond to deliver diverse, inclusive, and accessible experiences”.
It’s the third time the family-owned winery in Langhorne Creek has taken home a Best Of Wine Tourism Award for SA. In 2020, it was recognised for its innovative new cellar door. Two years later, it won again for its “Grapes for Good” collaboration with other Langhorne Creek wineries and Zoos SA, as well as claiming a Global Best Of Wine Award for the initiative.
What are the Best Of Wine Tourism Awards?
Held annually, the Best Of Wine Tourism Awards for Adelaide, South Australia, are a key component of SA’s membership in the Great Wine Capitals Global Network.
This network formally recognises our state as one of the 12 top wine tourism destinations in the world, alongside Bordeaux and the Napa Valley. Winners of our local awards go on to compete at the Global Best Of Wine Tourism Awards.
What makes SA a global wine capital?
South Australia produces 50 per cent of all bottled wine in Australia and about 80 per cent of the country’s premium wine. Our wine exports reached $1.1 billion last financial year, a 37 per cent increase from 12 months ago.
With 18 diverse wine regions, visitors to SA are spoiled for choice when it comes to wine experiences.
“To have four wine regions, including Langhorne Creek, within an hour of the CBD, is unique,” says Nicole Clark of Kimbolton Wines.
Kimbolton Wines: A family-run winner in wine tourism
For Nicole, who runs Kimbolton Wines alongside her brother, Brad Case, the recognition that comes from awards is proof that all the hard work and passion poured into their winery is paying off.
“The award means a lot to a small family business like us. We have amazing staff, and it’s nice to be recognised and know you’re getting it right. We’re a really small team, but a really committed team who understand how important customer service is. It’s also hopefully an award that will boost the profile of the Langhorne Creek region as a whole.”
Kimbolton Wines has been all about family since it was started in 1911 by Frank Potts II – Nicole’s great-grandfather. Nicole and her brother are the fifth generation to own the business, but their parents are still actively involved.
“Dad’s 83 and still prunes every year. We try to tell him he doesn’t have to, but he says, ‘No, I have to do something.’ My mum helps out too—she’ll pop up to wash glasses or tend to the garden. Everything we do here is around family.”
An experience for all ages
That focus on family is reflected in Kimbolton Wines’ cellar door. The winery’s non-alcoholic ‘Kid’s Flights’ – three cordials or milks, paired with savoury or sweet treats – offer a unique opportunity for children to spend time with their parents in a traditionally adult setting.
“For a family to be able to sit down and experience this together is lovely,” says Nicole. “We had two lovely mums come in with their kids recently. The mums did the adult wine and cheese flights, and the kids got their own ‘flights’. The look on their faces was priceless. You could see them thinking, ‘I’m just like mum and dad!’”
An award-winning focus on accessibility
Kimbolton’s commitment to inclusivity doesn’t stop there. Their cellar door, complete with rooftop deck, has been designed to cater to everyone – including those with accessibility needs.
“We achieved accreditation for limited mobility and wheelchair access last year, and we’ve also got visual tasting cards for people who are hearing impaired or for international visitors who might not speak English well,” Nicole says. “It’s just the little things we try to do to make someone’s experience that little bit better.”
Nicole has also collaborated with Charlotte, an inspiring young, legally blind woman, who has helped to make Kimbolton more accessible to people with vision impairment. “Now we have audio guides through VacayIt, which describe things in ways sighted people might not think of, including what kind of paths to expect and the birds you’ll hear.”
This experience has been an eye-opener for Nicole: “I didn’t realise just how many families have a member with an accessibility issue. It’s not just about wheelchairs – accessibility can mean a lot of different things.”
Nicole says Kimbolton is committed to making its cellar door experience as welcoming and easy as possible, whether that’s by providing accessible toilets and a step-free map, welcoming guide and service dogs, offering a quiet space for Autistic children or catering for food allergies.
The “Grapes for Good” initiative
Kimbolton Wines’ commitment to making a difference in the community is also evident through its award-winning “Grapes for Good” initiative – a partnership between six Langhorne Creek wineries and Zoos SA to raise crucial funds to support Monarto Safari Park’s conservation efforts.
“It’s been a major achievement – getting six wineries to work together and be on the same page. Sometimes I feel like Langhorne Creek doesn’t get the exposure that other regions do. But seriously, the value for money, the quality of the wines here, it’s quite incredible.”
As part of “Grapes for Good”, each winery now offers a signature wine inspired by an animal from Monarto Safari Park. Visitors can also book a ticket for the “Grapes for Good” Tasting Trail, which includes tastings and specially curated dishes at each winery, and an entry voucher to Monarto Safari Park.
The complete list of 2025 Best Of Wine Tourism Award winners for Adelaide, South Australia, is here.
