Give a wine experience this Father’s Day

The perfect gift for all experience seeking fathers

Father’s Day is around the corner, and we’ve got an experience to suit every wine-loving dad; from those with a green thumb to fishermen, handymen and keen wildlife watchers. Simply pick an experience and a date and voilà, Father’s Day gift sorted – or choose a gift voucher for more flexibility.

Secret Life of a Winemaker at Brown Brothers: for wine-curious dads

Dads who are fascinated by wine will relish the chance to go behind the scenes and witness the winemaking process up close. At Brown Brothers in Milawa, the Secret Life of a Winemaker offers an exclusive tour of the working winery including the barrel shed and experimental ‘Kindergarten Winery’, followed by a premium guided wine tasting. Sampling from blending tanks and barriques is a highlight!

Available: Mondays and Fridays at 2pm
Nearest city: 2 hours 45 from Melbourne
Cost: A$80 pp

Jacob’s Creek Double Barrel Experience & Harvest Kitchen lunch: for dads who like whisky and wine

Dads with a penchant for both whisky and wine will love the Jacob’s Creek Double Barrel Experience, which showcases the evolution of a select range of wines matured first in traditional wine barrels and then finished in second-use spirits barrels. Specialist glassware and aroma barrels are used during the fully hosted experience, which includes a guided vineyard tour and snacks, followed by the ‘Feed Me like a Barossan menu’ paired with two glasses of Jacob’s Creek Double Barrel wine.

Available: Daily at 2pm
Nearest city: 1 hour from Adelaide
Cost: A$185 pp

Estate to Plate at Montalto: for dads with a green thumb

At Montalto, dads can take a guided tour of the Estate’s kitchen gardens – the oldest and largest in the state – and learn how the garden-to-plate philosophy underpins everything they do at this Mornington Peninsula winery. The tour is followed by a guided wine tasting and a four-course wine-matched lunch in the restaurant, showcasing the garden’s freshest heirloom produce. This experience includes a bottle of wine to take home and access to the winery’s onsite sculpture trail.

Available: Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 11am
Nearest city: 1 hour from Melbourne
Cost: A$185 pp

Private horse trail ride at Petaluma: for equestrian dads

Those dads who enjoy horse riding (or would love to give it a try!) are in for a treat at Petaluma Wines in the Adelaide Hills. Join dad on a guided horseback journey through picturesque vineyards, followed by a private wine tasting, regional produce platter, and glass of Croser Vintage sparkling, which can be enjoyed on the spectacular deck in the warmer months or by the fire in the cooler months.

Available: Daily at 11:30am
Nearest city: 45 mins from Adelaide
Cost: A$295 pp

Penfolds Collectors Experience: for dads who love Penfolds

Whose dad would say no to a taste of Penfolds Grange?! The Collectors Experience at Penfolds includes a bespoke tour of Magill Estate – one of Australia’s oldest and most iconic wineries – plus a private tasting of an exclusive selection of premium wines, including the famous Grange. The experience ends with a curated food and wine moment in the Magill Estate restaurant.

Available: Wednesday – Saturday 3pm
Nearest city: 15 mins from Adelaide
Cost: A$495 pp

Private Fly-Fishing Experience at Printhie: for dads who are keen anglers

If the dad in your life is a fisherman (or wants to be), this one’s for him. Printhie Wines in Orange has a lake stocked with rainbow trout and offers onsite fly-fishing tutorials. All experience levels are catered for, and the fly-fishing component is followed by a four-course degustation lunch or dinner with matching wines at Printhie Dining, where the head chef consciously crafts menus that showcase premium local produce.

Available: Friday and Saturday at 10am, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 4pm
Nearest city: 3.5 hours from Sydney
Cost: A$495 pp

Cape to Vine Day trip with Vasse Felix: for outdoorsy dads

Dads who love getting out into the great outdoors will love the Vase Felix Cape to Vine Day Trip in Margaret River. This experience features a guided hike on a section of the famous Cape to Cape Track, exploring the coastal region’s natural secrets, ancient granite boulders, limestone cliffs and unique flora and fauna. Afterwards, head to Vasse Felix – the region’s founding winery – for a private wine tasting and a five-course wine-matched lunch.

Available: Monday to Friday at 08:30
Nearest city: 3 hours from Perth
Cost: A$700 pp (exclusive booking)

Immerse with Swinging Bridge: for dads who have all day

If your dad is the kind who’s in no hurry and loves a good yarn, he’ll love spending the day with owner, winemaker and vigneron Tom Ward from Swinging Bridge. Tom personally hosts the ‘Immerse with Swinging Bridge’ experience, where he takes guests on a private tour of the winery’s single vineyard sites across the Orange wine region. The tour concludes with a seven-course degustation lunch with sweeping views of Gaanha Bula-Mount Canobolas, accompanied by a selection of Swinging Bridge’s best wines.

Available: Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 9am
Nearest city: 3.5 hours from Sydney
Cost: A$400 pp (min 2 pax)

Yalumba Cooperage Tour: for handy dads

For dads who like learning how things are made, Yalumba’s Cooperage Tour will be right up their alley. This experience provides a rare insight into the craft of wine barrel making, a tradition that has been happening at Yalumba – the only producing cooperage attached to a working winery in the Southern Hemisphere - for more than 100 years. Dad will have the chance to engage with the master cooper as he performs part of the barrel making process, before heading into the Yalumba Wine Room for a tasting flight.

Available: Monday – Friday at 10am
Nearest city: 1 hour from Adelaide
Cost: A$60 pp

Wine, wildlife and vineyard tour at House of Arras: for dads who love wildlife (and wine!)

Keen wildlife-watching dads can combine this passion with wine at House of Arras in Tasmania. After a private wine tasting, he’ll embark on a guided vineyard tour, a glass of his favourite House of Arras wine in hand, while an expert guide reveals the intricacies of vine training, harvesting and sustainability practices. Next is a guided walk through the property’s private riparian reserve for encounters of the furry and feathery kind, with binoculars and birdwatching equipment enhancing his chance of spotting wedge-tailed eagles, little brown falcons, fairy-wrens, platypus, white-morph goshawks and even the occasional wombat.

Available: Thursday – Sunday from 4pm
Nearest city: 40 mins from Launceston
Cost: A$195 pp