Wonderground Wins 2026 Best Of Wine Tourism Award
Best of Wine Tourism by Great Wine Capitals of the World Award of Excellence 2026
We have been awarded South Australia’s 2026 Best Of Wine Tourism Award for Art and Culture — celebrating our cellar door, gallery, and the intention behind them both.
Presented by the Great Wine Capitals global network, these awards recognise innovation and excellence across ten of the world’s leading wine regions. Wonderground was selected as South Australia’s winner in the Art and Culture category — a category that speaks directly to the purpose behind what we’ve built here in the Barossa.
From the beginning, we wanted Wonderground to feel different. Not just a place to taste wine, but a destination layered with texture, meaning and intent. A cellar door and a gallery. A studio and a sanctuary. A place to pause, reflect, and connect —with the land, and with the creative spirit of the Barossa and the community that brings it to life.
This award reflects the slow and considered work of building something with depth. A place where architecture, vineyard, and gallery are given equal weight. Where you can feel the intention behind every decision, even if it’s quiet.
It’s a privilege to be recognised among such an inspiring group of wine experiences across the Barossa and greater South Australia. Our thanks to the judging panel, and to the team at South Australia’s Great Wine Capitals program.
In November, Wonderground will go on to represent Adelaide in the global Best Of Wine Tourism Awards — held this year in Bordeaux, France.
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Wonderground Barossa is a brave, new, immersive contemporary art gallery celebrating awe and wonder through art and wine.
Gallerists and artists, Renee de Saxe and Kirsty Kingsley, imagined a space in the Barossa that elevated arts and artists, leading the way in regional Contemporary art.
Both a dedicated art gallery and cellar door, Wonderground invites visitors to experience Barossa with a difference.
Led by creativity and celebration of place, enjoy a glass of wine while you immerse yourself in the current exhibition. With 5 rooms of art, including local and interstate artists, Wonderground invites you to stay and take in the views, the vineyard and gardens, relax on the verandah or sit in the cellar door.
With a new art exhibition launching every 7 weeks, with over 50 artworks from a range of artists, genres and styles, Wonderground continues to surprise and delight visitors and locals.
Wonderground, 130 Heinze Road, Seppeltsfield, SA 5355.
https://www.wondergroundbarossa.com
For more information contact
Wonderground Barossa - Renee de Saxe 0429 660 223
or Wonderground Barossa - Kirsty Kingsley 0422 969 586
kirsty@wondergroundbarossa.com
Vintage Journal honours for Mirus Vineyard’s 2023 releases
Following the recent success of our 2023 releases in the Halliday Wine Companion 2026, Mirus Vineyard has again been recognised—this time by Andrew Caillard MW and Andrea Pritzker MW in the latest edition of The Vintage Journal.
Across four single-block wines from Marananga, all scored 92 points or above, with particular praise for the detail, structure, and restraint of the 2023 Block 16 Bush Vine Grenache and the precision of the Block 21 Ridge Shiraz.
This recognition from two of Australia’s most respected wine palates continues to affirm the potential of Mirus Vineyard’s distinctive blocks and our long-term commitment to making wines of site, season, and structure.
Wine Journal Scores for the 2023 vintage:
2023 Block 5 Heinze Road Shiraz – 97 points
2023 Block 18 Hilltop Grenache – 92 points
2023 Block 16 Bush Vine Grenache – 95 points
2023 Block 21 Ridge Shiraz – 93 points
Join us at Second Pour
To celebrate the launch of these wines, we’re hosting a long lunch at Wonderground on Sunday, 22 September. Join us for a relaxed and celebratory long lunch as we reveal the second vintage release from Mirus—our 2023 single-block estate wines, shaped by time, care, and provenance.
We’ll be firing up the grill alongside chef Sandor Palmai, with Mel Hamilton out front, with a seasonal menu that highlights the character of each wine. Expect layered flavours, thoughtful pairings, and a generous dose of Barossa hospitality—both in the glass and on the plate.
Click to reserve your seat
A limited number of tastings are also available at the Petite Cellar Door at Wonderground.
Click to book a tasting session
About Mirus
Mirus was founded in 2021 by two Barossa families: viticulturists Nick Radford and Luke Edwards, and artists Renée de Saxe and Kirsty Kingsley. The estate spans 80 acres on the western ridge of the Barossa Valley, in the heart of Marananga.
The vineyard features dry-grown shiraz and grenache vines—some more than half a century old—planted across a patchwork of ironstone, schist, and sandy soils. Each block offers its own character, and our low-intervention winemaking approach is designed to let those natural voices shine through in small-batch, single-vineyard wines.
Mirus is also the home of Wonderground Barossa: a petite cellar door and gallery that unites wine, food, and contemporary art in a shared creative space.
Visit Mirus at Wonderground
130 Heinze Road, Seppeltsfield SA 5355
Mirus Vineyards awarded 5-star rating in Halliday Wine Companion 2026
Mirus Vineyard has received its first Halliday Wine Companion scores—and the results are in. With four single-block 2023 wines rated 93 points or higher, and the vineyard awarded a prestigious ★★★★★ winery status, this is a proud moment for a young Marananga estate already making its mark.
We’re proud to share that Mirus Vineyards has been awarded a coveted 5-star winery rating in the 2026 Halliday Wine Companion—placing us among the top-rated wineries in Australia.
It’s a huge honour for such a young label, and a moment of real pride for our team. Every wine we submitted received 93 points or above, with two wines—Block 16 and Block 18—receiving 95 points.
About Mirus
Established in 2021 by two families—viticulturists Nick Radford and Luke Edwards, and artists Kirsty Kingsley and Renée de Saxe—Mirus is based on an 80-acre property in Marananga, on the Barossa Valley’s western ridge.
Our vineyard is home to dry-grown shiraz and grenache planted across distinct blocks of ironstone, schist and sandy soils. Some vines are more than 50 years old. Each block tells a different story, and we craft small-parcel, single-vineyard wines using low-intervention techniques that let the vineyard speak for itself.
Mirus is also home to Wonderground Barossa, our shared cellar door and gallery space that brings together wine, food and art under one roof.
“When we first walked the site, we knew the vineyard had stories to tell. To now see those stories recognised in the Halliday Wine Companion, just a few vintages in, is something we’re incredibly proud of.” – Luke Edwards
Halliday scores for the 2023 vintage:
2023 Mirus Block 16 Shiraz – 95 points
2023 Mirus Block 18 Shiraz – 95 points
2023 Mirus Block 5 Shiraz – 94 points
2023 Mirus Block 21 Shiraz – 93 points
“We didn’t set out to chase awards—we set out to explore what this place could be, and to share that with others. But to have our work acknowledged like this so early in the journey is humbling.” – Nick Radford
Join us at Wonderground
We’re celebrating the release of these wines with Second Pour, a one-off long lunch at Wonderground on Friday, October 4. The lunch will feature a generous, seasonal menu from chef Sandor Palmai, paired with the full 2023 Mirus lineup.
Set among the vines on the Barossa’s western ridge, it’s your chance to taste these wines where they were grown and meet the people who made them. Seats are limited—and the lunch won’t be repeated.
Click to reserve your seat
A limited number of tastings are also available at the Petite Cellar Door at Wonderground.
Click to book a tasting session
Visit Mirus at Wonderground
130 Heinze Road, Seppeltsfield SA 5355