This fairytale South Australian cellar door has just been named the best in the country

A family-run cellar door tucked into South Australia’s McLaren Vale has just been named the nation’s favourite winery experience, and anyone who has driven the short trip from Adelaide will tell you why.

Down the Rabbit Hole Wines has taken out the top spot in the Halliday Wine Companion‘s 2027 People’s Choice Award, an annual poll that hands the decision to everyday wine lovers rather than a panel of critics. More than 8,000 votes were cast this year, and the McLaren Vale property came out on top after finishing runner-up in the same category last year.

McLaren Vale sits roughly 40 kilometres south of Adelaide, a region already well known for producing some of the country’s most awarded wines. Down the Rabbit Hole has carved out its own following since husband-and-wife team Domenic and Elise Palumbo established the label in 2013, building a small-batch operation around organic and biodynamic farming and a minimal-intervention approach in the winery.

The venture began with a single shiraz. It has since grown into a broader range under the guidance of Walter Clappis, Domenic’s mentor and one of Australia’s most respected winemakers. The Clappis family now works alongside the well-known South Australian wine family the Cooters to shape everything that reaches the glass.

Shiraz remains close to the heart of the brand, with two vintages still on the list for those who like their reds full-bodied. But there is plenty for other tastes too, from chardonnay and blanc de blancs through to tempranillo and grenache, so a visit rarely ends with just one pour.

As demand grew, the Palumbos set about giving visitors somewhere to experience the wine in person, opening their cellar door in 2019. It is that combination, the drop in the glass and the welcome at the door, that seems to have won over voters across the country.

For anyone planning a spring drive through the Adelaide Hills or a weekend loop through McLaren Vale, Down the Rabbit Hole now carries the kind of endorsement that comes from thousands of ordinary punters rather than a judging panel. Sometimes the best recommendation really is the one from the person next to you at the tasting bench.