Woodstock Wines | Family-Friendly Winery & Wildlife Sanctuary | McLaren Vale | Review

Woodstock Wines family-friendly winery with wildlife sanctuary, playground & beautiful grounds to explore.

Review by Sharon Harrington

Woodstock Wines in McLaren Vale is a gorgeous spot for a long sunshiny lunch with the family. Daily kangaroo feeding, outdoor seating next to the playground, and big grassy lawns for a run around make this a wonderful place to visit with the kids.

I’ve always thought Woodstock is one of Adelaide’s prettiest wineries, but had never visited with the kids. With the show being cancelled and perfect Spring weather, we decided to use the student free day to head there for the day.

Kangaroo feeding daily 

Birds twittered in the centuries-old gum trees as we entered the onsite wildlife sanctuary, which is set on approx. three hectares of bushland next to the winery. The resident kangaroos here were found in their mother’s pouches on the side of the road and taken to the sanctuary to be cared for. 

At 11:30am each day, the sanctuary opens up for wildlife feeding. The Woodstock host calls the kangaroos from far and wide and visitors are given the opportunity to hand feed and pat the kangaroos as well as bottle-feed the little joeys their milk. My girls absolutely loved it as did I! It was a really wonderful experience.

The sanctuary is also host to an emu, which came out to say “hi”, and the kids got a kick out of spotting koalas snoozing high up in the massive gum trees.

Outdoor seating next to playground

After the wildlife feeding, we found ourselves a table out in the garden next to the playground. This gave the kids a chance to play, while my husband and I relaxed and enjoyed the beautiful surroundings.

There are also large grassy lawn areas for the kids to have a run around in and a big log for them to practice their balancing skills.

Seasonal Dining Options

The tasting room is  beautifully designed with floor to ceiling windows showcasing the native gardens outside. Rammed earth walls, wooden floors and strings of fairy lights give the venue a warm, welcoming feeling. This area sometimes doubles as an indoor dining option.

Casual dining menu

Dining options change seasonally. During winter 2025, the Winter Pavillion was set up on the lawn, an inviting, warm dining space. Woodstock Wines have paired with Gin Long canteen to provide tasty Asian-fusion dishes. We tried the corn ribs, salt and pepper squid and massaman beef curry. There’s also a kid’s option of chicken tenders with chips and tomato sauce.

Cellar door

There is also a cellar door onsite if you have a chance to pop in for some wine tasting. The chilled Grenache Rose is a great match for summery weather!

Woodstock Wines is a lovely venue to while away a few hours over lunch, with lots of activities to keep the kids happy. A must visit if you are in the region with kids in tow!

What we like about Woodstock Wines & Coterie:

• Beautiful gardens
• Picturesque outdoor and indoor dining
• Wildlife feeding
• Playground

Things to consider:

• Woodstock is a 50 minute (approx.) drive from Adelaide CBD
• Children under 18 years require parental supervision in the wildlife sanctuary
• There is a $5 per head fee for the wildlife feeding. 

Location:

Douglas Gully Rd, McLaren Flat

For opening hours and all enquiries please visit Woodstock Wines.

All photos by Sharon and Claire for Play & Go Adelaide 

As per all our Play & Go reviews, this is not a sponsored post and our review is done completely independently. 

At Play & Go Adelaide we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.

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