Rockford was our first cellar door in the Barossa, and it’s the one that feels most like the old valley: very small, intimate and full of history. We’d highly recommend a quick stop, although it can get a bit busy. It sits on Krondorf Road just outside Tanunda, in a cluster of small stone buildings around an 1850s barn, with big red gums shading the car park and brick lanes between the sheds.
What we like
- Small, intimate and historic
- Old 1850s stone barns
- Walk-ins welcome
- Parking under the red gums
- Home of the Basket Press Shiraz
What we don’t
- Can get a bit busy
- Groups of six at most
About Rockford WinesAbout
Robert “Rocky” O’Callaghan started Rockford in the early 1970s, and it’s still known for doing things the traditional way, with old equipment like basket presses and open fermenters, and grapes from old, dry-grown vines tended by local growers. Its best-known wine is the Basket Press Shiraz. The cellar door is a group of small historic buildings around the property’s original 1850s barn, on Ngadjuri Country.
Quick facts
- Address131 Krondorf Road, Tanunda SA 5352, AustraliaSee on the trip map →
- FacilitiesCellar DoorCourtyard TablesParking
- Good to knowOpen daily 11–5Walk-ins welcomeGroups up to six
- FeesWalk-in tastings
- 8.8/10Overall rated
Getting There
Rockford is on Krondorf Road, a couple of minutes south of Tanunda’s main street. You park on the gravel under a row of big red gums right beside the stone barns, and there was room for the Prado with the rooftop tent. The cellar door is open every day from 11 am to 5 pm, except New Year’s Day, Good Friday, Christmas Day and the third Sunday in May, and buses and limousines need to book.
The Cellar Door
You walk in on brick paths between the old stone buildings to an arched doorway marked Cellar Door Sales. It’s very small and intimate inside, so it can get a bit busy. Walk-ins are welcome, though you can book ahead to cut the wait, and groups are limited to six. Behind the barns, a brick laneway runs under a big pepper tree to tables with red umbrellas.
Things to Do NearbyThings to do
Tanunda’s main street is a couple of minutes north, Langmeil Winery is just past it, and Maggie Beer’s Farm Shop is a short drive further up near Nuriootpa. Where to camp and the rest of the valley are in our Barossa Valley guide.
Summary
Rockford is the old Barossa in one cellar door: small stone buildings around an 1850s barn, red gums over the car park, and a winery still known for doing things the traditional way. Walk in for a tasting, keep your group small, and take a wander out the back under the pepper tree.
Small, intimate and historic: well worth a quick stop.
Rockford is a cluster of small stone buildings around an 1850s barn on Krondorf Road, still making wine the traditional way, with parking under the red gums and walk-in tastings for small groups. It can get a bit busy.
- Couples
- Travellers
Yes. It’s just outside Tanunda, the buildings alone are worth the stop, and you can walk in for a tasting without booking.
Recommended Gear for a Barossa Day
A good camping fridge keeps a bottle or two cold for the drive to camp, and a camp table and a couple of camping chairs turn a roadside stop among the vines into lunch. Carry plenty of drinking water in good water containers too, as the Barossa gets hot in summer.
