The City of Adelaide in South Australia is a gourmand’s paradise. Matthew Lane, who was born and bred there, was recently in Bermuda to give special winemakers dinners for Penfolds Winery, one of Australia’s most famous wineries. The Royal Gazette took the opportunity to ask Mr. Lane for some insiders tips on visiting his hometown.

Adelaide, with its lush boulevards, elegant architecture and food markets, was recently ranked among the most liveable cities in the world.

“Adelaide has a great laid-back lifestyle, magnificent long summers, excellent restaurants, globally recognised arts and music festivals and of course, fabulous beaches,” said Mr. Lane. “I am very lucky living here.”

Adelaide has a population of about 1.1 million people. It is located about 20 minutes from the sea by the Gulf of St. Vincent.

Mr. Lane said the best things about Adelaide are the coffee bars, food, art and culture, and of course, the wineries.

“There is TONS to do for people who like wine,” he said. “From as far as Coonawarra in the southeast of the state of South Australia to Barossa and McLaren Vale in the north there is something to taste.”

In Adelaide, food lovers can visit the Adelaide Central Market, one of the largest undercover markets in the Southern Hemisphere and the oldest produce market in Australia.

Interactive gourmet walking tours are available with local food experts.

“There are lots of fabulous restaurants that have amazing wine lists too,” said Mr. Lane.

He named ‘The Chesser Cellar’, an Adelaide dining institution, and also Penfolds’ ‘Magill Estate Restaurant’ as must-eat-at restaurants in the city.

It is located on the Penfolds’ Magill Estate winery founded in 1844, just eight years after the foundation of South Australia.

It was originally known as the Grange Vineyard, named after their new homestead, ‘The Grange’. This cottage still stands intact among the vines today. The winery is still fully functional. The smell of fermenting wine greets visitors to the restaurant. The fare is modern European.

The wine list allows you to sample vintages from deep in the Penfolds’ cellar.

“I recommend the Magill Estate for elite fine dining,” said Mr. Lane. “It is absolutely world class.”

It is a ten minute drive from the city. There is a second Penfolds’ winery that is further away in the Barossa Valley in South Australia.

The Barossa Valley is known to have some of the oldest soils in the world, and is known as the wine capital of Australia.

“Penfolds is considered a must when in Adelaide and one of the most popular tourist attractions even for those that don’t drink wine,” said Mr. Lane.

He recommended booking a tour rather than popping in.

Penfolds is perhaps best known for its Grange wine which was created in the 1950s. Some of the earlier vintages are worth a great deal of money.

Adelaide visitors can sample Grange at the Grange restaurant situated in the Hilton Hotel.

“For the wine lovers there are so many great learning’s to be had and world class wines to be drunk from all over the state,” said Mr. Lane. “South Australia is known as the wine state.”

In terms of wine bars, he recommended ‘The Old Lion Hotel’ in North Adelaide, and ‘The Apothecary’ on Hindley Street and ‘The Universal Wine Bar’.

Mr. Lane said the people in Adelaide are known for their friendliness, and love tourists.

Although the winemaker’s dinner Mr. Lane hosted in Bermuda included alligator and ostrich on the menu, he said this is not really typical Australian food. Australians are more known for their barbecue.

“The best place to taste this is in someone’s backyard,” said Mr. Lane.

Adelaide and the surrounding area are known for their festivals. In April there is the ‘Barossa Vintage Festival’ which includes a rare and distinguished Barossa wine auction. There is also the Coonawarra Cup held at the Penola Race Course in January.

It offers the thrill of a country race meeting coupled with region wines.

A few hotels in the area include The Rendezvous Allegra, The British Hotel in North Adelaide — where you can cook your own barbecue — and The Brompton Hotels, good for meeting and drinking.

There is also the Medina Grand Treasury hotel and the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

To get from Bermuda to Adelaide, Mr. Lane flew from Bermuda to New York, then took a six-hour flight to Los Angeles, then flew 13 hours to Sydney, Australia. From there it was two hours to Adelaide.

“It took me 23 hours in total,” he said. “On the new Qantas A380 Airbus, it’ll be one of the most comfortable journeys ever — and [it’s] Australia’s national airline.”

For more information about South Australia, go to http://www.southaustralia.com/us/