In South Australia, fully licensed drivers must stay under a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05, while learner, provisional and probationary drivers must have zero alcohol in their system. Drivers of buses and passenger vehicles carrying people for hire must also be at zero. After a day of tastings at four or five cellar doors it is almost impossible to know where you sit, so the safest plan is simple: if you are driving, do not drink, or let someone else do the driving.
General information only. This is a plain-English summary for planning a wine day, not legal advice. The source for the rules below is the Law Handbook published by the Legal Services Commission of South Australia, last revised 28 May 2026 (Law Handbook).
What is the alcohol limit for driving in SA?
- Full (unconditional) licence: it is an offence to drive with a BAC of 0.05 or more (0.05 grams of alcohol in 100 millilitres of blood).
- Learner, provisional (P1 and P2) and probationary drivers: must drive with a zero BAC.
- Unlicensed drivers: the limit is zero.
- Drivers of "prescribed vehicles": zero. These include buses built to carry more than 12 people, vehicles designed to carry 8 to 12 passengers that are used regularly for hire or for a business or community purpose, any vehicle carrying passengers for hire, heavy vehicles, and vehicles carrying dangerous goods.
That last point is why your tour driver never drinks. Driving guests for hire means a zero limit by law, which is exactly how it should be.
How many standard drinks are in wine?
An Australian standard drink contains 10 grams of pure alcohol. The Department of Health's standard drinks guide gives these approximate figures (health.gov.au):
| Serve | Alcohol | Standard drinks |
|---|---|---|
| 100 ml red wine (standard serve) | 13.5% | 1.0 |
| 150 ml red wine (average restaurant glass) | 13.5% | 1.6 |
| 750 ml bottle of red wine | 13.5% | 8 |
| 150 ml white wine (average restaurant glass) | 11.5% | 1.4 |
| 750 ml bottle of white wine | 11.5% | 6.8 |
| 60 ml port | 17.5% | 0.9 |
Source: Australian Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Standard drinks guide (updated 28 August 2026).
How many glasses of wine can you have and drive?
There is no number of glasses that is safe for everyone. Your blood alcohol concentration depends on how much you drink and how quickly, whether you have eaten, your body size and other personal factors, so two people drinking the same wines can end up with very different readings. Using the figures above, a single 150 ml restaurant glass of red is already about 1.6 standard drinks. For learner, provisional and probationary drivers the answer is simple: none, because their limit is zero.
Can you drive after a wine tasting?
Legally, a fully licensed driver can only drive if their BAC is under 0.05, and an L or P plate driver only if it is zero. In practice you cannot tell where you sit from how you feel. Only time brings your BAC down: food, coffee or water may help you feel better, but they do not make you sober, and after a big day of tastings you could still be over the limit the next morning. If you are planning to drive, the safest choice is not to drink at all.
Why tasting days are hard to judge
A cellar-door pour is smaller than a glass, which makes it easy to underestimate. But a typical tasting runs through several wines, and a typical Barossa day covers four or five cellar doors. Pour sizes differ between venues, Barossa reds are often full-bodied, and fortified wines are stronger again. You rarely know exactly how much you have had, and how your body handles alcohol depends on many personal factors. Counting tastes is not a reliable way to stay under a limit, and for L and P plate drivers any alcohol at all is a breach.
Your options for a wine day
A designated driver who does not drink
It works, but it means one person sits out the day they came for. If you go this way, the driver should treat it as a zero-alcohol day.
Stay overnight
The South Australian Tourism Commission suggests the Barossa is better as two or three days than a single day trip (SATC). Staying in the valley means nobody needs to drive back to Adelaide after tastings, and our small-group and private tours pick you up from your Barossa accommodation.
Let us drive
Every Barossa Wine Tours day includes door-to-door pickup and return in our luxury 8-passenger vehicle, so everyone in your group can enjoy every tasting. Coming from the city? Our Barossa wine tour from Adelaide collects you around 9:00am and has you home by about 5:00pm. We are also committed to the responsible service of alcohol, and guests must be 18 or older to drink on tour.
For more on planning the day itself, see our Barossa day trip guide and wine tasting tips.
