Swirl, sniff, sip. When did water become the new SA wine?
From premium water to judging the best on tap in a new SA comp, one high-end producer tells why consumers are switching wine to water.
Still or sparkling? Local or imported? Mineral-rich, naturally filtered, or perhaps something with a fascinating geological backstory?
Ordering water is starting to sound suspiciously like ordering wine.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, non-alcoholic beverages increased between 2022-23 and 2023-24, with bottled water consumption rising by 3.9 per cent.
Apparently, not all H2O is created equal.
South Australian business Carribie Mineral Water, for example, is approaching water much like winemakers approach wine. Its selling point doesn’t simply come from the fact that the bottle contains water, but it’s about where that water comes from.
Damien Smith, founder of Carribie, bought the Yorke Peninsula property close to 20 years ago for surfing and lifestyle, not knowing what the future held. Smith said, “We didn’t buy the property knowing there was an incredible water source on it.”
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“With my background being in wine, so looking at everything through a different lens, when we tasted Cariribie for the first time, I was going, ‘this is different, and this is special’ because the profile was unique,” Smith said.
The geology that surrounds a water source, such as rocks and sand, can influence its mineral composition and, in turn, the way the water tastes.
Smith said that a mineral water business describes the flavour profile using the French word “terroir” and that Mother Nature is to thank for its taste.
“It’s about geology at the end of the day; it’s the French wine term terroir. It’s all about a sense of place, I always say. Mother Nature has been extremely kind to Carribie.”
Smith believes that as the rate of alcohol consumption declines, people are increasingly pairing premium water with their meals.
“A lot of on-premise venues, water is now moving away from being this ubiquitous product that’s still or sparkling; people are now starting to go, which water are you serving? Where is it from? Tell me its story.”
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Evidently, water tasting isn’t just reserved for the premium stuff; South Australia is hosting the 2026 IXOM Best Tasting Tap Water in SA competition. The competition, sponsored by Australian chemical and water-treatment company IXOM, puts the country’s water to the ultimate test
That same day, it will host its first-ever 2026 IXOM Best Tasting Tap Water in Australia competition.
In the competition, water samples go through a blind taste test and are then assessed using the Water Tasting Wheel, which focuses on fundamental characteristics, including taste, odour, clarity and colour.
Bryce Wolfe, Chief Executive Officer of IXOM, said, “Our solutions are used by water treatment plants across the country to help produce safe, clean and great-tasting drinking water every day.”
Although the competition focuses on tap water, it highlights the growing fascination with the subtle differences in how water can taste.
Somewhere along the way, between mineral profiles, tasting wheels and discussions of terroir, the humble glass of H20 is going through something of a rebrand.
The next time someone asks whether you want still or sparkling, there may be another question worth asking.
What are the tasting notes?
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