The McLaren Vale wine region is located on the Fleureu Peninsula, some 38Km south of Adelaide in South Australia. The vineyards are entered around the towns of McLaren Vale, which is quite modern and has a good range of shops, and Wilunga, which is smaller and a little quainter. There is an excellent tourist information office located on the outskirts of McLaren Vale (796 Main Road) where you can pick up an excellent map showing the location of cellar doors as well as lots of other useful details for a stay in the area.
McLaren Vale Wine Facts
- The area was named after either David McLaren, a businessman, or John McLaren, a land surveyor, who were both in the area in the mid nineteenth century.
- It is one of Australia’s oldest wine regions with vines first planted in 1838 and the region has remained free of Phylloxera.
- There are now 7324 hectares under vine
- It has a Mediterranean climate with four distinct seasons and typified by long warms days and short cool nights.
- There are many different soil types in the region and this contributes to why such a range of wines can be produced here.
- There are no recognised sub regions but some say Blewitt Springs would be a likely contender should any be created.
- It is perhaps best known for Shiraz and this grape makes up over half the plantings though Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache are also very important.
- There are 110 wineries and 65 cellar doors
With so many cellar doors open it certainly pays to have a plan, particularly if you only have a short time to visit. We spent three days in the area and combined wine tasting with things such as visiting the excellent nearby beaches. If you only have time for a single visit go to d’Arenberg, it is unlike any other cellar door I have ever visited and they have a very comprehensive range of wines which should give you a good idea about the wines that can be produced in the region. It is also much more than just a cellar door with an art gallery and a somewhat eccentric museum of sorts. You won’t be disappointed if you visit, just leave yourself enough time to take it all in. I would suggest at least a couple of hours. I have a separate post about d’Arenberg here.
From d’Arenberg there are lots of options for visits, this was our itinerary.
S. C. Pannell. (60 Olivers Road). Open seven days a week from 11am to 5pm. The tasting room overlooks the vines and is a pleasant environment for sampling some rather nice wines. We particularly enjoyed the 2017 Clarendon Hills Grenache and the 2017 The Vale Shiraz/Grenache.
Alpha Box and Dice. (8 Olivers Road). Open seven days a week from 11am to 5pm from Monday to Friday and 10am to 6pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Winemaker Sam Berketa makes characterful and interesting wines which use minimum intervention to get a true expression of each variety. They have embarked on producing an alphabet of wine with each letter representing a separate wine making project. We enjoyed the 2019 Rebel Rebel Montepulciano from vineyards in Langhorne Creek and produced without fining or filtration to produced a very drinkable wine laden with cherry fruit. The Lazarus NV Ripasso from South Australia was also rather fine. Tatings take place in a relaxed and eclectic setting. Well worth a visit if you enjoy the natural side of winemaking.
Coriole Vineyards. (Chaffeys Road). Open 11am to 4pm from Monday to Friday and 11am to 5pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Located a short drive along a track from the main road, Coriole looks the very part of an English country garden with a restaurant and deli in addition to the tasting room.
The Chenin Blancs are very good here, especially the 2016 Optimists Reserve but the star of the tasting was the 2010 Mary Kathleen Reserve Cabernet/Merlot, a lovely expression of the McLaren Vale with mature dark berry and plummy fruit.
Chapel Hill Winery. (Chapel Hill Road & Chaffeys Road). Open seven days a week from 11am to 5pm. Just a short drive from Coriole, turn left on leaving and then right to Chapel Hill. A very popular destination and a lovely relaxed tasting room despite how busy it was. A nice range of wines available for tasting including a rather fine Gorge Block Chardonnay 2018 with lovely texture and great finish. From the reds we particularly enjoyed the 1897 Grenache 2018 and the Road Block Shiraz 2017.
I have always been a lover of Grenache, if its from old bush vines even better. There is lots of Grenache available in the McLaren Vale but to sample it at its best requires a short 2o minute drive from the town of McLaren Vale to Yangarra (809 McLaren Flat Road). It’s a little way out from the main concentration of wineries and cellar doors, located as it is in Blewitt Springs, but it is well worth the effort. The wines here were excellent and I will post a separate article about our visit here shortly. The 2015 High Sands Grenache was the star of the show with cherry, violets and a beguiling complexity. Yangarra is open Monday to Saturday from 11am to 5pm.
Our final visit was to Battle of Bosworth wines (Gaffney Road). The cellar door is open seven days a week from 11am to 5pm. Located close to the quaint, small town of Willunga, just south of McLaren Vale, we called in late on a Friday afternoon after spending a few hours on nearby Sellicks Beach. Despite the late hour we could not have been made more welcome and were offered a comprehensive tasting of wines including those from Spring Seed and the Springs Road estate which is located on Kangaroo Island. We loved the Puritan Shiraz 2019, so named because it is made preservative free, and the 2016 White Boar Shiraz.
If you are fortunate enough to be in the area on a weekend don’t miss the Willunga Farmers Market, held in the centre of town every Saturday from 8am to 12.30pm. It is a lovely little market with some fantastic produce on offer and is very popular with locals and visitors alike. Get there early for the greatest choice. The town is well worth spending some time in, it has an excellent selection of shops, cafes, bars and restaurants.
