Drink your way through one of the best wine regions in South Australia.
This could be Tuscany, as you stand in a McLaren Vale vineyard on a steamy summer afternoon and look out over the vines toward the glittering Gulf St. Vincent. But that's just the talk during the wine tasting. McLaren Vale is unquestionably South Australian, and it's also one of the easiest wine regions to get to—just 45 minutes south of Adelaide.
The top wineries in McLaren Vale
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| The top wineries in McLaren Vale |
The stunning patchwork of vineyards that makes up McLaren Vale's agrarian landscape, which is backed by the Willunga Scarp's undulating topography, was once considered for World Heritage listing. In the deep terra rossa limestone soils of the Vale, shiraz grows crazily well. However, there are more than 80 cellar doors to explore, offering grenache, Sangiovese, fiano, Vermentino, and other Mediterranean styles to muddy your afternoon. Get a map from the visitor center, assign a driver, and begin sampling.
Coriole
What is the ultimate McLaren Vale encounter? Take a sunny hillside, border it with rows of established vines, add an olive grove and a few conifers, and then tuck a picturesque stone farmhouse from the 1850s down a lengthy dirt driveway. then, as the sun begins to set on the western horizon, crack open a bottle of fine Shiraz. Coriole delivers, and she does it without a trace of pretense, exclusivity, or conceit.
Solar energy, organic gardening, rainwater harvesting, native revegetation, and composting are all very important to Coriole. Gather, the restaurant uses locally grown vegetables and herbs and has a clattering slate floor and tables and chairs. Thursday through Monday lunch is a set-menu degustation that requires reservations. Alternatively, stop by Arbour Bar for a bottle of Estate Shiraz and observe the sun's activities in the late afternoon. Definition of McLaren Vale.
D'Arenberg
The winery itself would rank in the upper echelons of McLaren Vale's best, even if Chester Osborn hadn't created the indisputable d'Arenberg Cube. But he did, and these days d'Arenberg is more than just a great winery—it's a must-see McLaren Vale "experience," with its soaring Cube serving as the face of numerous regional advertising campaigns.
Savor d'Arenberg's bewildering selection of reds and whites in the tasting room on the top floor (the Broken Fishplate sauvignon blanc and Dead Arm shiraz are perennial favorites). Then, head to level three for some casual Eat@Polly's for some harissa chicken wings or a cube-shaped Reuben sandwich. Trying to up the ante on style? Scoop up a seat at one of SA's greatest neighborhood restaurants, the venerable (and charming) d'Arry's Veranda Restaurant, located in the nearby 19th-century homestead.
Samuel Gorge
If a show-stopping view is what you’re looking for in the cellar door, then stop the show right here. Samuel’s Gorge winery occupies a picture-perfect 1853 stone farm shed, situated high on a ridge above a gorgeous gorge. Far below, the Onkaparinga River snakes its way through the green of its namesake national park. What a spot!
The vibe at the cellar door is handmade and unassuming, with no sign of the glass-and-steel architectural glam of many of its neighbors. Instead, Samuel’s Canyon is all stone, timer and weathered corrugated iron, surrounded by rambling flower beds and herb gardens.
Beresford
Stylishly poised by the roadside in McLaren Vale’s slightly higher, slightly cooler Blewitt Springs subregion, Beresford is worth a visit on design principles alone – before visitors even get to the wine. This modernist, angular-tasting pavilion is an exercise in magazine aesthetics, enticing clientele to match (don’t turn up in footy shorts and thongs). This isn’t to say that Beresford is at all snobby; being here brings a sense of serenity – of bearing witness to the building’s great beauty and becoming a player in the architects’ grand designs.
A visit to Beresford is a chance to feel beautiful, too, as you enjoy the reward of the estate’s 28 hectares. Tasting experiences (from $10) meander through lush grenache, shiraz, cab sav and chardonnay offerings, offset by pizza and provincial cheese platters – best enjoyed on the deck or by the suspended fireplace inside if it’s wintry.
Chapel Hill
Acentern old chapel hung in there for 100 years, functioning alternatively as a schoolhouse, community centre and place of worship until 1965, when it was boarded up and left to its own devices. But wandering professor Tom Nelson saw the potential and bought the pace, planting his first vines in 1972 and praying for a result. And what a result! In 1979, Tom's cellar door opened.
These days, Chapel Hill upholds high standards for sustainable winemaking to reflect its esteemed position. Here, a typical day's work includes composting, rain collection, recycled water irrigation, sparingly applying pesticides, and minimizing evaporation. This delicate method produces excellent shiraz, Vermentino, cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, and pinot gris.
Wines Wirra Wirra
Ironically, Wirra Wirra's ever-popular all-arounder Church Block, one of McLaren Vale's most well-known wines, is a blend rather than a purist varietal. However, there's not really much place for single-minded snobbery in a blend of this delicious (merlot/shiraz/cab sav).
Playing on the lawns, exploring the historic, vaulted-brick buildings (tours cost $40), and enjoying coffee and paninis at Harry's Deli are all activities you could do all day long. However, the majority of visitors come to relax in the rustic tasting bar while savoring some of the richest, fullest wines and stickies in McLaren Vale (tastings start at $10; reservations are recommended). On your way out, stop by "Woodhenge," a peculiar fence constructed from enormous pieces of McLaren Vale redgum.
Pannell, S.C.
Steve Pannell's aspirations extend beyond McLaren Vale, as he achieves great things with grapes sourced from the Adelaide Hills and Langhorne Creek. This implies that Steve also gives his undivided attention to some excellent cool-climate wines, such as pinot gris, pinot grigio, riesling, and sauvignon blanc. It's also reasonable to say that Steve isn't afraid to experiment a little bit with his winemaking, leading guests on a tour of his McLaren Vale headquarters that takes them through fiano fields and into the national Touriga and barbera regions.
One of McLaren Vale's larger cellar doors is S.C. Pannell, which earns extra points for its expansive terrace that offers breathtaking views of the western sunsets and fields covered in vines. Pannell's is therefore a great location for events like weddings and parties where a little extra space is needed.