Only 40km south of Adelaide, the McLaren Vale wine region is a patchwork of vines planted on rolling hills, framed by ocean views. Grape vines were first planted in the area in 1838 and the Seaview and Hardy wineries were operating as early as 1850. McLaren Vale now boasts more than 80 cellar doors and specialises in Shiraz, Cabernet and Grenache, along with other Mediterranean style varieties.

Here are my Top Tips for a great day out or weekend in McLaren Vale:

Inkwell Wines

Opened in May 2018, this was a fun tasting room on the top floor of a two-story building constructed from 20 shipping containers, with gorgeous views out over the rolling hills and vines. We were greeted with some initial suspicion by Daisy, the winery dog, but she was easily won around with a game of tug of war. Owners, Dr Irina Santiago-Brown and her husband Dudley greeted us warmly from the outset and gave us loads of information about their wines. The Inkwell label consists of single vineyard wines, focused on natural and simple production methods – the vineyard is certified organic. The Dub Style label is experimental and contains grapes grown off estate also – some of the wines even come in a can!

There is also gorgeous accommodation, the Hotel California Road, on the bottom floor of the building with three rooms. There is a strong sustainability focus across the property, as would be expected from owner Dr Santiago-Brown who is one of Australia’s leading experts in sustainability in viticulture.

Insta wall pose

Tasting at Inkwell

View of vines at Inkwell

Bekkers Wine

Sitting in a beautiful, intimate tasting room of glass, black aluminum and timber overlooking the vineyards, Toby Bekkers, the grower, took the time to explain the vision and approach he and French-born wife and winemaker Emmanuelle take at Bekkers Wine. Instead of running down a tasting list one by one, he poured their three red wines all at once and you could run up and down and back and around them. It really helped to understand the wine a little more.

The Bekkers take an unapologetically European, high end approach. They grow grenache and syrah and that’s it. They make a couple of whites, but Emmanuel returns to France to do this, because the soil in their part of McLaren Vale is best for grenache and syrah and that’s it. The vision is crystal clear and the execution of it was refined, complex and utterly delicious. I took a bottle of the Syrah-Grenache home and will be upping the wine budget to make room for some more.

S.C. Pannell

There is something for everyone at S.C. Pannell winery. It’s a large venue, established in 2014 and includes a cellar door, restaurant and function space. The winemaking focus is on climate and the wine’s relationship to the food we grow, cook and eat. Steve Pannell is a lauded and respected wine maker, winning Australian Winemaker of the Year in 2015. But there is an accessibility and fun to his wines that was matched by the vibe of the cellar door – we had a blast here! It’s a long tasting list so settle in and think seriously about using the spittoon if needed!

Bekkers tasting

Tasting room at Bekkers

SC Pannell neon

Having a great time at SC Pannell

Star of Greece Restaurant

Sustenance is required on a day of wine tasting and the Star of Greece in Port Willunga is only a 10 minute drive from the main winery area of McLaren Vale. Named after a shipwreck, the unassuming building doesn’t quite prepare you for the fantastic food and jaw dropping views over the Gulf of St Vincent. Really warm service, a great wine list with lots of local options and plenty of guidance if required. Mediterranean style food with a seafood emphasis. A very easy place to settle in for a few hours – hopefully with a storm rolling in over the ocean.

Storm rolling in Port Willunga

Scallops at Star of Greece

FIsh n chips at Star of Greece

Chocolate dessert at Star of Greece

Samuel’s Gorge

Come for the Instagram posts, stay for the exceptional wine. Samuel’s Gorge is a boutique winery, overlooking a dramatic gorge in the Onkaparinga River National Park. The cellar door is located in a farm shed build in 1853 and is full of old farm and winery equipment, including an incredible old press in the centre of the room. The winemakers here are obsessed with the geology of McLaren Vale and the wines that we want to drink whilst sharing food together. They focus on Grenache, Tempranillo, Graciano, Mourvedre and Shiraz. This was the winery that started me on my Grenache phase when I visited in 2016…it ain’t over yet.

Other stuff

• McLaren Value stalwart, d’Arenburg has spent a bucket load of money and time ($15 mil and 14 years) on designing a wine experience. The result is the Cube – a five-story, Rubik’s Cube design, glass building that houses a series of wine experience rooms, artworks, a restaurant and a cellar door. I didn’t get to d’Arenburg to experience the Cube this time, but it’s at the top of the list for my next visit to McLaren Vale! I’m also a massive fan of the name of their wine club – The Cenosilicaphobic Club – for people who fear an empty glass!
• Wirra Wirra is one of the more corporate experiences in McLaren Vale – it’s a tourism spot as much as a winery. But we were lucky enough to have a generous and funny cellar door employee who really personalised the experience. It’s a generous tasting and Harry’s Deli does a huge cheese platter which you can eat out in the really lovely grounds. Worth a visit for sure!
• Choose one of the larger wineries for your last stop and they will likely be kind enough to amalgamate your wine purchases over the course of the day or weekend and post them home for you. I didn’t see any explicit marketing around this like there is in some other wine regions, but S.C. Pannell were very happy to do it for me!
• If you’re staying in Adelaide, you can read about my dining experience at Orana, the 2019 Good Food Restaurant of the Year here: https://www.gourmetroaming.com/eating-australian-orana-adelaide/