South Australia (Fleurieu Peninsula)
Mc Laren Vale Wine District
Southern Vales
The wineries of the Southern Vales, in the northwest of the peninsula, are virtually in Adelaide, and the suburban fringes of the city now push right up to REYNELLA, where the first vineyards were planted in 1838. Among the earliest was Hardy’s Reynella Winery on Reynell Road (daily 10am–4.30pm), where the tasting room occupies the original ironstone and brick building set in botanical gardens. There are several other wineries in Reynella but the largest concentration, often in bush settings though only an hour’s drive from Adelaide, is around the small town of McLAREN VALE, which has about forty wineries, mostly small and family-run. Since the 1960s there’s been a trend for grape growers to switch from supplying wine makers to producing their own wine in a bid for independence, and as a result there’s a swath of “boutique” wineries here.
McLaren Vale
At Adelaide's back door is the McLaren Vale Wine district, a beautiful part of the Fleurieu Peninsula tucked between the Mount Lofty Ranges and placid waters of Gulf St Vincent. Forty kilometres from the city centre, the area has been a wine-producing district since the very early days of South Australian settlement. Its climate is moderate, and especially suited to grape-growing. Frosts are rare, as are droughts.

The water's never very far away. From the vineyards in the foothills, or those very near the coast, the waters of the gulf make a splendid blue curtain to the fertile green vines. Time your visit for winter's end, and you'll be able to revel in orchards of almond trees in full blossom, especially around historic Willunga.

There are some 40 wineries in the district, many of them around McLaren Vale. Most are relatively small, family-owned boutique wineries which give the district that special diversity of character it's known for.

Because it's so close to Adelaide, the McLaren Vale Wine district is ideal for a one or two-day break, getting to know the area's special character and tasting some of the many fine wines made here. Many wineries have attractive settings and BBQ facilities for visitors; all offer cellar-door sales.

True to the spirit of celebration common to all South Australia's wine districts, McLaren Vale's winemakers celebrate the release of the new vintage every October with the Elizabethan-style Bushing Festival.

McLaren Vale is itself a “boutique” town, with many B&Bs and restaurants catering for the wine-buff weekend crowd. The liveliest time is in October when the Bushing Festival celebrates the new wines, and the Bushing King or Queen, the wine maker who has produced the wine judged to be the best of the vintage, is crowned. A big part of the festival is the craft market held during the last weekend at Kay’s Amery Vineyards, where there are fifty stalls manned by the artisans themselves, as well as food and entertainment. Information on this, and on the area’s wineries, can be found at the McLaren Vale and Fleurieu Visitor Centre on Main Road, about 2km from the centre (daily 10am–5pm; tel 08/8323 9944) – it even has its own vineyard and a wine bar-cum-café.

Accommodation & Food
Among the B&Bs are McLaren Vale, 56 Valley View Drive, which is very homely and serves a full breakfast; Southern Vales, 13 Chalk Hill Rd, a more modern and hotel-like place with gorgeous vineyard views; and Samarkand, Branson Road, a separate wing of a cottage on a peaceful property with horses and alpacas. 

Most places to eat are fairly fancy, and many of the wineries also have restaurants attached; simpler meals can be had at Koffee n Snax, an unpretentious coffee shop at 150 Main Rd. The award-winning Magnum Bistro in the Hotel McLaren, 208 Main Rd (tel 08/8323 8208), has delicious main courses, all reasonably priced. Across the road, at no. 199, the BYO Pipkins serves morning tea and light lunch. Restaurants include The Barn, on the corner of Main and Chalk Hill roads (tel 08/8323 8618), where you can dine on moderately priced contemporary cuisine and choose your own local wine from the cellar. On the corner of McMurtie Road, in the direction of Willunga, is the Salopian Inn (tel 08/8323 8769; lunch daily, dinner weekends only), an atmospheric 1851 stone inn with a seasonally varied menu.

Southern Vales Wineries
Listed below are half a dozen favourites from a wide choice of excellent wineries.
  • Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill Rd, McLaren Vale, adjacent to the Onkaparinga Gorge. A small but very civilized winery in an old stone chapel. Wine maker Pam Dunsford was McLaren Vale’s first Bushing Queen; her wines have won several prizes. There are views over vineyards, plus barbecue facilities. Mon–Fri 9am–5pm, Sat & Sun 11am–5pm.
  • D’Arenberg, Osborn Rd, McLaren Vale. A family winery set up in 1928 and long well-known for its prize-winning reds. Tastings daily 10am–5pm. The superb restaurant, D’Arry’s Verandah, is garnering accolades for its chef and stunning hilltop views over the vineyards (Wed–Sat lunch, Fri & Sat dinner; bookings on tel 08/8323 8710).
  • Kay’s Amery Vineyards, Kays Rd, McLaren Vale. A wonderful family winery established in 1890; old photos of the family and the area cover the oak casks containing port. It’s renowned for its Block 6 Shiraz from vines planted in 1892, though this wine is a very fast mover and you might be out of luck. There’s a picnic area set amid towering gum trees. Mon–Fri 8am–5pm, Sat & Sun noon–5pm.
  • Noon’s, Rifle Range Rd, McLaren Vale. If you’re interested only in reds, come here: that’s all they do. Bring a steak, grab a few bottles and take advantage of the creekside barbecue area. Daily 10am–5pm.
  • Scarpantoni, Scarpantoni Drive, McLaren Flat. A small prize-winning winery run by an Italian family: someone’s always happy to chat about wine over a glass. Mon–Fri 10am–5pm, Sat & Sun 11am–5pm.
  • Woodstock, Douglas Gully Rd, McLaren Flat. A tiny, peaceful tasting room looking out onto a garden. Sunday lunch with guest chefs in the Coterie next door (bookings on tel 08/8383 0156). Mon–Fri 9am–5pm, Sat & Sun noon–5pm.