Tradition meets innovation in South Australia’s oldest region, home to phenomenal wines, eats and weather.
Just a 40-minute drive south of Adelaide is McLaren Vale, a wine lover’s playground with some of the most amazing bottles (and beaches) in Australia. Steeped in multi-generational winemaking traditions, this unassuming region is the birthplace of wine in South Australia and one of the country’s oldest wine regions. Don’t confuse tradition with banality, though. Layered over this history is a serious ongoing commitment to innovation and change. You’ll discover regional classics and modern wines made from emerging varieties, happily existing side by side. But this experimentation isn’t just limited to the cellar door: winegrowers are also leading the charge on sustainable viticulture, progressive winemaking and world-leading water management systems – no small feat in a region as hot and dry as the Vale.
Many consider McLaren Vale more than a wine region; it's a community. It's hard to come here and not feel like a local, whether you're dropping into a winery, eating dinner in one of the drawcard restaurants, or simply taking a walk along one of its jaw-dropping beaches. Big smiles, welcoming attitudes and a real sense of pride pervades the region, and while no doubt there are many other wine regions you'd love to visit, McLaren Vale is the one you’ll find yourself returning to time and again.
Elevation – 10–350m
Total vine area – 7,438ha
Average amount of wine produced – 35,500 tonnes
Soil – Red and brown loamy sand with pockets of terra rossa soils
Climate – Warm Mediterranean climate with warm, dry summers and cooling winds
Mean temp (Jan) – 21.3°c
Average growing season rainfall – 226mm
White grapes – 40%
Red grapes – 60%
1. Shiraz – 58%
2. Cabernet sauvignon – 19%
3. Grenache – 5%
4. Chardonnay – 5%
5. Merlot – 3%
McLaren Vale is one of the most geologically diverse regions in the world ‒ yes, the world! – with some vineyards growing on patches of earth more than 500 million years old. This variation in terroir (the official term winegrowers use to refer to a vineyard’s environment) allows for more interesting winemaking, thanks to the different soil types affecting how grapes grow and taste.
McLaren Vale is known for being one of the ‘greenest’ wine regions, with many growers using eco-friendly, organic products and biodynamic practices. The practice of minimal chemical pest and disease management is on the rise, and the region’s water management strategies are world-leading.
McLaren Vale is a foodie hotspot, with an abundance of good restaurants and locally grown produce. Thanks to the Mediterranean climate and influence of Italian immigrants who arrived in the 1950s and’‘60s, the region is known for its premium olive oil and related products. Some wineries even grow olives and produce oil as a cheeky little side hustle.
