McLaren Vale Wine Region in South Australia
The McLaren Vale Wine Region is blessed with a wonderful climate for viticulture. It is located just south of Adelaide in South Australia. It is part of the Fleurieu Zone
along with the Currency Creek,
Langhorne Creek, Kangaroo Island and
Southern Fleurieu wine regions.
Situated on rolling plains between the Mount Lofty Ranges and the sea, the area is warm enough to ripen almost all varieties, but the maritime influence tempers the worst of the summer heat. No wonder there are about a hundred wineries operating in the region, and most are producing excellent wine.
Unfortunately the McLaren Vale Wine Region is being encroached on by suburban development from nearby Adelaide.
McLaren Vale is now regarded mainly as a red table wine area, but has made very good Riesling and other white wines in the past.
Marketing difficulties, rather than wine quality have meant that Riesling and other white wines are no longer grown as commonly in the region.
McLaren Vale is the Grenache stronghold of Australia. Quite a few of the older plantings of this fine variety survived the vine pull schemes of the 1980s and are
now regarded as living treasures.
An interesting project taken up by a number of winemakers in the region is the production of Cadenzia wines. These are blends which must contain Grenache as the major variety.
Shiraz and Mourvedre are the most common blending partners, but Cinsaut, Petit Verdot, Tempranillo are also used. The word cadenzia was inspired by the musical
term cadenza, defined as 'an elaborate, ornamental melodic flourish interpolated into an aria or other vocal piece'.
While GSM blends of Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvedre are becoming the signature wine of the region, other varieties of note are emerging including the Rhone white varieties Marsanne,
Roussanne and Viognier, the Italian whites Fiano and Vermentino. Petit verdot was pioneered in Australia by Pirramirra in this region, and the Italian red wine
varieties Sangiovese, Nebbiolo and Barbera are increasingly appearing in red wines.
Wineries with alternative varieties in McLaren Vale
Aldinga Bay Sangiovese, Barbera, Petit verdot, Nebbiolo, Ruby Cabernet, Verdelho, Vermentino, Viognier |
Amicus Malbec |
Arakoon Grenache, Mourvedre, Viognier |
Battle of Bosworth Wines Viognier |
Beechtree Wines Arneis, Marsanne, Petit verdot |
Bent Creek Vineyards Grenache, Moscato, Rossola nera |
Blackbilly Grenache, Mourvedre, Pinot gris, Tempranillo |
Blown Away Grenache, Kerner |
Bottin Wines Barbera, Sangiovese, Vermentino |
Brash Higgins Nero d'Avola |
Brini Estate Grenache |
Byrne and Smith Cabernet franc, Tempranillo |
Cape Barren Wines Grenache, Mourvedre |
Cascabel Carignan, Cinsaut, Graciano, Grenache, Mourvedre, Roussanne, Tempranillo, Viognier |
Chalk Hill Winery Barbera, Cabernet franc, Moscato, Sangiovese, Vermentino |
Chapel Hill Malbec, Pinot gris, Sangiovese, Savagnin, Tempranillo, Verdelho |
Charlatan Wines Sangiovese |
Clarence Hill Grenache |
Clarendon Hills Grenache |
Classic McLaren Wines Grenache |
Coates Wines Sangiovese, Touriga, Viognier |
Conte Estate Wines Gewurztraminer, Grenache, Viognier |
Contessa Estate Gewurztraminer, Grenache |
Coriole Barbera, Chenin blanc, Fiano, Grenache, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Sagrantino |
D'Arenberg Chambourcin, Cinsaut, Grenache, Marsanne, Mourvedre, Petit verdot, Roussanne, Sagrantino, Souzao, Tempranillo, Tinta Cao, Viognier |
De Lisio Wines Grenache, Pinot gris |
Di Fabio Estate Grenache, Mourvedre, Petit verdot |
Doc Adams Pinot gris |
DogRidge Grenache, Petit verdot, Viognier |
Dowie Doole Chenin blanc, Graciano, Petit verdot, Tempranillo, Viognier |
Ducks in a Row Fiano, Mourvedre, Vermentino |
Dyson Wines Viognier |
Edwards and Chaffey Sangiovese, Tempranillo |
Five Geese Hillgrove Wines Grenache |
Foggo Wines Cinsaut, Grenache, Viognier |
Fonthill Wine Grenache, Verdelho |
Fox Creek Wines Grenache, Verdelho, Vermentino |
G Pattriti & Co Arneis, Barbera, Mourvedre, Moscato, Savagnin, Saperavi |
Galvanized Wine Group Roussanne, Pinot gris, Roussanne, Tempranillo, Viognier |
Geddes Wines Grenache, Petit verdot, Viognier |
Gemtree Vineyards Grenache, Petit verdot, Sangiovese, Savagnin, Tempranillo, Viognier |
Geoff Hardy Arneis, Fiano, Grenache, Gewurztraminer, Graciano, Gruner Veltliner, Lagrein, Marsanne, Petit verdot, Tempranillo, Viognier |
Geoff Merrill Grenache, Mourvedre, Viognier |
Gilligan Grenache, Marsanne, Mourvedre, Roussanne |
Grancari Estate Grenache |
Halifax Vermentino |
Haselgrove Grenache, Pinot gris, Viognier |
Hastwell and Lightfoot Cabernet franc, Tempranillo, Viognier |
Hawkers Gate Grenache, Saperavi |
Hills View Verdelho, Malbec |
Hugh Hamilton Petit verdot, Sangiovese, Saperavi, Tempranillo, Verdelho, Viognier |
Inkwell Viognier, Zinfandel |
Kangarilla Road Grenache, Sangiovese, Savagnin, Tinta Negra Mole, Viognier, Zinfandel |
Kay Bros Amery Grenache, Mourvedre, Viognier |
Kimber Wines Petit verdot |
Koltz Grenache, Mourvedre, Sangiovese, Viognier |
La Curio Grenache |
Lazy Ballerina Shiraz Viognier |
Linda Domas Wines Grenache, Viognier |
Maglieri Barbera, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese |
Marienberg Grenache, Mourvedre |
Marius Wines Mourvedre |
Maxwell Wines Grenache, Verdelho, Viognier |
McLaren Ridge Estate Grenache |
McLaren Wines Grenache, Pinot gris |
Middlebrook Estate Barbera, Chenin blanc, Grenache |
Minnow Creek Malbec, Sangiovese |
Mitolo Sangiovese, Vermentino |
Mr Riggs Wine Company Petit verdot, Tempranillo, Viognier |
Nashwauk Tempranillo |
Noon Winery Grenache |
Oliverhill Grenache |
Olivers Taranga Fiano, Grenache, Sagrantino, Tempranillo, Vermentino, Viognier |
Oxenbury Estate Grenache, Tempranillo |
Paxton Grenache, Pinot gris, Tempranillo |
Pende Valde Grenache |
Penny's Hill Grenache, Marsanne, Roussanne, Verdelho, Viognier |
Pertaringa Aglianico, Grenache, Moscato, Nero d'Avola, Petit verdot, Tannat, Tempranillo, Verdelho |
Pirramimma Grenache, Petit verdot, Tannat, Viognier |
Possums Vineyard Grenache, Viognier |
Redheads Studio Grenache, Viognier |
Richard Hamilton Wines Grenache, Roussanne, Viognier |
Rudderless Wines Graciano, Grenache, Malbec, Mourvedre, Viognier |
Samuels Gorge Grenache, Tempranillo |
SC Pannell Grenache, Nebbiolo, Pinot gris, Tempranillo, Touriga |
Scarpantoni Estate Chenin blanc, Gamay, Grenache |
Seaview Barbera, Fiano, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Vermentino |
Serafino Wines Grenache, Lagrein, Nebbiolo, Pinot gris, Tempranillo, Vermentino |
Settlement Wines Arneis, Cabernet franc, Palomino, Pedro Ximenez, Pinot gris, Tinta Negra Mole, Verdelho |
Shingleback Grenache, Viognier |
Simon Hackett Grenache |
Tapestry Grenache, Verdelho, Viognier |
Tatachilla Chenin blanc, Grenache, Malbec, Sangiovese, Viognier |
The Old Faithful Estate Grenache, Mourvedre |
Tintara Grenache, Sangiovese, Tempranillo |
Twelve Staves Wine Company Grenache |
Vincognita Gewurztraminer, Viognier, Zinfandel |
Vinrock Grenache |
Walter Clappis Wine Co Tempranillo, Viognier |
Way Wood Wines Cabernet franc, Nebbiolo, Pinot gris, Tempranillo |
Willunga 100 Wines Grenache, Pinot gris, Tempranillo, Viognier |
Wirilda Creek Verdelho |
Wirra Wirra Arneis, Grenache, Moscato, Mourvedre, Petit verdot, Viognier |
Woodstock Barbera, Grenache, Malbec, Petit verdot, Tempranillo, Verdelho |
Woop Woop Wines Marsanne, Roussanne, Verdelho, Viognier |
Yangarra Estate Cinsaut, Carignan, Graciano, Grenache, Marsanne, Mourvedre, Roussanne, Tempranillo, Viognier
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