Mclaren Vale Wine Region

The McLaren Vale Wine Region is blessed with a wonderful climate for viticulture. it has rolling hills and a variety of suitable soils for grapegrowing and the cooling influence of the Southern Ocean.

Lino Ramble Fiano is one of the many alternative varietal wines you will find here - Image Wine Assist

the location

McLaren Vale 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 more than a hundred wineries operating in the region, and most are producing excellent wine.

The climate also suits olives and a few wineries have a sideline of producing olive oil.

The location so close to the State capital is a mixed blessing.  While it is easy for visitors to come from Adelaide the region is under threat of being encroached on by suburban development from nearby Adelaide.

View over McLaren Vale from the Cellar door and Restaurant at Beach Road Wines

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Wine varieties in Mclaren Vale

The benign viticultural environment here is suitable for many varieties and until recently the region was best known for its red wines, notably Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon as well its Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre (GSM) blends. 

But now the region is abuzz with a whole range of new varieties. In the 1990s a few wineries such as Coriole broke out of the traditional mould and started producing wine from Italian varieites notably Sangiovese. Early in the current century a whole new wave of alternative varieties have been introduced and are now flourishing.

For example Coriole were the first winery to release Fiano in Australia, while their neighbours at Olivers Taranga Vineyards are the first Australian producers the Galician variety Mencia.

McLaren Vale now has an amazing culture of innovative winemakers introducing many new varieties, new winemaking techniques (or reviving ancient ones like amphora fermentation) and creating groundbreaking marketing methods.

• Aldinga Bay Barbera, Petit Verdot, Nebbiolo, Ruby Cabernet, Sangiovese, Vermentino
• Alpha Box and Dice Barbera, Carignan, Dolcetto, Montepulciano, Muscadelle, Nebbiolo, Negramoll, Nero d'Avola, Sangiovese, Tempranillo
• Aphelion Clairette, Grenache Blanc, Nero d'Avola, Sagrantino
• Battle of Bosworth Wines Graciano, Touriga
• Beach Road Aglianico, Greco, Fiano, Montepulciano, Nero d'Avola, Petit Verdot, Vermentino, Zinfandel
• Beechtree Wines Arneis, Marsanne, Petit Verdot
• Bent Creek Vineyards Tempranillo
• Berg Herring Barbera, Chenin Blanc, Fiano, Nero d'Avola, Saperavi, Touriga, Vermentino
• Big Easy Radio Fiano, Malbec, Montepulciano, Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Touriga, Vermentino
• Blewitt Springs Barbera, Tempranillo
• Bondar Wines Carignan, Cinsaut, Counoise, Fiano, Nero d'Avola
• Brash Higgins Carignan, Chenin Blanc, Cinsaut, Crystal, Nero d'Avola
• Brini Estate Chenin Blanc
• Byrne and Smith Cabernet Franc, Tempranillo
• Cape Barren Wines Gruner Veltliner, Tempranillo
• Chalk Hill Winery Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Fiano, Moscato, Sangiovese, Savagnin, Tempranillo, Vermentino
• Chapel Hill Nero d'Avola, Roussanne, Sangiovese, Savagnin, Tempranillo, Vermentino
• Coates Wines Malbec, Sangiovese, Touriga
• Conte Estate Wines Aglianico, Gewurztraminer, Lagrein, Vermentino
• Coriole Aglianico, Carignan, Cinsaut, Clairette, Grenache Gris, Marsanne, Roussanne, Trebbiano, Vermentino
• Cradle of Hills Aglianico, Cinsaut, Fiano
• Cragg Cru Fiano, Touriga
• D'Arenberg Aglianico, Arneis, Chambourcin, Cinsaut, Marsanne, Mencia, Petit Verdot, Roussanne, Sagrantino, Souzao, Tempranillo, Tinto Cao
• Dabblebrook Wines Grenache Blanc
• Doc Adams Savagnin, Tempranillo
• Dodgy Brothers Cabernet Franc, Fiano, Sangiovese, Tempranillo
• Dog Ridge Petit Verdot, Sangiovese
• Dowie Doole Aglianico, Chenin Blanc, Graciano, Lagrein, Petit Verdot, Tempranillo, Vermentino
• Dune Carignan, Grenache Blanc, Montepulciano, Negroamaro, Nero d'Avola, Sangiovese
• ess&see Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Vermentino
• Five Geese Hillgrove Wines Nero d’Avola
• Five O’Clock Somewhere Barbera, Durif, Montepulciano, Nero d’Avola, Sagrantino, Sangiovese, Tannat, Touriga, Vermentino
• Foggo Wines Cinsaut
• Fox Creek Wines Nero d’Avola, Pecorino, Tempranillo, Vermentino
• Gemtree Vineyards Savagnin, Tempranillo
• Geoff Merrill Sangiovese
• Gilligan Marsanne, Roussanne
• Good Doctor Wine Group Tannat
• Graham Stevens Wines Tempranillo
• Hancock and Hancock Touriga
• Hand Crafted by Geoff Hardy Fiano, Graciano, Lagrein, Roussanne, Savagnin, Tannat, Tempranillo, Teroldego, Zinfandel
• Haselgrove Fiano, Montepulciano, Fiano
• Hastwell and Lightfoot Barbera, Cabernet Franc, Tempranillo, Vermentino
• Head in the Clouds Graciano, Zinfandel
• Hedonist Sangiovese, Tempranillo
• Heirloom Vineyards Tempranillo, Touriga
• Hither and Yon Aglianico, Carignan, Malbec, Nero d'Avola, Petit Verdot, Tannat, Tempranillo, Touriga
• Hugh Hamilton Montepulciano, Nero d'Avola, Petit Verdot, Sangiovese, Saperavi, Tempranillo
• Inkwell Arinto, Tempranillo, Zinfandel
• Ivybrook Farm Mencia, Tempranillo, Touriga
• Kangarilla Road Fiano, Montepulciano, Sangiovese, Savagnin, Negramoll, Vermentino, Zinfandel
• Kay Bros Amery Nero d'Avola
• Koltz Sagrantino, Sangiovese
• Koomilya Graciano, Tempranillo, Touriga
• La Curio Aglianico, Sangiovese, Zinfandel
• Larnook Grenache Gris
• Lino Ramble Arinto, Bastardo, Fiano, Grillo, Marsanne, Montepulciano, Nebbiolo, Nero d'Avola, Roussanne, Saperavi
• Lloyd Brothers Piquepoul
• Loom Barbera, Gruner Veltliner, Nebbiolo
• Maximus Wines Graciano, Tempranillo
• Maxwell Wines Malbec
• McCarthy's Orchard Nero d'Avola
• Middlebrook Estate Barbera, Sangiovese
• Ministry of Clouds Carignan, Mencia, Piquepoul, Tempranillo
• Mitolo Malbec, Nero d'Avola, Sagrantino, Sangiovese, Vermentino
• Monterra Wines Nero d'Avola, Sangiovese
• Mr Riggs Wine Company Montepulciano, Petit Verdot, Tempranillo
• Nashwauk Tempranillo
• Olivers Taranga Fiano, Mencia, Sagrantino, Tempranillo, Touriga, Vermentino
• Ox Hardy Wines Fiano
• Oxenbury Farm Tempranillo, Vermentino
• Patritti Wines Arneis, Barbera, Moscato, Savagnin, Saperavi, Trincadeira, Vermentino
• Paxton Graciano, Tempranillo
• Pertaringa Aglianico, Graciano, Nero d'Avola, Petit Verdot, Tannat, Tempranillo
• Pirramimma Chenin Blanc, Colombard, Petit Verdot, Tannat, Zinfandel
• Possums Vineyard Malbec
• Primo Estate Barbera, Colombard, Garganega, Nebbiolo, Pecorino, Sangiovese
• Renards Folly Sangiovese
• Richard Hamilton Wines Marsanne, Roussanne
• Rudderless Wines Graciano, Malbec
• Sabella Wines Aglianico, Colorino, Nero d'Avola
• Samuels Gorge Carignan, Graciano, Nero d'Avola, Tempranillo
• SC Pannell Aglianico, Barbera, Fiano, Malbec, Montepulciano, Nebbiolo, Nero d'Avola, Tempranillo, Tinto Cao, Touriga
• Scarpantoni Estate Aglianico, Barbera, Chenin Blanc, Durif, Gamay, Montepulciano, Pinot Blanc, Vermentino
• Selleck's Hill Wines Greco
• Serafino Wines Barbera, Carmenere, Fiano, Lagrein, Malbec, Montepulciano, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Tinto Cao, Vermentino, Zinfandel
• Sherrah Chenin Blanc, Fiano, Nero d'Avola, Tempranillo
• Shingleback Fiano, Tempranillo
• Silent Noise Fiano, Montepulciano, Nero d'Avola, Zinfandel
• Somos Aglianico, Arneis, Barbera, Carignan, Cinsaut, Cortese, Garganega
• Tapestry Touriga
• Thistledown Grenache Blanc, Roussanne
• Three Dark Horses Touriga
• Ulithorne Marsanne, Graciano, Tempranillo
• Varney Wines Fiano, Mencia, Nebbiolo, Touriga
• Vasarelli Cabernet Franc, Prosecco, Sangiovese, Vermentino
• Vigna Bottin Barbera, Fiano, Nero d'Avola, Sangiovese, Vermentino
• Way Wood Wines Cabernet Franc, Montepulciano, Nebbiolo, Sangiovese, Tempranillo
• Willunga 100 Wines Tempranillo
• Wirra Wirra Tempranillo, Touriga
• Woodstock Dolcetto, Lagrein, Montepulciano, Tempranillo
• Yangarra Estate Bourboulenc, Carignan, Cinsaut, Clairette, Cournoise, Graciano, Grenache Blanc, Piquepoul, Roussanne, Tempranillo
• Zerella (la Gita) Arneis, Barbera, Fiano, Nero d’Avola, Sangiovese
Last updated 26 September 2022
The rolling hills of Mclaren Vale facing the Gulf of Saint Vincent

Visiting Mclaren vale

This region is easily reached as a day trip from Adelaide.  But you will enjoy your time here more if you stay for a couple of nights.  After all, there are dozens of cellar doors to visit and the scenery is gorgeous.

You will find plenty of restaurants and pubs serving the local wine as well.

Use the search box below to check out the accommodation options for your visit...

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