McLaren Vale Wine Region, South Australia.
McLaren Vale is considered the birthplace of wine in South Australia which alone gives it serious bragging rights. It sits about 45 minutes south of Adelaide, bordered by the coastline and the Mount Lofty Ranges, with a Mediterranean climate which includes warm summers, mild winters, and most of the rain falling in winter. The result is a region that punches well above its weight. With nearly 200 years of winemaking history, McLaren Vale is one of Australia's oldest wine regions. The region excels in Shiraz and Grenache, but Spanish and Italian varieties like Fiano, Vermentino, Tempranillo and Sangiovese are also very well suited to the climate. There are more than 80 cellar doors and vineyards, top-notch restaurants, and beautiful accommodation - enough to fill a very happy weekend, but also very doable as a day trip from Adelaide. Which is exactly what we did.
Chapel Hill Winery | Open 7 days, 11am–5pm
Chapel Hill Winery was built on the site of the Seaview Chapel and schoolhouse, with the 1865 ironstone chapel still standing today as an integral feature of the tasting room. Perched on the edge of the spectacular Onkaparinga Gorge, it has sweeping views back over McLaren Vale and the Gulf St Vincent. The cellar door offers two tasting options: the standard Cellar Door Experience (eight wines hand-picked for the season, covering everything from lighter whites through to reds and fortifieds), and the Icon Tasting Experience which is a seated tasting of their flagship reds paired with a charcuterie and cheese platter. Wines are made with minimal intervention from estate plantings of Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Mourvèdre. The standout wines to ask about include The Vicar Shiraz (their premium single vineyard Shiraz), the MV Shiraz, and the Old Devil Tawny fortified.
Coriole Vineyards Cellar door open 7 days, 11am–5pm | Restaurant open Thu–Mon for lunch (7 days in summer)
While Coriole was established in 1967, the site and gardens date back to 1860, when the original farmhouses that now constitute the cellar door were built. The oldest Shiraz on the estate was planted in 1917, and since 1985 Coriole has been an Australian pioneer of Sangiovese and Fiano. They were also the first winery in Australia to produce Fiano and Piquepoul commercially. The cellar door is an old ironstone barn and walk-ins are welcome, no booking required. The restaurant is nestled between the original 1860s homestead and the ironstone barn, with a focus on seasonal, locally sourced and foraged food, including produce from the onsite kitchen garden. If you like wines that are a little unusual like Montepulciano, Mataro, Nero d'Avola, Negroamaro alongside their Shiraz, Grenache, Chenin Blanc and Fiano then this is a great stop.
We have visited Coriole several times, not just for their incredible wine, but the gardens are just stunning. If the weather is nice, grab your glass and sit outside under the shade and enjoy the stunning views.
Chalk Hill (and Never Never Distilling Co.) Open daily from 11am (bookings recommended)
This one deserves a double mention because it's really two experiences on the one stunning site. The Harvey family has been growing grapes across six generations, with the Chalk Hill and Alpha Crucis labels reflecting their commitment to small-batch, handcrafted wines. The cellar door sits perched on an organic vineyard with a panorama that takes in the Mt Lofty Ranges and the South Australian coastline, and it is worth the visit just for that view. Their premium label, Alpha Crucis, is reserved for their best, including an Old Vine Grenache that's won Best Wine of Show at the McLaren Vale Wine Show. But honestly, the reason our day here ran a little longer than planned was the gin. Never Never Distilling Co. is co-located on site, with a serious reputation for award-winning spirits which includes a double gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. We did the gin tasting with five different gins and then grabbed lunch from Cucina di Strada, the Italian street food kitchen on site. We had the garlic prawn pizza, and was probably the best pizza we have ever had! You don’t need to book for food, but is recommended in the busy times. We would recommend to book both the wine and gin tastings back to back for the full experience.
My favourite thing besides the gin and pizza, was definitely the views. We went on a stunning day and we could see for miles, but the tasting rooms are set up with floor to ceiling windows, so even on a not so good day, you have spectacular views.
Alpha Box & Dice | Open Mon–Fri 11am–5pm, Sat–Sun 10am–6pm
Alpha Box & Dice set out on one of the more creative journeys in Australian winemaking by building an "Alphabet of Wines" where each letter of the alphabet represents a unique winemaking project. Their wines transcend style, region and varietal boundaries, and are made using small batch, minimal intervention and vegan-friendly methods. The cellar door is in a heritage-listed barn overlooking the vineyards, and the premium tasting experience guides you through the Alphabet of Wines with warm olives and bread. There's also a Tarot Flight tasting and a non-alcoholic option. Tastings have a maximum of six people per table, so it stays personal and relaxed. The day we went there were just the three of us so we had such a personal experience and were able to try some extra wines and ask lots of questions. You can also just grab a glass or a bottle and head out to the lawn and there are cheese platters available. This is a good one to book ahead, especially on weekends.
d'Arenberg Cellar Door open daily 10:30am–4:30pm | d'Arry's Verandah Restaurant open for lunch daily from 12pm (closed Christmas Day, New Year's Day and Good Friday)
d'Arenberg was founded in 1912 and is now in the hands of fourth-generation Chester Osborn, known for the quirky names on his wines and a specialism in Rhône varieties. They're the only winery in Australia to basket-press both reds and whites, and the vast majority of red wines are left unfiltered and unfined. With over 70 wines and 25 grape varieties across their range there's a lot to explore. The big talking point is the d'Arenberg Cube which is a five-storey building with a wine sensory room, virtual fermenter, 360-degree video room, and a restaurant with spectacular vineyard views. If you want to go beyond just a tasting, you can blend and bottle your own wine or indulge in d'Arry's Verandah Restaurant for a long lunch. The flagship wine is the Dead Arm Shiraz which is named after a fungal vine disease that kills one arm of the vine and concentrates the flavour on the other side. We have visited a couple of times and I have to say the building always impresses us. The view from the top is spectacular as well – it is a definite must to visit in McLaren Vale.
Port Willunga Beach — The Perfect Finish
We didn't plan to stop here on the way home, but our friend and driver for the day AJ told us we would be impressed. Port Willunga Beach is famous for its golden cliff faces, crystal clear waters and soft white sands. The beach curves gently beneath towering cliffs, creating a sheltered stretch of coastline that feels peaceful and unspoilt. One of Port Willunga's most iconic sights is the line of weather-worn jetty pylons standing in the shallows offshore. Perched on the clifftop is the Star of Greece restaurant, with stunning views along the coast and named after a nearby shipwreck from 1888. That is where my photos above are taken from. We didn't go in for dinner, but the view alone made the detour worth it. It was a lovely way to end our day in the region.
McLaren Vale and our friend AJ made for a seriously good combination. This region is genuinely one of those places that delivers more than you expect with its world-class wine, interesting food, beautiful scenery, and enough variety that you could go five times and have a completely different day each time. Whether you're a wine obsessive or just someone who enjoys a good day out with great company, McLaren Vale is perfect. It's right on Adelaide's doorstep, completely doable as a day trip, and the drive back along the coast is almost as good as the wine. We'll absolutely be back.