John reynell and thomas hardy planted the first vines on properties that are now owned by hardys wine. The eightkilometre fivemile shiraz trail follows an old railway line between mclaren vale and willunga. If youre heading to mclaren vale you have to go to the darenberg cube. Vale, mclaren flat and willunga, but for those with a sense of history names. Working on vineyards and at wineries in mclaren vale, while he and his wife saved for their own piece of land, graham learnt the fine art of quality winemaking. Fun, wine, boutique wineries and larger, scenery, food, history and character stories. If you are on the lookout for the perfect weekend getaway and just 45 minutes from adelaide, check out the best wineries in mclaren vale.
Known for opulent red wines with intense power and concentration, mclaren vale is home to perhaps the most classic style of australian shiraz. Mclaren vale wine region vinodiversity wine information. The stunning angove mclaren vale vineyards and cellar door and superb range of wines from this region builds upon the familys remarkable history. He purchased his first block in mclaren vale in 1958 and planted the first of many vines. Mclaren vale is home to sustainable winegrowing, worldclass wines and culinary experiences, as well as pristine beaches, natural attractions and. Established by a collective of twelve multigenerational familyowned wine producers. Mclaren vale beer company vale inn the mclaren vale beer company was founded in 2008 with just one beer in their selection the beloved vale ale. Mclaren vales winemaking history dates all the way back to 1838, making it one of the oldest wineproducing regions in australia.
Large and small vineyards produce a wide range of specialised varieties. The great spiritual migration puts into words what so many people of faith are experiencing, and in a way that is at once accessible and profound, challenging and deeply comforting. With one of the strongest winegrowing histories in australia and some of the countrys bestrated modern wines under its belt, mclaren vale is the jewel of south australias pretty fleurieu zone from its coastal areas, where high altitudes and sea temperatures provide idyllic vineyard conditions even without irrigation, in some areas to the northern areas where sand and clay soils. Growers have planted the ironstone soils surrounding the town of mclaren vale producing rich, supple wines with chocolate and mocha characteristics in their shiraz, cabernet sauvignon and red blends.
I am personally thrilled with the mclaren vale region map. At the 2011 census, mclaren vale had a population of 3,861. The business also sells olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and local. South australias viticultural origins began in mclaren vale and our region s mediterranean climate continues to drive our region s wine style and diverse food culture. Moreover, mclaren vale wine region, a part of fleurieu wine zone, has more than 70 cellar doors to explore. Cellar doors of mclaren vale wine region mclaren vale. Local wines and a mixture of contemporary and historical recipes are included. Wine grapes mostly grow between the 30th and the 50th degree of latitude, in both the northern and southern hemispheres.
Mclaren vale became the model of the small winery before such enterprises became fashionable in other states, and it remains one of the most richly varied and highly developed areas in australia, producing intensely. The mclaren vale wine region on the fleurieu peninsula. Mclaren vale is located just south of adelaide in south australia. Domenico scarpantoni arrived in australia in 1952 and settled in the mclaren vale region. In so doing, the foundations were being put in place for two wine dynasties that were to dominate the region for over a century. Summers in mclaren vale are hot and dry but enjoy cool relief coming in from the sea.
We make it the wine region experience of a lifetime. Grapes will sometimes grow beyond this range, thus minor amounts of wine are made in some rather unexpected places. Taste the region s signature shiraz along the way at wineries such as the globally renowned wirra wirra, where you can try and make your own blend of the winerys famous church block label. The complete guide with over 60 maps beeston, john on.
Nick tried a bottle of barolo from the piedmont region of italy. They produce red wines from grape varieties such as cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, sangiovese, nebbiolo and barbera. The history of mclaren vale is written in its wineries. Unlike regions like the yarra valley, whose cool climate grapes were largely unsuitable. Gary mehigan explores the darenberg cube, mclaren vale.
There is food to accompany the drink stop into the willunga farmers market on a saturday to gather produce from the 80plus stalls, grab a midmorning snack at the clarendon bakery, and treat yourself to a long lunch or indulgent dinner at the awardwinning salopian inn. The mclaren vale wine region is rich in history, with the first vines planted by john reynell in 1838, two years after the proclamation of the colony of south. Philip was the wine writer for the advertiser for many years and now writes for the independent weekly the original idea for this mapping project came from bill fairburn, an english geologist. The township was formed in 1923 from a merging of the two original villages of gloucester and bellevue, which were established in the 1840s by british pioneers. 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. History mclaren vale grape wine tourism association.
Geology of the mclaren vale wine region cartographic. Servicing the famed mclaren vale wine region, its a businesslike, utilitarian. Explore the vineyards and cellar doors of the mclaren vale wine region. Mclaren vale can lay claim to being south australias first. It is conveniently located on the main road as you enter the heart of the picturesque mclaren vale township. Home to some of the worlds oldest grapevines and with over 80 cellar doors and vineyards accessible just 45 minutes from adelaide, mclaren vale is a winelovers dream. The nebbiolo comes from a vineyard in the blewitt springs area of. Minimum 4 people, maximum 12, with pickup in adelaide or in the mclaren vale region. Read this book and over 1 million others with a kindle unlimited membership. Mclaren vale vintage overview sa winegrape crush survey 2017 2 wine australia july 2017 vintage report vintage 2017 in the mclaren vale wine region was judged highly successful for both grape growers, who had above average crops with minimal faults, and winemakers who had the ability to pick fruit as they required during an extended dry autumn. In 1968 domenico scarpantoni purchased another 20 hectare block in mclaren flat on the site of one. Winesearcher currently lists 129 mclaren vale wine producers. Mclaren vale is a worldclass destination with wine, and so much more. Together the families represent seventeen winegrowing regions.
Nearly all of the images in this book are the work of milton wordley, a leading. The vineyard doesnt just supply wine grapes to olivers taranga, but many other premium wine producers in the mclaren vale region and beyond. Note some regions are not portrayed to actual geographical size, but in terms of their volume. You can opt in with matched wines, or go a step further and book the chefs table. This list of wineproducing regions catalogues significant growing regions where vineyards are planted. Geology of the mclaren vale wine region cartographic material 2010. Our friendly and fully trained staff and volunteers are happy to assist in providing a wealth of information on the region. Coriole was established by the lloyd family in 1968, and now exports wine to the usa, canada and various countries in europe and asia. He is the author of varietal wines of australia and concise history of australian wine. Mclaren vale wines buy wine from mclaren vale region of. Mclaren vale wine a guide to the wines of mclaren vale. Living almost his entire life in the mclaren vale wine region, graham won his first vine pruning trophy at the age of 9. You will reach the final page feeling inspired, understood, and a little less alone. The australian wine industry is one the worlds largest exporters of wine, with approximately 800 million out of the 1.
John reynell and thomas hardy planted grape vines in 1838 and the seaview and hardy wineries were in operation as early as. Mclaren vale is a wine region in the australian state of south australia located in the adelaide. Converted shearing shed with vineyard views, stylish self catering studio. We have wineries in the region which specially open early for us, and it costs no more to do an extended day. Location is no limitation for winemakers that want to make the best wines they possibly can. With a wide variety of terroirs, the diversity of mclaren vale wines is as rich as its history. Our wine history may be short by old world standards, but. This is one of australias most celebrated wine regions renowned for producing some of our finest shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, grenache and chardonnay. Mclaren vale is home to sustainable winegrowing, worldclass wines and culinary experiences. Mclaren vale news newspapers books scholar jstor november 2015 learn how and. Take a tour of the best mclaren vale wineries and cellar doors for 2019 with this guide from wine selectors.
Their range of whites is made from grapes such as chenin blanc, fiano and semillon. Along with wolfgang and jeff the other two key people involved in producing the map and text for the geology of the mclaren vale wine region are the geologist bill fairburn and wine writer philip white. Mclaren vale travel south australia, australia lonely planet. Mclaren vale is a small rural town in south australia famous for producing world class red wine. Home mclaren vale wine tours mclaren vale wine tours. However, despite the success, australian wines have suffered some serious drawbacks in the media. Also the main source for this article is the great book mclaren vale. Thomas hardy, the founder of hardys wines and a mclaren vale wine pioneer, acquired tintara in 1876 and the vineyard has access to some of the best vines in the vale.
Willunga is another part of the mclaren vale wine growing region and while it doesnt have the most producers around it makes up for it in quality and a variety of other options. It was hardy who made wine history in australia exporting our first wine to england in 1857. Cabernet sauvignon is also produced in a similar style. Mclaren vale was named after david mclaren, the colonial manager of the south australia company who surveyed the area in 1839. These coastal, mediterraneanlike conditions are perfect for producing red wine. Graham stevens was born to grow grapes and make wine. For decades mclaren vale has been lauded for producing brilliance from an array of noble varietals cabernet sauvignon, shiraz, fiano and nero davola, and its star performer, grenache. Mclarens writing has long been a gift to the church, and to the world. Don and corrina are both proud members of the penfolds grange growers club, with certain blocks of their shiraz contributing to australias iconic wine, penfolds grange some of the few that can lay. This small township is home to around 2,500 people and boasts numerous festivals and activities throughout the year including the fleurieu folk festival, the almond.
The marketing paved the way for australia wine production to triple since 1990. The mclaren vale wine region, in the northwest of fleurieu peninsula, is. Welcome to the scarpantoni web page and online wine ordering page. Therefore, i present 3 of the top breweries in the mclaren vale wine region, which i highly recommend you to visit on your next trip to this fantastic region of south australia. The mclaren vale region is known by many as one of the premier wine growing districts in australia and with good reason the temperate climate rivalling the mediterranean, some of the best brands, smooth reds are the norm and of course the locals who tackle the art of wine making with a passion. Learn more about wine production in the mclaren vale region. Australia spent millions of dollars to build a brand around shiraz australias word for syrah. For a full description of the region and its wines, see mclaren vale. In this case the wine looked brown and unappealing but he pushed on to try the wine.
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