McLaren Vale Vintage and Classic Day

Following the success of the inaugural event in April 2006 McLaren Vale will stage a Vintage and Classic Day.

The Vintage and Classic Day involves a celebration at vintage time with McLaren Vale Wineries hosting some of South Australia's finest Vintage and Classic cars on the last Sunday in April each year.

Considerable interest in the event is being received from both special interest car clubs and McLaren Vale wineries with 21 clubs and 12 wineries already participating.

The Vintage and Classic Day will commence with an initial gathering of vehicles at McLarens on the Lake. At approximately 11:30am all vehicles will proceed in convoy, via the Main Street taking a pre-determined route to their designated winery.

Participating wineries will host their designated car club(s) and the visiting public from 12noon with car clubs putting their vehicles on show to the public until 3:30pm.

This event will appeal to all motoring enthusiasts and the general public, provide an opportunity to visit some of McLaren Vale's outstanding wineries, meet with fellow enthusiasts and enjoy the spectacle of some of South Australia's finest vehicles.

McLaren Vale - short history

McLaren Vale is an attractive and historic town in the heart of one of South Australia's premier grape growing areas.

Located 39 km from Adelaide, McLaren Vale is a charming and substantial township surrounded by more than 40 vineyards and wineries. On every side there are fields of grapes and the signposts at various points are thick with invitations to visit cellar doors to sample the vintages and purchase the locally made wines.

It is now accepted that the town was named after David McLaren, the Colonial Manager of the South Australia Company, who arrived in the colony in 1837 and departed three years later. There is some dispute because some sources claim that town was named after a John McLaren who surveyed the area in 1839.

Until as recently as the 1920s McLaren Vale was applied to the region more than to the particular town and even today there is a feeling that the surrounding vineyards are really McLaren Vale vineyards even if they are some kilometres outside the town.

This is an area which has always been about grape growing. As early as 1850 the historic Hardy and Seaview wineries were in operation. It is widely accepted that Thomas Hardy's purchase of the Tintara vineyard in 1853 is the symbolic beginning of the town. Today the fundamental raison d'etre of the district has not changed.