Less than an hour from Adelaide lies a smorgasbord of wine, food, art and nature, writes Caroline Gladstone.
Location
Situated 39 kilometres or a 45-minute drive south of Adelaide, McLaren Vale is one of the most accessible wine regions in the country. The best way to get there is by car, taking the Main South Road from Adelaide. There's also a daily bus service to McLaren Vale town with Premier Stateliner Coaches.
What to expect
McLaren Vale is both a town (population 5070) and a wine region, located on the Fleurieu Peninsula. The locals call it a boutique village and while the town is small, it is jam-packed with restaurants, cafes, boutiques and galleries. Its long main street, which runs for eight kilometres to the village of Willunga, is dotted with 19th-century ironstone buildings, while many rustic wineries are heritage listed.
As one of Australia's oldest wine regions, the rolling hills of McLaren Vale are covered in vineyards, many of which have sweeping views over St Vincent's Gulf and the magnificent Mount Lofty Ranges. Named after David McLaren, the colonial manager of the South Australian Company, the region's first vines were planted in 1838 by Englishman John Reynell. Farming and viticulture have dominated McLaren Vale since the 1840s and today's growers produce almonds, olives, quinces, pears and a bounty of fruit and vegetables. The Seaview winery was established in 1850, then in 1873, Thomas Hardy, patriarch of the renowned winemaking dynasty, bought Tintara winery, which his descendants still run.
The region's fantastic coastal location is celebrated each June at the two-day Sea and Vines Festival, where great seafood and wines are on the menu at 20 wineries.
Where to eat
McLaren Vale is a smorgasbord for foodies, with 40 cafes and restaurants, many set among the vines. Restaurateurs shop at farmers' markets and buy fish straight from the trawlers.
Salopian Inn is housed in an 1851 stone and slate cottage. This landmark restaurant serves Mediterranean fare in a relaxed country setting. A Salopian, by the way, is a resident of Shropshire. See salopianinn.com.au.
At Russell's Pizza restaurant, you'll eat fantastic pizzas and be warmed in winter by two huge wood-fired ovens (indoors and in the outside courtyard) in this ramshackle 19th-century blacksmith's cottage. Open weekends only. 13 High Street, Willunga. Phone (08) 8556 2571.
The Star of Greece sits pretty on a cliff above Port Willunga beach. The former 1950s kiosk has a stunning view – and seafood to match. Snaffle the fried whitebait and Kangaroo Island haloumi if it's on. 1 The Esplanade, Port Willunga. Phone (08) 8557 7420.
D'Arry's on the Verandah combines views across the vines to the sea and is blissful in summer. This award-winning restaurant is part of d'Arenberg winery. The coq au vin with breaded dumplings is the specialty. See darrysverandah.com.au.
For gourmet goods, shop on Main Road at Blessed Cheese, The Chocolate Box, The Almond Train and the Tin Shed.
Wineries
Where do you start when there are 110 wineries and 70 cellar doors to explore? Take your pick from small family wineries, big names like Hardys Tintara and Rosemount Estate and some emerging legends. These are our picks ...
Chapel Hill Winery This is one of the quaintest cellar doors in the region, housed in an 1865 ironstone chapel. Chapel Hill's early claim to fame was its reds, especially the award-winning The Vicar Shiraz. Nowadays, the unwooded chardonnay and the pinot grigio and bush vine grenache are big sellers.
Samuel's Gorge The secret is out on this one-man winery operated by Justin McNamee, formerly of Tatachilla. Taste some wonderful shiraz, grenache and tempranillo at the cellar door, which was a 19th-century blacksmith's shop, near the stunning Onkaparinga Gorge.
Coriole Vineyards It's hard to beat the hilltop setting of Coriole, with its sweeping views of vines and ocean. The flagship is the shiraz, featured in James Halliday's Classic Wines of Australia, but lately, the Italian varietals, including sangiovese, have been making a name. Stop by for olive tastings and a casual lunch under the vine-covered pergola.
Mollydooker Winery A mollydooker is slang for a left-hander and the husband and wife winemaking team of Sparky and Sarah Marquis are just that. Their four-hour winery tour, complete with tastings and lunch, is a must.
Markets
The Willunga Farmers' Market, held on Saturdays from 8am-12.30pm, is a great morning out. Winemakers sell their bottles from the car boot, 70 produce stalls offer everything from cheese to bread and herbs, while chefs demonstrate their skills. See willungafarmersmarket.com.
Other markets include Willunga Quarry Market (second Saturday of the month); Meadows Country Market (second Sunday) and Strathalbyn Country Markets (first Sunday).
Galleries
Red Poles combines art exhibitions with a dash of cabaret and a glass of cabernet. It's a gallery cum cafe/wine bar that stages wonderful performances from jazz to flamenco.
The Singing Gallery is a folk and blues music venue that also runs a Sunday market featuring local arts and crafts. See singinggallery.com.au.
Off the Slate Gallery is a co-operative in Willunga where 22 artists exhibit their works, ranging from pastels to sculpture, pottery and jewellery. See offtheslategallery.com.
Natural attractions
Bushwalkers and climbers have several parks to explore; swimmers and surfers have six beaches to choose from. Onkaparinga River National Park, north of McLaren Vale town, has 50-metre cliffs, gorges dotted with rock pools and a river perfect for kayaking and canoeing. Aldinga Scrub, 12 kilometres south of McLaren Vale near Aldinga Beach, is 300 hectares of amazing sand dunes, red-gum forests and heathland, while Aldinga Beach is well loved by locals, who are permitted to drive their cars along the long, sandy strip.
Secrets
Bella Cosa This newcomer is a microcosm of McLaren Vale under one roof – a winery, cafe, gallery and sculpture garden. An artist-in-residence assists budding sculptors, while painting classes are also on offer. See bellacosa.com.au.
Alternatively, take a walk or ride a bike along the eight-kilometre Shiraz Trail – the old railway line from McLaren Vale to Willunga – visiting wineries along the way. Onya Bike Tours has four-hour picnic and biking packages ($38) and bike rentals.
Maslin Beach wears the proud moniker of Australia's first nudist beach, courtesy of a proclamation from former South Australian premier Don Dunstan in 1975. The three-kilometre beach has spectacular cliffs, with "clad" and "unclad" sections.
Just down the road
Strathalbyn, a 30-minute drive south-east of McLaren Vale, is a 19th-century town brimming with 30 historic buildings and antique and curio shops to delight everyone from the casual browser to the avid collector. Goolwa, less than an hour down the road, is also worth a visit as it was the first town in Australia to be classified as a "Cittaslow" town – or slow food town.
Goolwa boasts a range of galleries, wineries and the Steam Exchange Brewery. It is also the gateway to Coorong National Park, one of the state's best eco-experience locations.
More information
Source: The Sun-Herald
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