McLaren Vale is the heart of the Fleurieu. It is a wine region of gentle hills and breathtaking beaches, where sea and vines rise to meet the Mount Lofty Ranges. The region is home to over 80 wine companies, spanning 7,100 ha of vine. It is celebrated for soft and generous reds with ripe berries, chocolate and soft velvet tannins. McLaren Vale shiraz is a regional hero, filled with raspberry and black olives. Plush blueberry cabernet sauvignon is highly decorated and juicy grenache hails from magnificent old plantings. Peachy chardonnay, semillon and tropical sauvignon blanc originate from cooler sites.
Kissed by the warm sun and soothed by the breath of the great southern ocean, McLaren Vale enjoys a Mediterranean climate with cooling maritime influences. The state’s longest river winds through the Onkaparinga gorge past giant redgums, vines and olive groves to escape at the mouth of St Vincent’s Gulf. The region incorporates the sub-districts of Clarendon, Kangarilla, Sellicks Foothills, McLaren Flat, Seaview, Blewitt Springs and Willunga. Individual vineyards vary in accordance with exposure to the coast, elevation and variety of fertile soils, sandy loams and underlying clay and limestone.
McLaren Vale is a clean, green region committed to environmental resource management and water conservation. Local grape growers are leading the country with a Generational Farming Program. The viticultural accreditation scheme guarantees sustainability and underpins the value of future production in the region. Proactive and innovative producers have embraced the trend towards organics and biodynamics as well as the potential for alternative grape varieties. New plantings of Spanish, Italian and Portugese varieties include fiano, tempranillo, sangiovese, zinfandel, touriga and barbera.
Watch Stuart MacGill uncork McLaren Vale
