Which are the best McLaren Vale wineries to visit?
The best McLaren Vale wineries in South Australia to visit include d’Arenberg, Mitolo Wines, Inkwell, Maxwell Wines and the Woodstock Winery.
The McLaren Vale, just to the south of Adelaide, is one of the world’s great wine regions. The wine region, at the top of South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula, is famous for its shirazes. But it produces dozens of other varietals, too, as McLaren Vale wineries attempt to stand out from the crowd.
Best McLaren Vale wineries
There are several McLaren Vale wineries worth visiting, with d’Arenberg being the flashiest. This is the home of the d’Arenberg Cube, a five story vision of eccentricity. Inside are a series of often bizarre, often psychedelic experiences designed to enhance the senses before you reach the tasting room on the top floor.
For something at the other end of the scale, Mitolo Wines goes in for Italian-style sophistication. The Mitolo tastings are highly structured, comparing wines from different ranges side-by-side. The Little Wolf Osteria on site is one of the more impressive McLaren Vale restaurants, too.
Inkwell Wines in Tatachilla is a bold, small scale operation, which specialises in single vineyard wines and sustainability. It also has the remarkable Hotel California Road on site, which somehow manages to offer luxurious accommodation inside converted shipping containers.
Unusual McLaren Vale winery experiences
Maxwell Wines offers winery tours that go beyond the usual cellar door tasting sessions. The 90 minute tours go through the winemaking process, explaining the differences between different grapes as the guide leads through the vineyards. More distinctively, however, Maxwell Wines also has a mushroom cave and maze that are open to visitors.
It’s not the only one of the McLaren Vale wineries with an unusual gimmick, either. The Woodstock Winery does some excellent shiraz, but the stand-out reason to visit is the on-site wildlife sanctuary. It’s a good opportunity to see native Australian wildlife, with rescued koalas, kangaroos and emus having freedom to roam.
Other McLaren Vale wineries worth visiting include Hugh Hamilton Wines, Serafino Wines, Ekhidna and Fox Creek.
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