The Ultimate Insider’s Guide to McLaren Vale Cellar Doors

Why McLaren Vale Is Special

Best for Iconic first Timers

d'Arenberg, Wirra Wirra, Coriloe

d'Arenberg<br /> The d'Arenberg Cube has become iconic symbol of McLaren Vale. The eccentric architectural masterpiece inspired by a rubric's cube, perfectly houses the eclectic artwork of the owner and chief winemaker Chester Osborne. In the winery he uses his skills as an artist to shape organic and biodynamic wines which are fruit driven, aromatic and full of tannin. In the studio he is free to express himself. His passion comes though in everything he creates.<br /> The Verandah Restaurant is as iconic as d'Arry's red stripe label. It's contemporary comfort food must always be commenced with the Signature Lobster Bisque (*drool*)</p> <p>Wirra Wirra<br /> With a long history in McLaren Vale, Wirra Wirra is well known throughout Australia. For many, Wirra Wirra's ``Church Block`` was their introduction to McLaren Vale wines. Greg Trott resurrected the site in the 1960's and continues to be owned by the Trott family. As the current Custodian of the winery and heritage vineyards, Chief Winemaker Emma Wood is producing some of the most iconic wines coming out of McLaren Vale. The onsite restaurant ``Harry's Deli`` delights in creating seasonal dishes to complement the elegant and varied wine styles.</p> <p>Coriole<br /> One of the most beautiful properties in McLaren Vale. The Coriole cellar door was originally a barn built in the 1860’s. The Lloyd family, now in it's 3rd generation of custodianship, purchased the property in 1969. The Cellar Door and Award Winning Restaurant are surrounded by gorgeous gardens that are well maintained throughout the year. The large lawn behind the restaurant offers Tuscan-like views of their vineyards and surrounding properties.<br /> The Lloyd family has been pioneers of Mediterranean varieties in McLaren Vale and beyond, boasting the oldest Sangiovese, Fiano and Piquepoul plantings in Australia</p> <p>Tintara

Best Hidden Gems

Samson Tall<br /> Paul and Heather always thought the Bethany Chapel would be a great cellar door and purchased it a few years ago then built their dream winery right next to their cellar door. They are small batch, family run and just do what they do including a white, two roses and a few reds. With great vineyard views from the back deck it’s easy to get lost in the sunshine and the wine.</p> <p>Samuels Gorge<br /> The quintessential boutique winery, Justin started the brand in 2003 and officially opened the cellar door in 2005. Located in an old barn, they are very experience focused, casual and just want people to have a good time. They focus mainly on reds but have a couple easy drinking summer wines available as well as a well renowned sparkling red.</p> <p>Lino Ramble<br /> Andy and Ang opened up their cellar door in September 2020 along with Bondar and Sherrah wines. Lino focuses on using sustainable grapes that are suited to our climate and what we call “alternate varieties.” The wine names come from kids' games and the labels really stand out. A great little spot to try something different.</p> <p>Berg Herring<br /> Sam and Chloe bought the old chapel a few years ago and lived out back before converting the property into their gorgeous cellar door. There’s a large lawn to the right of the chapel that offers views over a paddock to the ocean. With a large range of wines it’s a great place to finish off the day with a last tasting or glass of wine.</p> <p>As If Wines<br /> Alie and Tim recently opened As If Wines in the spot that Graham Stevens was in McLaren Flat. Tim grew up down the road and in vineyards while Alie is American and brings decades of winemaking knowledge to the team. They have a terrific range of wines including some different styles and a “rarish” variety called Traminer. The newest cellar door in the region.</p> <p>Shirvington<br /> The family has a couple vineyards in the region and make some terrific wines to show off the differences between them. They have a nice range of wines and the cellar door offers views into their wines. The family loves telling their stories and sharing what they make, how and why. A very down to earth tasting with a terrific family.</p> <p>Larnook currently at Willunga Market - soon to open cellar door<br /> Lexi and Damon started the brand a few years ago and have done very well winning numerous awards at the McLaren Vale wine show and others. They are currently building their new cellar door on their property in Blewitt Springs so they’ve been offering tastings at the well known Willunga Markets. A great place for locals and tourists, the markets shows off some of the best of the Fleurieu and what the region has to offer, including terrific wines!</p> <p>Alpha Box and Dice<br /> The hipsters in the region, they want to make 26 wines all with different letters of the alphabet. They source different vineyards every year so the wines are constantly changing and worth going back to try. They have a couple ranges of wines and have something for everyone. A great cellar door with cool vibes and great wine.</p> <p>McLaren Vale Distillery<br /> A great place to wrap up the day, the building is located on a hill overlooking Blewitt Springs and the rest of the region. They offer a range of products including whiskey, gin, vodka, limoncello, fortifieds and more. They have a story for every product and is one of the best kept secrets in the region.</p> <p>Sherrah</p> <p>Grounded Cru

Best for Premium Wine Lovers

Oliver’s Taranga<br /> Oliver’s is the third oldest family run business in Australia and has a long connection to the region in many ways. The sixth generation of the family, Corrina, Brioni and Sam currently run the business and have taken it to another level in the last few years. They got a grant during Covid to expand their cellar door and have become one of the top cellar doors in the region. Corrina won winemaker of the year in 2019 and is one of the great wine making faces of the region.</p> <p>Bondar Wines<br /> Winner of the best valued wines by James Halliday last year, Andre and Selina started the brand in 2013 after buying the Rayner Vineyard behind D’arenberg. They make some really easy drinking reds, a benchmarking Rose and a couple terrific whites. They are situated in a building with Sherrah Wines and Lino Ramble who we consider trend setters in the region and where McLaren Vale is heading in terms of Mediterranean and climate suited varieties.</p> <p>Bekkers<br /> Toby and Emmanuelle Bekker are an award winning couple that grow amazing grapes and spectacular, brilliantly well made wines. Toby is a local McLaren Vale boy and takes care of the fruit while Emmanuelle is from Chablis, France and takes care of the wine. They make a few reds from their local fruit and she also makes a gorgeous Chablis and sends it over to enjoy at their McLaren Vale home.</p> <p>Primo<br /> Another lovely Italian family in the region, they started north of the city but McLaren Vale has been their home for decades now. Their modern style cellar door was built in 2006 but still looks new. They have a great range of wines and make a couple wines in Italy that they send to Australia to try next to their down under counterparts.</p> <p>K1 Winery<br /> Started by Geoff Hardy and located in Kuitpo, about 15 minutes from McLaren Vale, Geoff is well known as a great viticulturalist and grows some interesting varieties. The driveway to the cellar door has to be one of the best in the region and the man made lake in front of the cellar door cabin gives a terrific rustic and relaxed feel.</p> <p>Chalk Hill<br /> Located on top of a large hill located just outside of McLaren Vale, they opened the multi venue property during 2020 and have quickly become one of the most popular spots in the region. Their wines have won numerous awards over the past few years and the large verandah and lawn offer numerous places to relax and take in the gorgeous views of the surrounding hills.</p> <p>Aphelion<br /> Rob and Louise opened a cellar door in their house a couple years ago and last year got a new home which fits them and their brand perfectly. They focus on Chenin Blanc, Mataro and some really nice Grenache’s made from single vineyards. Very smooth and easy drinking wines, the cellar door is surrounded by trees yet still offers gorgeous views of rolling hills with vines next to them.</p> <p>Kay Brothers<br /> The oldest winery in the region, the cellar doesn’t have a forklift and they still use their basket press from the early 1900’s. The cellar door had a little makeover during the covid break where they show off a lot of their storied history. The views overlooking the rolling hills of northern McLaren Vale is one of the best in the region.

Best for Views

Molly Dooker<br /> Well known for their bigger style reds the cellar door has floor to ceiling windows that offer views to their vines, the D’arenberg Cube and the rolling hills of northern McLaren Vale. They have a nice range of wines but are known for their richer reds which are always one of the last in the region to be harvested. Terrific branding and labels compliment the bold wines.</p> <p>Dandelion<br /> The brand has been around for a while and they’ve owned their vineyards since 2018 but now have a gorgeous home on top of a hill with spectacular views overlooking the region. They have a large range of wines and great cellar door staff that tell the story of Zar and Elena, the owners. The wines are only matched by the beautiful interior design of the cellar door.</p> <p>Chalk Hill/Never Never/Cucina Di Strada<br /> Chalk Hill offers award winning wines, Never Never has won worlds best gin multiple times and Cucina Di Strada fills you up with Italian goodness. The large building and verandah look out over an expansive lawn where guests can treat themselves to all types of goodies including amazing views. A great place to stop in for a bit of everything yummy.</p> <p>Hugh Hamilton

Best lunch experiences

Coriole<br /> One of the most beautiful properties in the region, the cellar door was a barn built in the 1860’s and has been surrounded by gorgeous gardens that are well maintained throughout the year. The large lawn behind the restaurant offers Tuscan-like views of their vineyards and surrounding properties. The Lloyd family has been pioneers of Mediterranean varieties including Sangiovese, Fiano and Piquepoul.</p> <p>D’arenberg Verandah<br /> Chester Osborn is the fourth generation of his family to grow grapes and make wine on their property. He’s quite eccentric and came up with the idea of a building based on the Rubix cube. In 2018 the Cube opened and has been a hit since. There are a few “alternate reality” rooms to awaken your senses before tasting some of their large portfolio from the 5th floor cellar door. A must tick for anyone visiting the region.</p> <p>Chalk Hill/Never Never/Cucina Di Strada<br /> Chalk Hill offers award winning wines, Never Never has won worlds best gin multiple times and Cucina Di Strada fills you up with Italian goodness. The large building and verandah look out over an expansive lawn where guests can treat themselves to all types of goodies including amazing views. A great place to stop in for a bit of everything yummy.</p> <p>Down the Rabbit Hole<br /> A little bit of Byron Bay in McLaren Vale, the property is gorgeous as well as the people. Started by Dom and Elise, they have great stories of how the brand started and their various wines. The double decker bus from Scotland is a stand out piece on their property but the rest of the area fits the vibe extremely well. They’ve done a great job of getting a large instagram following and getting lots of recommendations from visitors to the region.</p> <p>Victory Hotel<br /> One of the most well known and liked restaurants in the region, it’s reputation has extended far beyond McLaren Vale and is well known for it’s top notch food and amazing wine cellar. They always have a Chablis by the glass and quite often you’ll see tradies in high vis downing something from Barolo or Burgundy. To top it off it has one of the best views of the region sitting on top of Sellicks Hill.

Best for Groups

Beach Road</p> <p>Chapel Hill</p> <p>Ivybrook</p> <p>Lazy Ballerina</p> <p>Maxwell wines maze and picnic area</p> <p>Never Never/Chalk Hill</p> <p>Paxton Wines</p> <p>Swell Brewery</p> <p>Shottesbrooke