Discover the McLaren Vale Wine Region

To understand the roots of McLaren Vale grape growing, you have to travel back to the year 1836, when British immigrants were colonising much of South Australia. Two years later, the McLaren Vale locality was established, following a survey led by John McLaren – who it was aptly named after.

McLaren Vale winemaking began in 1838 with the planting of grape vines by a couple of English chaps, Thomas Hardy and John Reynell, which by 1850 would form the beginnings of the Hardy and Seaview wineries. Back then, vineyards were primarily set up to produce heavy, dry red wines for bulk export – quite a different story to what is commonplace today.

Over time, local sales and exports of table wine greatly improved, but it wasn’t until a surge in popularity during the 1970s that winemaking really took off. In this decade alone, another 26 McLaren Vale wineries opened their doors, producing the tremendous trio of Australian reds – Grenache, Shiraz and Cabernet.

Like many South Australian regions, McLaren Vale is known for producing big and bold styles of Grenache, Shiraz and Cabernet. But if you think that’s all these Aussie geniuses are producing, you are definitely missing out.

Italian migrants found their way to South Australia in the 1950s and quickly realised the area’s potential for producing their native grapes. Thanks to this, you’ll find a number of Mediterranean varieties produced in McLaren Vale, including reds such as Barbera and Nero d’Avola, as well as whites such as Fiano and Vermentino.

The Spanish grape Mourvèdre is also well planted here, where it’s known as Mataró, and plays a key role in the making of Australian GSM blends (Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvèdre). These soft and fruity blends vary from medium to full in body, and their soft fruitiness make a brilliant complement for a roast lamb.

Perhaps the most impressive feature of this region is the multitude of wine styles that can be produced here. With an array of soils and various micro and meso climates, you can find expressions of the same grape at opposite ends of the style spectrum. Shiraz for example can be found in the traditional full-bodied style, with heaps of spice and chocolatey notes, or it can be found in the mellower medium-bodied style, filled with raspberry flavours and less harsh on the palate.

Today, the McLaren Vale region has more than 190 wine producers inside its boundaries, and lays claim to some of the oldest grape vines in the world. The winemakers in charge of the vines are young, adventurous and innovative, with a passion for collaboration and a key focus on premium quality. As a result, a lot of smaller batch produce is coming out of the vineyards every year, and the winemakers aren’t afraid to be quite experimental either.

There is a strong consideration for the environment among wine growers, who are mindful of and grateful for their little patch of the world. In fact 100% of all water used for irrigation in McLaren Vale now comes from a sustainable source, and they are one of few regions in the world completely free of the common vineyard pest Phylloxera.

Look no further than the experimental team of creatives at 5OS Winemakers for a true embodiment of what this region is all about. Innovation, passion and collaboration, all bottled up with some fancy artwork! Expect single varietals and blends of the traditional red trio (Shiraz, Cabernet and Grenache) as well as the occasional outsider such as Barbera.

Black Flag Winemakers also produce a series of premium small batch wines, using a variety of different grapes from McLaren Vale and surrounding regions. These are exclusively made for our customers at Virgin Wines and often come in limited quantities, so if you’re keen to try a drop, don’t hang about.

Did You Know?

There is one winery in McLaren Vale that epitomises the regions creativity. This is the d’Ahrenburg Cube, a building modelled after an unfinished rubiks cube to symbolise the complexities and puzzles of winemaking.