In 2019 we were lucky enough to explore the South Australian wine region of McLaren Vale. This incredible wine region truly has it all, making it the perfect spot for a wine getaway. Whether you are obsessed with wine like I am, more of a foodie, or just wanting to get back to nature, you can find it here. In this post, I shared with you some of my favourite cellar doors from the trip. But this wine region has so much more to offer than just wine! I know, who would have thought? So I decided in this guide to McLaren Vale, I would focus on everything else about our trip. Where we stayed, the best food we ate, and what we got up to.
We truly fit so much into four days, but I feel we only scratched the surface! Check out the video below to get a glimpse of our trip before we get stuck in!
An overview of McLaren Vale
McLaren Vale is one of the many wine regions of South Australia. Those that live in Adelaide are truly spoilt for choice down there, with McLaren Vale, Adelaide Hills, the Barossa Valley and Clare Valley all nearby. I seriously envy them!
McLaren Vale has over 7,500 hectares under vine and has a Mediterranean climate with warm temperatures and a cooling sea breeze. This means it lends itself to unique styles of wines that are only just becoming popular in Australia.
McLaren Vale is known for its creative winemakers, experimental wines and grape varieties, and more recently its sustainable practices. We were surprised by how many wineries were using biodynamic and organic farming as a standard for their wines.
If you are a red lover, this will be the wine region of your dreams. Only 10% of the wines produced by the region are white! Over half of the land is dedicated to Shiraz, which we found to be a lot softer than those bold flavours of the Hunter Valley or Barossa. However, McLaren Vale is also known for Grenache, Cabernet and Chardonnay. However, you’ll also find a lot of Mediterranean wines to sample, including Nero d’Avola, Tempranillo and Sangiovese.
Visiting McLaren Vale
I’m hoping this guide to McLaren Vale will make you realise how easy it is to visit! Visiting McLaren Vale is a really easy trip from Adelaide. It takes about 45 minutes to get there by car, and there are plenty of car rental places at the airport so you can get straight on the road to wine heaven once you’re off the plane. There are also a number of day trip options out of Adelaide if you’d prefer to stay more centrally. Although you may not be able to explore much in a day, many of the wineries are close to one another so you’ll be surprised by how much you can fit in!
If you are visiting for a few days, I highly recommend getting a car. Although the wineries are nearby to one another, there aren’t many footpaths for walking between them (although we did do this a couple of times). There are plenty of bike hire options as well, however, keep in mind the region is quite hilly so you need to be prepared for a bit of a workout! Your best option will be to get a car you can zip between wineries in, or even just duck to the main street of McLaren Vale to get food.
Guide to McLaren Vale: Where to stay
I highly recommend staying for a few days in McLaren Vale if you can. There is a vast array of options available for accommodation from hotels, cottages and Airbnb. We opted for an Airbnb because there were so many great options that were really centrally located.
Here are some tips about where to stay for this guide to McLaren Vale. When trying to decide where to stay, I recommend looking at a map of where the wineries are. We found a lot of accommodation was cheaper closer to the beach and down near Willunga. Although this isn’t very far to drive, about 10 minutes between McLaren Vale and Willunga if you are planning on ditching your car you need to be central. Most of the wineries are North of the town of McLaren Vale, as well as spread out near McLaren Flat, so if you are planning on exploring these make sure you keep this in mind. The main shops are also located in McLaren Vale town, so staying near here is ideal.
Where we stayed
We decided on this Airbnb because of its location. It was absolutely perfect for our stay! Located literally right next to S.C. Pannell (seriously you can walk between them), you couldn’t get much better for exploring. We could also walk (or ride) to and from town pretty easily, otherwise, it was a cheap uber to where we needed to go!
The layout of the studio was also great. Although it didn’t have a fireplace (normally a non-negotiable for me), we were still very cosy on the cold nights. It also had a lot of natural light and felt like you were in the middle of nowhere. It even had a great kitchen for cooking up a storm post winery hopping. Honestly, I couldn’t recommend this place enough!
Really as long as you map out where you want to visit and ensure that you are basing yourself centrally, you’ll be sure to have a good time!
Guide to McLaren Vale: Winery tours
The only thing I found about McLaren Vale was that there weren’t many winery tours that went from McLaren Vale itself. There are plenty of options if you are going from Adelaide, but I think because the wineries are so close to one another, there aren’t many providers in the region itself. Don’t get me wrong, there were a few, but they were a bit expensive for what you got. We wanted to maximise our time being driven around, so we wanted a tour that was flexible.
We ended up opting for a hop-on hop-off bus tour called Trail Hopper. It gave us the most flexibility to choose the wineries we wanted to go to, and also was quite affordable at around $60 per person. Note: you will have to pay for some of your tastings and lunch, but I think it still ended up being cheaper than a traditional wine tour.
Trail Hopper was great. You need to have a lunch booking before you board the bus, but that’s more than easy to tick off the list! They have a set number of stops that they go to, and then throughout the day, they change the schedule based on where people end up. I thought this was good because there wasn’t idle time, meaning more time for vino.
Hacking the Trail Hopper
We snuck in two tastings before getting on the bus and then met them at a winery to take us to the next one. We were a bit naughty, opting to walk between some of the wineries to maximise our time, but our bus driver was very accommodating. She even dropped us off outside of Primo Estate which wasn’t on the usual list! I cannot tell you how great the service was on this tour. So if you are staying in the area, and want a flexible wine tour, definitely opt for Trail Hopper.
The only thing I’ll say is that they won’t pick up and drop off at your accommodation, so you’ll need to make arrangements to get yourself hope. I do not recommend jumping on a bike from the Visitor’s Centre as we did! There are plenty of Ubers in the area to use instead.
Guide to McLaren Vale: Where to eat
There are so many incredible restaurants in McLaren Vale, it can be hard to know where to begin! Whether you want to cook at home, have a nice casual meal or a fine dining experience, you can find it all here.
My one recommendation is that you should focus on lunch as your main meal out. Many of the winery restaurants only open for lunch, so I would have a nice lunch out, then head home for dinner. There are a few restaurants you can go to for dinner, but if you want to go to the wineries you might be a bit stuck!
Regardless of what you choose, here are the ones I really enjoyed that we visited.
Gather at Coriole
We had lunch at Coriole when we were on the Trail Hopper bus, and it was honestly one of the highlights of the trip. The setting is beautiful with incredible views across the vineyard from a large window that spans the restaurant. They also have vines growing across the roof which gives it a really natural feel.
Gather at Coriole focuses on fresh ingredients and seasonal produce. All their food celebrates the region and the ingredients, so you know you are in for something good! Coriole is also known for its olive oil, so their use of this throughout the menu really made the food stand out!
What I loved so much about this restaurant was the service. Our waiter was incredibly accommodating and went above and beyond to make our experience special. We couldn’t decide on a wine, so he gave us a taste of a few and we ended up picking the one he recommended – one we never would have chosen ourselves. This ended up being one of my favourite wines of the trip!
The food was also out of this world good. Whether it was their first harvest olive oil (something I also came home with), incredibly fresh olive platter or just the delicious sourdough, everything was fresh and delicious. However, the stand out for us was the Dry Aged Beef for two. My partner absolutely died with this dish and said it was the best steak he’d ever had. That’s a big call coming from him!
The Salopian Inn
We went to the Salopian Inn on our first night in McLaren Vale, and I absolutely loved it. It is one of the cosiest places we went and had such a great atmosphere. Get those images of a pub out of your head, because the Salopian Inn is more like a restaurant with a really homely feel. It was also packed when we were there, which is always a good sign!
For drinks, the Salopian Inn has you covered. They are known for their gin collection, and I can attest to the fact that it has pretty much every gin I could ever want. We had a nice gin and tonic before we sat down for our meal, and it was a welcome change after a day of drinking wine.
A dining experience
The best part, however, is the red wine list. I had a look through the wine list, and couldn’t find anything. Confused, I asked the waitress. She told me to follow her. Intrigued, we both left our stuff on the table and followed her down into their cellar. She told us that this was the red wine list, and we just needed to choose a bottle and bring it back up. This has to be the most fun I’ve ever had picking a wine! It was great being able to see the bottles and read about them before you chose one. They had such a great selection of local, national and international wines, it was almost impossible to choose! I wish all restaurants did this because it really added to the experience.
Then there was the food. It was a mix of traditional dishes and Asian fusion, but I have to say they did everything well. The stand outs were the steamed pork buns and the farm chicken pie. But honestly, everything we had was incredible, with great service to match! It was a shame to leave the cozy restaurant and step out into the freezing night. I honestly never wanted to leave.
Pizzatecca
I was told to go to Pizzatecca because of the great food and that it is home to McLaren Vale’s most Instagrammable shed. Well, they were definitely right on both counts! Pizzatecca is a fun restaurant with a casual atmosphere that makes it perfect for a nice lunch. They have an authentic pizza oven dishing out incredibly delicious pizzas. However, their branding is on point with their playful plates, decor and of course the colourful shed!
The two pizzas we had here were absolutely delicious, and they also had a great wine list. It was quite well priced too if you are looking for something affordable for lunch. Although it isn’t too close to other wineries, I definitely recommend making the trip for a truly fun and delicious meal!
Serafino
We went to Serafino for dinner on one of our other nights, and it was absolutely delicious. It is fancier than some of the other restaurants we went to, and the setting was quite upmarket as well. All the tables are set facing out on the vineyard, which I thought was a nice touch. There weren’t too many people in there, but the tables were nicely spaced out so you didn’t really notice other diners. This was probably for the best because my partner and I were a bit rowdy after a day of sipping wine!
Serafino is perfect if you want to sample more refined food. I really enjoyed the dishes here, especially as they were so beautifully presented! There’s a reason they’ve won a few awards because their food was absolutely delicious. A standout for me was the duck, which was so perfectly cooked and full of unique flavours.
What I loved about this restaurant were all the extra touches. We got some special chocolates and tea at the end of our meal that really topped off a great night. Also, although the food sets you back a little bit, as Serafino is a winery, you can get a bottle of their wine for quite a good price!
Harry’s Deli
Harry’s Deli is located inside Wirra Wirra and is perfect for a casual lunch. Their signature dish is the Trotter’s Pie which was absolutely delicious. They also serve a range of sandwiches, soups and even plenty of gluten-free options! I really enjoyed the mushroom polenta, which was full of delicious flavours. You can also grab a nice big glass of Wirra Wirra wine to sip on as you enjoy the atmosphere.
Harry’s Deli is also perfect for a coffee if you need a bit of a break from wine! This can be something that is hard to come by at the wineries, so I appreciated that Wirra Wirra was offering it. It was the perfect spot for lunch if you didn’t want to spend up big on a fancy winery lunch, and just wanted honest, delicious food.
Mullygrub
We went to Mullygrub for breakfast and I definitely wasn’t disappointed. It can be hard to find good breakfast places in the winery regions sometimes, but Mollygrub was dishing up some seriously good food. They had a really extensive menu with very interesting flavours, and enough to satisfy any sweet or savoury craving. Their coffee was also delicious!
If you are looking for breakfast on the main street, definitely give Mullygrub a go!
Guide to McLaren Vale: Other activities
You wouldn’t be blamed for thinking that McLaren Vale was just about wine. I mean, mostly it is. But there are plenty of things to do there whether you are into wine or not. Really a guide to McLaren Vale would not be complete without some activities! Here are some of the activities we did while we were there. Full disclosure, most are wine-related. What did you expect?
The visitor’s centre
The McLaren Vale visitors centre is a must when you first get to McLaren Vale. We headed there first to pick up some maps but were blown away by the service. The lady behind the counter asked us all about our trip, where we were staying and what we wanted to see. Based on that she pointed out some great options for us, as well as pointing us in the right direction for where we wanted to go. We really appreciated all her tips, including the sneaky coupons in the visitor’s book!
If you want to get started on your wine tasting early, there is also a tasting room at the visitor’s centre. I really enjoyed this because they had smaller wineries showcased that don’t have their own cellar door. The stand was manned by the winemakers too! We had a great conversation here and honestly tried some incredible wines! So if you have the time, definitely stop by.
Hunting for Olive Oil
McLaren Vale isn’t just known for its wine. It is also famous for olives! Many of the wineries have their own olive oil they offer, but you can also seek out olive producers by following the olive trail. Just look for the olive symbols as you’re exploring, or better yet pick up a guide book at the visitor centre.
I was blown away by the quality of the olive oil in this region. Even the olive oil we had in our Airbnb was bright green, which denotes how fresh it is. You can’t get olive oil like this easily, especially not at the supermarket, so make sure you appreciate it while you are here!
If you are keen on olive oil and wine (like me), make sure you check out these cellar doors. You might also end up spending as much as we did on quality olive oil:
- Coriole Vineyards
- Primo Estate
- Oliver’s Taranga
I’m sure there are many more, but these ones stole my heart!
The Shiraz Trail
If you are up for a bit of exercise, you can hire a bike and do the Shiraz Trail. The Shiraz Trail runs from McLaren Vale to Willunga and is about 8km. There are plenty of wineries nearby, although you may need to ride on the road to get to some of them. We found we did have to ride on the road, but the cars were very accommodating of my terrible cycling.
We hired bikes from the Visitors Centre as you can hire them for 24 hours for only $33! You can also opt to hire them by the hour. This is a great cheap option, however, I probably wouldn’t do it again. Why? Well, McLaren Vale is quite hilly, and the bikes didn’t have the best gears. This meant we often needed to get off and push our bikes up the hills (not on the Shiraz Trail, but getting to our accommodation was a struggle). It also meant that riding the Shiraz Trail was far from the leisurely ride we were hoping for and became a bit of a workout. Not the worst thing between wineries!
What I would recommend is spending a bit extra to get an electric bike. There are a couple of companies that offer this, and it would make it much easier to get around!
If you are going to try the Shiraz Trail, make sure it isn’t too cold. It was a windy day for us, and we ended up with frozen fingers. That being said, our ride was quite pleasant overall, as the Shiraz Trail is absolutely beautiful. It runs through the wineries offering absolutely beautiful scenery that you won’t get from a car. Definitely check it out if you want to try another way of getting around!
Blending Bench at d’Arenberg
We did the Blending Bench at d’Arenberg as something different, and it was a really fun activity. It goes for about an hour and a half, and you get to blend your very own wine. I was blown away by how different three Shiraz wines from the same region tasted, and what an impact blending them together made on the flavour.
The experience isn’t cheap, but you do get a bottle afterwards to take home of your favourite blend. This experience is hands-on, letting you taste all the wines and design your perfect blend through a bit of trial and error. I absolutely loved the whole experience of mixing a blend, giving it a try, refining and finally coming to the perfect wine for me. I can’t wait to crack my bottle open!
The best part about this experience is that if you are wanting to visit the Cube anyway for their sensory wine experience (it is a little weird but worth a look), this is included in the price of your ticket. You also get a tasting at the end, although we had drunk so much Shiraz in the class that we weren’t really up for tasting much more!
Willunga Farmer’s Markets
If you are on the hunt for fresh produce, the Willunga Farmer’s Market is a must! It runs every Saturday morning from 8am and was full of producers from the area. Whether it was fresh vegetables, olive oil, cakes, cheese or even wine, the market had it all! We got some delicious pies and Italian ready-made meals for dinner, and also picked up some incredible cheese to enjoy beforehand.
If you are there on a cold morning like we were (seriously we were so cold), I recommend finding the little pizzeria in the middle of the markets. On Saturdays, they offer a market breakfast in their cozy space next to a fireplace. It was the perfect spot to grab a coffee and get out of the wind (and rain). They also have a range of scones that they make in their woodfired oven. We had the fig and fennel with maple butter – yum!
The final word on this guide to McLaren Vale
There really is so much to do in McLaren Vale, and I can’t wait to go back. I feel like we missed out on so many things, and my to-do list is still a mile long! But I hope this guide to McLaren Vale has helped you plan your own trip, so you can start getting some ideas.
I think the thing about McLaren Vale is that there is no right or wrong. Everything we ate, sipped or did as an activity blew us away. The produce is so fresh, the people are so friendly, and the wine is oh so good. Whether you are a wine buff, a foodie, a bit of both or just want to explore the scenery, there is something here for you. Personally, I am already dreaming of my next visit!
