The Best Wine Tasting Experiences In McLaren Vale
The Fleurieu Peninsula is home to some of the best wines and wine regions of the world with McLaren Vale being famous for its Shiraz. Stunning contemporary cellar doors stand alongside boutique stone wineries. With countless International medals and trophies Mclaren Vale wine makers know how to make seriously good wine. You'll find below a selection of our favourite cellar doors which offer informative wine tasting experiences and we think are definitively worth a visit.
Wine Tours
We are happy to organise your wine tour which can be self drive, an organised tour or perhaps for your special occasion you might like to travel in style by limousine, or maybe even by motorbike or helicopter. In fact we can organise almost any mode of transport for your special day. We also have complimentary Electric Bikes for our guests use with direct access to the Shiraz Cycle Trail accessed from the back of the Mulberry Lodge Paddock. Try a self cycle tour around our recommended cellar doors.
Maxwell Wines
Few cellar doors give Maxwell’s holistic wine experience. Perched atop the winery, you have a window into its soul. While Mark Maxwell and his team proudly introduce you to their range of wines and mead, either informally or through a personally guided wine flight, you may glimpse an infant vintage start its journey in the fermenters. Discover the nuances brought about by time, terroir and talent over a tasting plate accompanied by the scents and sounds of the winery.
The Tasting Flight
This includes a canapé-sized amount of food designed to whet the appetite and allow for further grazing throughout the McLaren Vale region. Served with four generous tastes of specially chosen Maxwell wine, allow about 30 to 45 minutes for the experience.
Tastings Flights are available only on weekends and start on the hour every hour with the last booking available at 4pm. We recommend making a booking. Tastings from $10
Cellar Door Open 7 days 10am -5pm
The Tasting Flight
This includes a canapé-sized amount of food designed to whet the appetite and allow for further grazing throughout the McLaren Vale region. Served with four generous tastes of specially chosen Maxwell wine, allow about 30 to 45 minutes for the experience.
Tastings Flights are available only on weekends and start on the hour every hour with the last booking available at 4pm. We recommend making a booking. Tastings from $10
Cellar Door Open 7 days 10am -5pm
Primo Estate Wine
Enjoy McLaren Vale's most stylish wine tasting experience in the beautiful setting of an Italian piazzetta style cellar door and tasting room. A family owned winery in South Australia making a unique range of wines that reflect the Italian heritage of the family.During your visit to the cellar door treat yourself to a premium wine tasting;
The JOSEPH Experience. Taste a flight of Italian inspired JOSEPH wines accompanied by the latest release JOSEPH Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Italian 'grand padano' cheese and crusty bread from the local farmer's market. Primo Estate also hosts a number of celebration lunches throughout the year.
The JOSEPH Experience. Taste a flight of Italian inspired JOSEPH wines accompanied by the latest release JOSEPH Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Italian 'grand padano' cheese and crusty bread from the local farmer's market. Primo Estate also hosts a number of celebration lunches throughout the year.
The Joseph Experience at Primo Estate Wines
Shirvington Wines
Shirvington is a boutique wine business that is family owned and run, growing fruit and producing wine in the McLaren Vale region since 1996. The new cellar door offers big picture windows with views over the vines and up to the Willunga Hills and also views into the wine making facility
The Shirvington family are proud to grow grapes that produce super-premium, honest wines with full fruit flavour. Their brand and reputation are built on quality, consistency and value and they love to share their wines with you.
Offering build your own platters to enjoy with a glass of your favourite wine.
The Shirvington family are proud to grow grapes that produce super-premium, honest wines with full fruit flavour. Their brand and reputation are built on quality, consistency and value and they love to share their wines with you.
Offering build your own platters to enjoy with a glass of your favourite wine.
Angove Wines
The Angove McLaren Vale Cellar Door is situated in a beautiful location nestled in the heart of the family’s historic, organic and bio dynamic Warboys Vineyard, and home to some of the oldest Shiraz and Grenache vines in McLaren Vale. Check out their virtual tour. Offering a host of options for both the aspiring wine connoisseur and those looking for a relaxed environment to enjoy some wine with friends and family.
- Wine Flight Experiences with matched cheese and chocolate options
- St Agnes Brandy Tasting Experience
- Platters
- Sunday Lunches
Shottesbrooke Wines
Ancient Soils Tasting at Shottesbrooke Wines
At Shottesbrooke they believe a great strength of our region is our incredible soil profiles and geological formations. In early 2019 our team, headed by Assistant Winemaker and formally qualified Geologist Ben Marston, put together our exciting new Ancient Soils Tasting. This fully hosted, educational tasting highlights the impact that soil profile has on McLaren Vale/Flat wines by comparing the flavours, colour and characteristics of four Shiraz samples grown in four different regional soil formations.
Explore, Wine & Dine tour is a behind-the-scenes look at the Shottesbrooke winery, find out about the history, sustainability programs, wine making process, plus exclusive wine tastings & a regionally inspired 3 course lunch with matched wines at the award-winning Currant Shed restaurant.$250pp
At Shottesbrooke they believe a great strength of our region is our incredible soil profiles and geological formations. In early 2019 our team, headed by Assistant Winemaker and formally qualified Geologist Ben Marston, put together our exciting new Ancient Soils Tasting. This fully hosted, educational tasting highlights the impact that soil profile has on McLaren Vale/Flat wines by comparing the flavours, colour and characteristics of four Shiraz samples grown in four different regional soil formations.
Explore, Wine & Dine tour is a behind-the-scenes look at the Shottesbrooke winery, find out about the history, sustainability programs, wine making process, plus exclusive wine tastings & a regionally inspired 3 course lunch with matched wines at the award-winning Currant Shed restaurant.$250pp
Gemtree Wines
Gemtree Wines is a fully Biodynamic Vineyard with a range of tasting flights and experiences.
Relax on the deck, immerse yourself in a personalised guided Tasting Experience and take in unparalleled views of our vineyards and beyond to the sea. With a large open lawn area to enjoy in spring and summer, and heating on the deck for autumn and winter.
The Gemtree Tasting Experience
This includes a personal tasting flight of five wines (including two from the super premium collections), a dedicated member of Tasting Room staff to guide you and a complimentary Riedel glass for all guests to take home.
The Gemtree Wine & Native Tasting Experience. Ever tasted saltbush, muntries, or pepper berries? Explore unique flavours with our native food plate while tasting a flight of our biodynamic wines. With more than 50,000 native plants at Gemtree, there’s no better pairing to get a sense of place — this place and country we call home. .
Check out Gemtree's informative "Being Biodynamic" and "Wine and Wander" Tours of their vineyard . We can highly recommend these tours and experiences.
Relax on the deck, immerse yourself in a personalised guided Tasting Experience and take in unparalleled views of our vineyards and beyond to the sea. With a large open lawn area to enjoy in spring and summer, and heating on the deck for autumn and winter.
The Gemtree Tasting Experience
This includes a personal tasting flight of five wines (including two from the super premium collections), a dedicated member of Tasting Room staff to guide you and a complimentary Riedel glass for all guests to take home.
The Gemtree Wine & Native Tasting Experience. Ever tasted saltbush, muntries, or pepper berries? Explore unique flavours with our native food plate while tasting a flight of our biodynamic wines. With more than 50,000 native plants at Gemtree, there’s no better pairing to get a sense of place — this place and country we call home. .
Check out Gemtree's informative "Being Biodynamic" and "Wine and Wander" Tours of their vineyard . We can highly recommend these tours and experiences.
Gem Tree Wines - McLaren Vale
Hither & Yon
Hither & Yon - Willunga wander
Are you ready to wander in Willunga?
This experience offers you a self guided walking trail around beautiful Willunga, a historic town within the McLaren Vale region. Community is our passion, so by partaking in this experience we invite you to savour the charm of Willunga life, as well as the true artisan and country nature of our people.
You will meet at Hither & Yon cellar door at 11am, for your first guided wine tasting. From here you will make your way to Battle of Bosworth cellar door for your next guided wine tasting. Then you will wander onto your last stop, Shifty Lizard Brewery where you can kick back and relax with a paddle of their best froths.
You will spend approximately one hour at each venue, and you may wish to stop somewhere along your wander to grab some food, or a snack for the trail. We suggest allowing up to 5 hours for the experience, depending on the pace you wish to go, and allowing for a food pit stop along the way.
Are you ready to wander in Willunga?
This experience offers you a self guided walking trail around beautiful Willunga, a historic town within the McLaren Vale region. Community is our passion, so by partaking in this experience we invite you to savour the charm of Willunga life, as well as the true artisan and country nature of our people.
You will meet at Hither & Yon cellar door at 11am, for your first guided wine tasting. From here you will make your way to Battle of Bosworth cellar door for your next guided wine tasting. Then you will wander onto your last stop, Shifty Lizard Brewery where you can kick back and relax with a paddle of their best froths.
You will spend approximately one hour at each venue, and you may wish to stop somewhere along your wander to grab some food, or a snack for the trail. We suggest allowing up to 5 hours for the experience, depending on the pace you wish to go, and allowing for a food pit stop along the way.
Willunga Wander Experience with Hither & Yon Wines
Mollydooker Wines
Mollydooker Wines offers a rage of tasting experiences starting from $10pp and our absolute favourite and must do is the "Velvet Experience"
The Velvet Experience - The ultimate Mollydooker Experience
Your host will take you on an eye-opening tour of the vineyards & winery, explaining how we transform our premium fruit into bold, award-winning wines. You will then return to the Velvet Lounge to enjoy an indulgent platter of local produce and a tasting of the entire Mollydooker range, including their flagship Shiraz, the Velvet Glove. This tour includes a bottle of Mollydooker wine and a Plumm glass to take home.
Bookings Essential. Tours available Mondays & Fridays
The Velvet Experience - The ultimate Mollydooker Experience
Your host will take you on an eye-opening tour of the vineyards & winery, explaining how we transform our premium fruit into bold, award-winning wines. You will then return to the Velvet Lounge to enjoy an indulgent platter of local produce and a tasting of the entire Mollydooker range, including their flagship Shiraz, the Velvet Glove. This tour includes a bottle of Mollydooker wine and a Plumm glass to take home.
Bookings Essential. Tours available Mondays & Fridays
Mollydooker Wines
Aphelion Wines
"Back of the Ute” wine tasting at Aphelion Wines
Aphelion Wines is a husband and wife small premium family winery. Rob and Louise Mack are first generation winemakers sourcing Mediterranean varieties of grapes from local vineyards which suit the climate and include Grenache, Mataro, and Sagrantino.
Using minimal intervention winemaking so that the sun shines through from vineyard to glass.
Take your camera! This is the coolest, most Instagrammable, most fun and laid back wine tasting in South Australia.
Picture yourselves standing amongst the vines of McLaren Vale, high on a hill with views like a painting.
Add in a line up of exceptional wines from Aphelion Wines artfully arranged on the back of a real work Ute.
No sharing, hosting only one group at a time so you have your host, and winemaker Rob Mack’s full attention.
By Appointment available 7 days
Book Online Here
Aphelion Wines is a husband and wife small premium family winery. Rob and Louise Mack are first generation winemakers sourcing Mediterranean varieties of grapes from local vineyards which suit the climate and include Grenache, Mataro, and Sagrantino.
Using minimal intervention winemaking so that the sun shines through from vineyard to glass.
Take your camera! This is the coolest, most Instagrammable, most fun and laid back wine tasting in South Australia.
Picture yourselves standing amongst the vines of McLaren Vale, high on a hill with views like a painting.
Add in a line up of exceptional wines from Aphelion Wines artfully arranged on the back of a real work Ute.
No sharing, hosting only one group at a time so you have your host, and winemaker Rob Mack’s full attention.
By Appointment available 7 days
Book Online Here
Aphelion Wines
Wirra Wirra Wines
A great wine can only exist when the company and the environment it's enjoyed in matches what's in the glass. With this in mind the Wirra Wirra cellar door has been renovated in 2020, moving away from stand up tastings at the bar, to a seated experience.
Choose from a selection of curated tasting flights of McLaren Vale reds and Adelaide Hills whites or make your own selection. If you are a foodie, you must try the tasting plate by chef Tom Boden, a selection of delicious morsels designed to complement each wine. Suitable for groups up to eight.
Tastings start from $10pp
Fancy more than a morsel? then Harry's Deli - located in Wirra Wirra - offers platters, light lunches, coffee and cake.
Choose from a selection of curated tasting flights of McLaren Vale reds and Adelaide Hills whites or make your own selection. If you are a foodie, you must try the tasting plate by chef Tom Boden, a selection of delicious morsels designed to complement each wine. Suitable for groups up to eight.
Tastings start from $10pp
Fancy more than a morsel? then Harry's Deli - located in Wirra Wirra - offers platters, light lunches, coffee and cake.
Wirra Wirra Wines
Hugh Hamilton
At Hugh Hamilton Wines you’ll feel like family amongst their passionate team, with wines to suit everyone’s tastes.
Every element of the Cellar Door has been designed to enhance your tasting and give you permission to settle in and engage with the wines and the surroundings. Soak in the iconic tasting room views and learn something new! Interactive elements such as videos, smell jars and tactile props are a unique addition to the Cellar Door experience.
Start with the 270 degree views of the vineyards before embarking on an exploration into the full range of wines.
Tastings start from $10pp
Every element of the Cellar Door has been designed to enhance your tasting and give you permission to settle in and engage with the wines and the surroundings. Soak in the iconic tasting room views and learn something new! Interactive elements such as videos, smell jars and tactile props are a unique addition to the Cellar Door experience.
Start with the 270 degree views of the vineyards before embarking on an exploration into the full range of wines.
Tastings start from $10pp
Hugh Hamilton Wines
Mitolo Wines
Mitolo's tasting room offers far more than the traditional cellar door tasting experience. An environment that expertly combines a sense of luxury and hospitality where the team take guests on a journey through the Mitolo range, telling the story of each wine and explaining what makes them both unique and sought after in Australia and overseas.
Mitolo Wine Tasting Experience
There are three tasting experiences, each one named after the surrounding the vineyards from where Mitolo’s fruit is sourced. All tasting experiences come with a tasting plate of Italian antipasto favourites prepared by the kitchen)
Tastings Start from $10pp
Mitolo Wine Tasting Experience
There are three tasting experiences, each one named after the surrounding the vineyards from where Mitolo’s fruit is sourced. All tasting experiences come with a tasting plate of Italian antipasto favourites prepared by the kitchen)
Tastings Start from $10pp
Mitolo Wines
dÁrenberg Cube
The d'Arenberg tasting room is located on the top level of the d'Arenberg Cube, with panoramic views over McLaren Vale, the Willunga Hills and the Gulf St Vincent.
Entry costs $15 per person, which includes a self-guided tour of the Alternate Realities Museum, located on the ground floor. $5 is redeemable with two bottles or more purchased in the Tasting Room.
You entry fee provides for a complimentary tasting of a selection of d’Arenberg wines, or upgrade to a premium tasting flight.
Entry is free for children under the age of two, dining guests at the d'Arenberg Restaurant, experience goers, and for members of the Cenosilicaphobic Club.
Entry costs $15 per person, which includes a self-guided tour of the Alternate Realities Museum, located on the ground floor. $5 is redeemable with two bottles or more purchased in the Tasting Room.
You entry fee provides for a complimentary tasting of a selection of d’Arenberg wines, or upgrade to a premium tasting flight.
Entry is free for children under the age of two, dining guests at the d'Arenberg Restaurant, experience goers, and for members of the Cenosilicaphobic Club.
The dÁrenberg Cube
Vigna Bottin Wines
This cellar door next door to Mulberry Lodge marries the Italian regions of Veneto and Calabria, Reminiscent of the vignerons of the North and South of Italy, grape grower/winemaker, Paolo Bottin, alongside partner, Maria, have both metaphorically and physically grown a vineyard that is indeed a slice of Italy in South Australia. Their gamble in being one of the first, if not the first, to introduce little known Italian varieties in their purest forms to a South Australian market has succeeded in winning over connoisseurs and locals alike. Cost of Flight $10 and redeemable on Take-Away Bottle Purchase.
.Open Thursday to Sunday
Guests of Mulberry Lodge enjoy 10% off food and wine
.Open Thursday to Sunday
Guests of Mulberry Lodge enjoy 10% off food and wine
Vigna Bottin Wines- Willunga