This was our first stop on our private wine tasting tour of McLaren Vale…read more This place has an interesting story and logo having been started by a bunch of left-handed folks. Their logo is a left-handed boxer. They also have a bit of whimsy in their labels with most of the varieties having an association with one or more members of the family. We enjoyed meeting the friendly folks and tasting their great wines. Some of our favorites were Blue eyed boy and carnival although all of the six or so we tasted were great. They have some distribution in the states (unique among the wineries we visited) and a warehouse in California for ordering through a website. We also had a quick peek into the winery itself with a guide. We had to don fluorescent orange safety jackets in compliance with safety regulations even though there was no activity underway in the place. We did get to try some wine in the tanks getting ready for final blending and bottling. Definitely a high point of the six wineries we stopped to visit during our visit to the area.

This is one cellar door with a view for sure! I really would love to return to this cellar door…read moreduring the summer months to sip a glass of wine and take in those almost 360degree views of the Adelaide Hills & Onkaparinga Hills. This cellar looks almost like someone's home. It probably once was and has now been converted into a Cellar door. There is a cute little gas fireplace upon the entry. Check out the photos. Very inviting for sure! It has a very simple layout and tasting room towards the back. Throughout the cellar door you will find cardboard cut outs and posters on display of the various characters and art pieces for the wines. Each have their own story. Be sure to ask about them. There are a lot of wines here to try! So, be sure to set aside a bit of time to try them all. What is first attractive about the wines is the thought and stories attached to the imagery. I am a sucker for cute art, so you won me there! As for the wine, I think my favourite was The Maitre D, Cab Sav. It had a lovely deep berry smell and was quite smooth to drink. Priced right and is my recommendation here. I really wanted to try the Velvet Glove (with a really cool Velvet Label), but it was unavailable for taste. Dang!

The food was amazing. Everything was tasty. The service was great we came for lunch we ordered the…read moreset menu and our waitress Daniella was very attentive, friendly and helpful recommended some great white wine for a hot summer day. Ambiance was great we sat outside overlook at the vineyard

While it is a bit gimmicky and a bit of a tourist trap, it is, indeed, different and unique, so if…read moreyou're looking for something off the beaten path, this may be up your alley. You pay $15 entry fee just to see the inside of the building, resembling a twisted rubik's cube (they currently have a Salvador Dali sculpture exhibit which you can pay an additional $10 to see), and there is a bottom floor of... strange, modern, occasionally-creepy art. Then you go up to the top floor for tastings, which allows you to try the whole menu. On the plus side, there is a nice variety of styles and varietals here, including more unique ones like sparkling chambourcin and naturally fermented sagrantino. On the other hand, none of the wines were really stand-outs to me, thus we didn't buy any (their high-end shiraz was good, but not worth the $100+ pricetag) Still, an interesting place to visit and experience, so I'm glad we gave it a try.

Our favourite winery spot, their wines never disappoint, if you're in the area and wondering…read moreMcLaren Vale, do yourself a favour and pop in for a glass and take some gorgeous bottles home. Highly recommend their Shiraz, Comet Tail, Mosaic of Dreams and/or Kaleidoscope Horizons.

Our favorite winery when visiting from America! I love the small, inviting feeling this cottage…read morewinery boasts. The best red wines I've tasted and I could use a bottle of Tempranillo ASAP! Also one of the best views in McLaren Vale. My only complaint is it's not available in the states, however, that makes for a much sweeter treat when we visit. This place will always hold a special place in our hearts.

I am so glad that there are people out there who sit and wonder how different foods would go…read moretogether! This has to be one of the best experience of taste that we have had in a while and we like to eat The view from the deck is fantastic and the wine pairings work very well. The 3 course menu is plenty to eat and be sure and try the watermelon desert.

We visited this delightful winery as part of a private wine tour with Taste of South Australia…read more Unlike tasting rooms in the states, this one was no charge. We tried a wide variety of their wines including: -Verdelho - excellent fruity white wine -Rose- light red and tastes of raspberry -Little demon blend ( cab+Malbec) - delicious raspberries and chocolate - Malbec - very dry, fruit forward - K.i Shiraz - tastes of the sea (our least favorite) - Lime cave cab -typical big cab, earthy - Eocene ancient vines Shiraz -balanced and rich - really good. Prices at the winery were very reasonable ranging from $23-$40 per bottle. The quality of the wines could easily support higher prices if they were available in the states ( which unfortunately they are not ). Super friendly people round out this great spot. Recommended.

Awesome location for a laid back afternoon over a tasty platter of local produce and a bottle of…read morewine. We've been here a number of times over the years and Coriole has never failed us. Platters are made up on order, so there is no problems getting a vegetarian or vegan plate. Tip: request a table outside if the weather is nice

A great location for a lazy Sunday afternoon…read more The staff are friendly and efficient, and the platters of local produce are sublime - ours had a selection of cheeses, olives, bread, marinated chicken strips, kangaroo fillet, carrot and ginger jus, beetroot and pickled mushrooms - each generous platter serves two people. We were celebrating a birthday and tried the Prosecco - sparkling dry white and the Sangiovese - spicy dry red - both excellent and available to buy from the cellar door. Dessert didn't disappoint - a choice of chocolate fudge cake or a plum and almond tart - both worth the trip.

Tapestry is another winery in the famous Mclaren Vale region which offers panoramic views down to…read morethe coast. They have a wonderful deck also which permits you to sit alfresco and take full advantage of the spectacular scenery! The food I've eaten here has been much needed, delicious and reasonable priced... it's along the usual lines of ploughmans/antipasto type things made with delicious local produce. My favourites when tasting are the tapestry reds (indicative of the region, ironstone soils and climate). White wine lovers should definately endeavour to visit as they offer one of the best ranges of white available for tasting in the region. Also good for groups, but make sure you phone ahead and they'll make sure your experience is a pleasant one.

Tapestry winery is definitely one of the most beautiful wineries in the McLaren Vale. The place…read moreitself is big and modern, surrounded by vineyards, trees and lovely flowers. It's a great place to have a longer wine-tasting stop than just 10 minutes because you can relax on their nice outdoor terrace and enjoy the views. They have very good reds (especially shiraz) but their whites aren't bad either. We tried a bit of everything and the lady working there was lovely and very friendly. I would certainly go back.

Wines are ok, but the service at the tasting was so slow that we actually left before we got to the…read moreReds. There were three staff on, friendly but very badly organised. The idea of having groups around a barrel and staff attending to them is interesting, but doesn't work. We felt ignored, as a group of four tasters (and buyers) and one dedicated non-tasting driver, nobody stopped us when we walked out, halfway through the tasting list. We did buy two bottles of whites.

A beautiful location - great views in a wonderful building, filled with wine - does it get much…read morebetter?! Clearly...it can. Although Chapel Hill Winery does have a lot going for it, this was not a particularly stand out location on our latest visit to the wine region. We had booked and were running late, for which staff were fantastically accommodating but it just felt like we were any other group. The corporate 'big winery' feel made this place feel like it could be just any winery. I think the main issue was that the lady serving our tastings was a bit overwhelmed but it would have been great to have been told a little more about the wines rather than have had them poured and then walked away from. Great location but customer service needs a little work. The wine was arrrright too.

The first thing you notice about this place is the odd collection of unusual items all about the…read moretasting room (that's "cellar door" in Australian) including quirky furniture, an old piano and two vintage pinball machines over in the corner. This is a place with personality. Their wines also had lots of personality. In fact the three wines we tasted were all interesting mashups of Spanish, Italian and French varietal - blends that were quite unique and had personality. For example, Blends with Grenache, Shiraz, and Tempranillo, barberra+cab, Viognier+Sauvignon Blanc. All were interesting and quite one of a kind. We've tasted wines in Napa, Sonoma, France and Italy and never come across anything quite like these wines. Interesting blends and a really quirky winery make this a place that deserves a stop on your wine tasting itinerary in McLaren Vale.

Now I know my ABC's, won't you come and drink with me?…read more Aiming to produce a wine for every letter of the alphabet, and with a philosophy of producing "wines without boundaries - regional, varietal or stylistic," these guys hit the nail on the head in my books. They produce small batch, unusual varietals that you wouldn't be used to but that are still temperate to the Vale wine region. Justin Lane is the winemaker apparently, but someone else can give you the spiel on here about that stuff. As you may be able to tell, I am a bit of an Alpha Box & Dice groupie so when I rocked up to see their shed covered in funky sign writing, full of old knick knacks, skulls, pinball machines and tattooed cellar door staff I wet myself a little with excitement. The labels aren't just winester cool, they deliver the whole package! My group of friends and I were very encouraged by staff to try all of the wines available, and by the 5th or boldly flavoured, smack your lips blend I had to tap out. A lot of the wines we bought at the time (a year ago) are now sold out (favs included the Rebel Rebel Montepulciano and Enigma Barbara) and they are now onto another 4 or so by the looks of their website. So my recommendation? Get to this cellar door if you fancy something different, boutique and limited edition (all of Kanye's favs) in the Vale.

What is not to love about a winery in winter that has a wood fire going??…read more Upon entry we were greeted by the cellar door staff who apologized that the fire was not as warm as it should be, he didnt force us to have a tasting but more so just let us be as we walked around and just took in the place and the scenery. There is a lot art work around the place which you can wander through in your own time. The wine selection is nice and the staff are knowledgeable about the varieties. I did enjoy these wine more so a few years ago but in saying that you cant go past a glass (or bottle!) of Church Block. They have cheese and crackers for purchase if you want to have more than just a tasting where you can sit inside next to the fire or outside. They also have a box of toys in the cellar door corner to keep little people entertained.

Despite a somewhat corporate feel, we were treated to personal, friendly service in a laid-back,…read moreuncrowded environment, with a wide variety of wines to try. All of them were good, but some of the single vineyard shiraz was especially good for the price, and their higher-end flagship wines (at $70/bottle) were excellent, including a rich, inky shiraz and the Absconder, an interesting and herbaceous grenache (this was my favorite overall, but we ended up buying a $35 Woodhenge shiraz)

Such a beautiful location, as with most wineries in McLaren Vale! Recommended by the brewer at…read moreGoodiesons brewery, we decided to have lunch here as well as doing some wine tasting. So glad we did! Started with the tasting platter which had these amazing stuffed baby capsicum, as well as dukkah & olive oil- always a winner with me! My husband & I then shared a pizza- pumpkin, chilli, and pesto on an awesome base. Great service & excellent wines- especially the Shiraz!

Lovely food to pair with their fabulous Bolle Rossa Sparkling Shiraz. The view from the. veranda is…read morelovely and it's both kid and dog friendly so bring the family. Tasting room is both relaxed and upmarket.