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.

Follow the signs to Ducks In A Row and you'll soon see why this is the McLaren Vale cellar door…read moreworth the go! Not only do you feel like you are walking into someone's home and backyard, you actually are. Roger, the resident Golden Retriever and apparent assistant wine-maker will come up and give you a warm, sloppy welcome on arrival. And of course a cellar door experience wouldn't be worth it without the wine tasting part! Stand underneath a vine covered verandah quaffing and having a chin wag with Amanda and Glen (the winemaker himself) about their unusual varieties of wines for Australia. Italian grapes like Mataro, Fiano and Vermentino are used to create wines that will impress your friends at BBQ's and dinners in the future. Like the Roses commercial, if you're asked not to bring a thing, a Ducks In A Row wine will help you say "we spent some money on this," and "we are a quirky and hip couple" who now knows what a Fiano grape tastes like - of course darling! Amanda and Glen open their cellar door when they are not busy (which is quite often) so it is worth a phone call before making the 40 minute drive. Also keep a look out for their pop-up events they run too, including a Vintage Celebration during vintage which had a vintage clothes pop up at it or their afternoon of Elbow Room popup stall and wine tastings. It makes for a perfect day trip!

I AM IN LOVE WITH EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS PLACE!!!…read more At first our little group were worried that we were lost, or about to enter the scene of our own personal version of Wolf Creek as we entered a dry paddock, but the lovely Amanda came out to greet us and show us the way and we soon stepped in to an oasis - her own back yard! We were also greeted by Roger, the friendly Golden Retriever whom we all wanted to take home with us! Ducks in a row is open by appointment only and our group of 24 were very lucky to be told all about some wonderful wines by Amanda and Glen while we nibbled on our own picnic lunch - which we brought, but the team helped by providing some utensils we forgot - so thanks guys!!! The wines pleased everyone in our group - and there were some real wine snobs amongst us! Many a bottle was purchased over the course of the visit and I'll be recommending Ducks in Row - the wine and the winery to all my friends!

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!

Came here for a friend's birthday lunch. And if the occasion…read morearises I'd be glad to come back here again. We started with the Selection of dips (4 in all) and they were very well made, served with Pita Bread and chargrill toasted French stick, that worked very well. Then we had some mains. The menu is not large by any means. but there is something to suit almost all tastes. It's one of those a few WELL Made dishes rather than a mass of average. I had the Pork Belly and Scallop dish.. it was so tasty. light, fresh, meaty

Not only is this an idyllic spot to visit for a cheeky cellar door tasting, they offer a plethora…read moreof other services which will have you frothing to hold your next festivity there. I have been to Woodstock on several occasions and the most recent was for the wedding of two very good friends. I have spent a great deal of my professional life organising functions - weddings being the most high pressure of these events (even the meekest girl has the ability to turn into a raging bridezilla) and I was absolutely floored with the organisation, affability and professionalism of Zak the restaurant manager and the woodstock crew. We had an alternate drop menu, chosen by the bride and groom. Every dish was delicious and maintained a very good standard (not quite as good as their unique, rustic a la carte menu, but it's impossible to acheive the same level of finish en masse). The restaurant at woodstock is called Coterie and is in the unique semi circular building where the reception was held. The space features an open fire in the middle of the inner wall. On Friday evenings they do a pizza night, nom, nom, sundays they have live jazz and there are Llamas over the back fence! Great novelty factor. I would not hesitate to recommend woodstock as a must-do Mclaren Vale destination. If you're into rose - the Grenache rose is one of the best Reds - The stocks Shiraz is a boys fave my pick may be the Octogenarian, grenache tempranillo

We drink a lot of wine. Like, a lot a lot. While I should probably be more reserved about sharing…read morethis sort of thing in public, I have absolutely no shame in admitting that I very much enjoyed Gemtree's wine. (We just finished our last bottle last week. Sad face). Generally, when people start talking about bio-dynamic growing techniques, organic whatnot, our eyes gloss over because I usually interpret that as compensation for why the wine doesn't taste as good. It's often been the case for me this past decade. Gemtree, however, blew a massive hole in this trend, theory, assumption or whatever. Massive hole. These are bold, character-filled, and pretty damn good wines that dare you to diss them. They are un-dissable! We followed the completely backwards directions of our GPS, which directed us to the administrative offices, not the tasting room. Bad GPS. However, because of this misdirection, we were able to see just how expansive the Gemtree estate was. This is quite a bit of grape-growing land! Which made a lot more sense later, when the floor cut-out in the tasting room showed the different soils across the area and how they relate to the wines. The wines were amazing, the playground came in SUPER handy for the kiddo, I kicked the soccer ball on the grounds, learned some new things about poo, and gained a greater appreciation for all the science and care that goes into making all this very lovely wine. Stop, visit, take in the breathtaking scenery, learn some new things, and buy tons of their wine.

A fantastic start to our wine tour, Gemtree cellar door really was...well...a gem!…read more This was a great location to start our day as the staff were friendly and knowledgable, talking us through their wine selection with plenty of quirky details and gusto! Their thorough knowledge allowed us to start the day with plenty of info ready to take to following venues. The wines were all superb and I certainly didn't leave empty handed! Although it was a chilly summers day when we visitied, I can see this being a fantastic place to soak up the sun with a few drinks in hand - their balcony area has a great view and there's even a playground to keep any children tagging along happy. Check out this gorgeous little winery - well worth a stop in!

I celebrated a friend's hens weekend last month by traipsing all over McLaren Vale with a group of…read moreeight girls. We were following a wine and cheese trail (this is a real thing, look up Blessed Cheese) and it brought us to Hugo Wines. I've been to McLaren Vale more than most people, and I thought that I'd tried all of the wineries in the region, but this was my first visit to Hugo and I'm so glad we went there. The service was fantastic. Liz was the sole employee behind the counter, and she handled our large group with grace and humour, as well as a few other guests who were interested in a tasting. She asked questions, got to know us, plied us with wine, and introduced us to beautiful Bonnie, the winery dog. A few of the other wineries we stopped at on this cheese trail were a bit rude and disinterested in serving such a large group, but Liz was so lovely, and the wine was outstanding. I think this was the only stop where each of girls bought a bottle or two to take home. It can be a little confusing to find Hugo if you come at it from the backroads, so try and stick to the main roads as much as possible and use that GPS system. Once you're there, you won't regret it.

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.

Unwelcoming upon entry and no rebate on $15 tasting fee with a purchase- not my type of business…read moremodel. Coriole or Kangarilla Wineries were fantastic

Service was horrific. We felt very unwelcomed. Very disappointing as we travelled a long way to…read morevisit.

Getting caught up in the magic of a wedding between two people you really admire is all the more…read morespecial when you do it at a place like Lazy Ballerina. This was the setting for the wedding ceremony of a couple of great friends, and they got a spectacular day for it. I am a little biased because I grew up down the road from the Kuitpo forest and every time I get to go back I'm always reminded of how lucky we were to be raised here. The front garden is beautifully laid out, with clear paths to direct you to the expansive back lawn and garden area, with views of some parts of Kuitpo forest (it's a huge forest) and livestock in the neighbouring paddock. The cellar door is run by a couple of lovely folks. Very personable, friendly and hospitable. As far as the wines go, I will direct you to their website for tasting notes; my personal favourites were the 2010 shiraz and the sauv blanc. If you're meandering through the hills on your way to somewhere like Willunga/Victor Harbour, pop in here for a look. If its a sunny day, you'll want to stay and spend the afternoon sipping wines on the deck, I guarantee it.

From the owner: Family and pet friendly wine business. Perfect for a lazy day out.read more