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

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.

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.

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)

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!

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 discovered Shottesbrooke Winery after wanting to have a picnic in McLaren and coming across their…read morePicker's Hut. It is the perfect location for a picnic in any weather, since the hut is installed with transparent blinds that can be pulled down to create walls. The scenery is pictureesque, located between the vineyards and a creek. Let's not forget the Winery itself! While it doesn't have a restaurant or cafe like many others, they have a cellar door where their high quality wines can be purchased. The service we received was excellent also. Next time you visit McLaren, don't pass by this hidden gem!

Secluded, quiet, peaceful, but packing a punch in the vino department. Quite a way off the beaten…read moretrack in Mclaren Flat but well worth the extra little drive out of the central drags of McVale. The cellar door is quite simple, an open space, with a large wooden "bar" that can accommodate more than enough people. There are no big groups of drunk kids, no tour buses of women carrying inflatable dildos and no people shouting at each other while slamming the free drinks. What you get is something quite a bit different, and probably what you are actually looking for from a wine tasting. You get knowledgeable staff, who care about their profession and product, and that product is some high end wine. I've got some Reserve Series 'Punch' 2010 in the cellar that I was very happy with (a rich, chocolatey red). The Single Vineyard Series 'Blewitt Springs' Shiraz 2012 and 2013 are excellent, attracting awards and generally making people nod in approval as they are introduced to them. The 'Eliza' is the signature "high end" shiraz and very worth it, as is the estate Cab Sav which gives you the big red and soft tanins, and all the other good stuff, you're after in a McV Cabernet. The whites aren't to be overlooked, with a fruity, cheeky and surprisingly approachable Sav Blanc on offer. No gimmicks. Not many frills, just enough. But go there is you like talking about wine with people who are good at making 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.

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

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.