McLaren Vale

McLaren Vale sits between the Willunga escarpment and Gulf St Vincent, close enough to the coast that sea breezes moderate the summer heat, and it has been growing vines since the 1830s, with some of the oldest surviving grenache and shiraz plantings in the world. The region is known for shiraz and grenache above all, and for an unusually high concentration of organic and biodynamic growers. The d'Arenberg Cube, a five-storey building shaped like a partly solved Rubik's cube standing in the vines, holds tasting rooms, a restaurant and surrealist art, and has become the district's landmark. The Shiraz Trail, a rail trail, links McLaren Vale to Willunga for cyclists.

What you actually see

• The d'Arenberg Cube - the puzzle-shaped building standing among the vines.
• The old vines - grenache and shiraz plantings among the world's oldest.
• The Shiraz Trail - the rail trail linking cellar doors by bicycle.
• The coastal vineyards - vines running toward the gulf and the escarpment.

When to go

March to May for vintage and autumn, September to November for spring; summer is hot and dry. Weekends are busy at the larger cellar doors. Sea Sun and Vines and the Willunga farmers market fill particular dates.

Honest expectations

Tastings are charged at most cellar doors now, and the fees add up. A driver or tour is needed. The Cube is a paid attraction with timed entry and can be crowded. Summer heat limits comfortable outdoor tasting.

Nearby

Willunga and its market lie south; Adelaide is forty minutes north.