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Great wine drives: Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia

If you are looking for the perfect wine-drive weekend, the Fleurieu Peninsula is an odds-on favourite. It’s less than an hour’s drive from Adelaide, and there is a heady mix of spectacular scenery, history,  beautiful beaches and some of the state’s best restaurants. If that doesn’t tip the scales heavily in its favour, you are hard to please.

The Fleurieu Peninsula acquired its name after a meeting between Matthew Flinders and French explorer Nicolas Baudin off the mouth of the Murray River in Encounter Bay. Baudin decided to christen the area after the French Navy Minister Charles Pierre Claret, Comte de Fleurieu.

It’s an undulating landscape that rises from the coast to about 350 metres above sea level in the east, and there is a rich diversity of soil types, from sands to terra rossa and everything in between. You’ll spend the majority of your time sampling the produce of McLaren Vale with a sojourn to Langhorne Creek on the last day, while also taking in the lovely town of Goolwa at the mouth of the Murray River.

There are more than 70 cellar doors in The Vale. Couple this with about 40 cafes and restaurants, and you’ll never be short of something to do in this fascinating wine region.

Day 1
Aim to arrive in Adelaide either at the crack of dawn on the first morning or the night before to enable an early start. Today, you’ll head directly to McLaren Vale and getting there couldn’t be easier. Take the Main South Rd (B23) out of the city, veer left onto Victor Harbor Rd (A13), before turning right at Main Rd to the township of McLaren Vale. If the stars are aligned and you hold your head just right, you might be lucky enough to catch the infuriating Southern Expressway. It’s infuriating because cars can only travel in one direction for an allotted time and then barriers are moved and the direction is reversed. Regardless, you’ll be in McLaren Vale in about an hour – or 45 minutes if the Southern Expressway gods are smiling on you. (For traffic flow direction times, visit www.transport.sa.gov.au)

Your first stop should be the McLaren Vale Visitors Centre (Main Rd, 08 8323 9944), which is just on the left after turning off the Victor Harbor Rd. Here, you’ll be able to pick up some local maps and tips from the lovely folk behind the counter. It is a great place to get information on the upcoming events in the area, such as the annual Sea & Vines festival and for cycling enthusiasts – the Tour Down Under.

Most cellar doors open at about 10am so after picking up your maps I’d suggest heading into McLaren Vale township to fortify yourself with breakfast before an exciting day of wine tasting. Blessed Cheese (150 Main Rd, McLaren Vale, 08 8323 7958) serves up excellent coffee, superb breakfasts (try the sourdough with homemade cheesy baked beans and ham), and sell a range of local and imported cheeses and produce. It is also the place to inquire about cheese-and-wine trail packages, which include a hamper and a progressive picnic with visits to four wineries throughout the day.

After breakfast head back down towards Victor Harbor Rd before turning right into Chalk Hill Road, left into Oliver’s Rd and left into Seaview Rd to arrive at the first winery of the day, Oliver’s Taranga (08 8323 8498, ).The Oliver family’s history in McLaren Vale goes back to 1841. The business is still family owned and on to the fifth generation now with Don Oliver and his team tending the vines. One of the great aspects of McLaren Vale is the work many of the wineries are doing with emerging varieties. Oliver’s Taranga winemaker Corrina Wright (nee Rayment) is no exception, with the zippy, fragrant 2009 Oliver’s Taranga Fiano, the savoury 2008 Oliver’s Taranga Tempranillo and 2009 Oliver’s Taranga Sagrantino all sitting comfortably alongside the grenache, shiraz and the stunning 2005 Oliver’s Taranga HJ Reserve Shiraz.

After sampling what Oliver’s Taranga has to offer, turn right onto Seaview Rd, left back onto Oliver’s Rd before turning into Osborn Rd and your second stop of the day, d’Arenberg (08 8329 4888).

It is one of Australia’s great wineries with an instantly recognisable red-striped label on the bottle and a couple of colourful characters in d’Arry and Chester Osborn at the helm. The cellar door here is excellent, with helpful staff on hand and more than 30 wines in the range, so you’ll be sure to find something that tickles your fancy.

Winemaker Chester Osborn has a penchant for exceptionally loud clothes and creativity in the cellar. The winemaking techniques are traditional here, with basket presses and headed-down open fermenters producing honest, generous wines that have a staunch following across the globe.

When you get hungry, wander next door to d’Arrys Verandah Restaurant (08 8329 4848), the lunch-only eating spot just off to the side of the cellar-door area. The food, the view and the service here are spot-on and all the d’Arenberg wines are available, along with various wine flights, museum stocks and a good selection of imported wines.

There is a degustation menu on offer (eight courses for $75, with matching wines for $110) and the dishes here are good, honest and flavoursome without being overblown. A must-try is the lobster medallion with blue swimmer crab, prawn ravioli and lobster bisque, and when I visited in spring there was a tempting-looking Dorper lamb menu. This is highly recommended and a great way to ease your way into a weekend on the Fleurieu.

After lunch, head down Osborne Rd, right into Oliver’s Rd, right into Seaview Rd and left into Chaffey’s Rd before pulling into the car park at Chapel Hill Winery (corner Chapel Hill and Chaffey’s Road, McLaren Vale, 08 8323 9245). The cellar door at Chapel Hill is set in a beautiful 19th-century stone church, which provided the inspiration for the winery name.

There have recently been a few changes at Chapel Hill. Since 2007, they have farmed the vineyards biodynamically, and winemaker Michael Fragos has been subtly tweaking the wines. The unwooded chardonnay shows more texture than in the past, and some interesting new varieties have been thrown into the mix, including savagnin, sangiovese and tempranillo, plus there seems to be more focus across the entire range.

As with most wineries, you’ll find some worthwhile cellar-door only wines at Chapel Hill along with a range of their own produce. Make sure you go for a wander about the chapel after your tasting as it houses impressive art exhibitions from South Australian contemporary and indigenous artists.

If you are visiting with a group of friends, the The Retreat at Chapel Hill Winery (08 8323 9182) could be just the ticket for a luxurious weekend’s accommodation. The charming building has 10 bedrooms, a spacious living and dining room, amazing views over the vineyards and the Onkaparinga Gorge, and a kitchen that looks like a stadium. There is a range of cooking courses and weekend packages on offer, which are extremely popular so book early.

Next up, turn right out of the driveway at Chapel Hill, coast a grand total of 10 metres and turn right into the driveway of Samuel’s Gorge (08 8323 8651). If you are itching to have a picnic, you could do worse than laying out your lunch on one of the tables outside the cellar door. The view down the Onkaparinga Gorge is magnificent and you can wash down your food with some of Justin McNamee’s cracking wines. Inside, the cellar door is rustic and full of character, originally built in 1853 when it was used as an olive-press house.

There are only three reds in the range at Samuel’s Gorge – grenache, shiraz and tempranillo – all lushly fruited and generous. There are also a couple of new white wines on the scene, including a riesling and a gewürztraminer that McNamee produces from fruit sourced in Tasmania.

Back in the car, return down Chaffey’s Rd, turn right into Seaview Rd, right into Oliver’s Rd and carry on driving until you almost hit Chalk Hill Rd, where on the left-hand side you will find the funky cellar door for Alpha Box & Dice (Lot 50 Olivers Rd, 08 8323 7750).

One of McLaren Vale’s young guns, winemaker Justin Lane is putting out a range of quirky, delicious wines that are fast gaining fans. Originally hailing from the Hunter Valley, Lane spent time on the winemaking team at McGuigan Brothers before moving to South Australia and working for Hardy’s Château Reynella and Tatachilla.

A stint as a flying winemaker in Europe followed before returning to South Australia to form the Redheads studio with wife Emma and business partner Tony Laithwaite. Here, he crafted garagiste-style cuvees with like-minded souls, until he and Emma cut loose on their own and started Alpha Box & Dice in 2008.

The wines produced at Alpha Box & Dice are small-batch jobs, usually around the 250-case mark, and tend to be lean, savoury Euro-style wines. They’re keenly priced, too. It’s also possible to try Nick and Darryl Wickhams’ The Nebb here if you contact them before your visit. The Wickhams are boutique, small-batch producers who are doing great things with their nebbiolo/cabernet sauvignon blend. With innovative, small producers like this around, the region has a bright future.

At the end of the day head back to the McLaren Vale township and check into tonight’s accommodation. There are plenty of options in the region. Some great little centrally located and affordable B&B cottages can be found at 3 Divas Accommodation (45 and 42 Caffrey St, 08 8323 9806). Owners Greg and Dee Linton, Queenslanders who visited McLaren Vale and fell in love with the place, have renovated three cottages that are roomy, well appointed with all the creature comforts and within walking distance of the town. You’ll find the fridge stocked with everything you need for a hearty breakfast and each cottage has a barbecue if you fancy a spot of self-catering.

The Lintons also run Wine Diva Tours, providing various drives around the region and chauffeured cellar-door visits. They will devise an itinerary for you, and have connections with many small boutique producers who may otherwise slip under the radar of first-time visitors.

After freshening up and resting your weary feet, head out for the night. If you are visiting on a Friday, pop in to Fall from Grace Wine (150a Main Rd, 08 8323 8089) for a pre-dinner drink. Ex-flight attendant and wine lover, the delightful Gill Gordon-Smith has opened this super little shop, right next door to Blessed Cheese, and on Friday evenings holds tastings of some brilliant, hard-to-find wines. Her passion is for natural, organic and biodynamic wines, and you will find some of the best examples from Europe in her tiny store. Fall from Grace is only licensed to serve 14 people at a time so call ahead to book a spot. You can count on rubbing shoulders with a few local winemakers who will be there trying the wines themselves.

After a palate-education session, it’s back into the car to head down Main Rd to Willunga then veer left into High St and find a park, for tonight you dine at the famous Russell’s (13 High St, Willunga, 08 8556 2571). Open only on Friday and Saturday evenings, Russell’s turns out a range of delicious pizzas and desserts from its wood-fired ovens. It is licensed and BYO, so if you feel like taking a bottle you bought that day, the corkage is reasonable.

There are many legendary stories of late-night carousing and impromptu tango competitions that have taken place at Russell’s, and although its namesake, Russell Jeavons, no longer owns the restaurant, nothing has changed. The food and atmosphere are terrific, the staff are young and funky and it remains an essential McLaren Vale experience.

Day 2
Be sure to make the most of your cottage’s breakfast provisions and fix yourselves a hearty cook-up. Maybe even pick up a strong coffee at Blessed Cheese to get the brain going after last evening’s festivities, as you are back on the road early today.

On Saturdays the Willunga Farmers Market (30 High St, Willunga) is a must and, I reckon, one of the best farmers’ markets in the country. Their catchcry of “meet the grower and taste the region” rings true with a great array of local produce.

Stocked up with goodies, head back towards McLaren Vale on Main Rd before turning right into McMurtie Rd and finding a park pronto as you are at the first cellar door for the day. Salopian Inn (Cnr McMurtie and Main Rds, McLaren Vale, 08 8323 8769) is one of the region’s top restaurants with a menu that focuses on the depth and flavour of the produce available on the Fleurieu Peninsula, so it’s worth booking a table. Today, however, you will visit the cellar door attached to the restaurant that showcases the wines of Gemtree and Dowie Doole. Here, you can taste and buy the ranges of two of the Vale’s finest producers in the one spot.

Take a quick drive east down McMurtie Rd to the second stop for the day, Primo Estate (08 8323 6850). Primo Grilli arrived in Australia from Italy’s Le Marche region in 1953 and planted his first vineyard in 1973. His eldest son, Joseph, is the winemaker whose wines ring true to their Italian heritage, with savoury structures, designed to be enjoyed with food.

The range of Primo Estate wines is readily available for tasting but try to book in for The Joseph Wine Experience as well. You can taste a flight of the fantastic Joseph range of wines along with the Joseph extra virgin olive oil, Grana Padano cheese and local crusty bread.

A short distance further down the road you’ll find Hugh Hamilton Wines (08 8323 8689). The circular cellar door lined in jarrah offers a wonderful outlook across the surrounding vineyards and hillsides.

Hugh Hamilton is the fifth generation of a famous family that first planted vineyards at Glenelg in 1837. His range of wines consists of interesting, racy whites and generous, robust reds. He also does impressive things with alternative varieties, such as sangiovese, tempranillo, petit verdot and even saperavi.

Take a break from wine tasting, consult the map and head for Port Willunga. There are a couple of options here. Weather permitting, go for a swim at the beach before lunch, otherwise head straight into The Star of Greece (Cnr Esplanade and Port Rd, Port Willunga, 08 8557 7420) and grab a table.

Once a bait-and-tackle shop, the restaurant resembles a gourmet beach shack with plenty of art on the walls and hand-painted chairs. It has a stunning view of the ocean from its perch on the cliffs above Port Willunga beach. Seafood is the speciality and the wine list is concise, holding interest with a mix of local and imported drops.

After lunch, drive back along McMurtie Rd, turn left at Strout Rd and roll through the gates of Woodhenge for an obligatory stop at Wirra Wirra (08 8323 8414). Established in 1894 by local eccentric and cricketer Robert Strangways Wigley, the winery produced many acclaimed wines until his death in 1925. It then fell into disrepair and was abandoned before being rebuilt by a visionary local Greg Trott, who sadly passed away in 2005, but his hard work and larrikin streak live on at Wirra Wirra.

Kiwi Samantha Connew was making the wines with Paul Smith at the time of writing. She has since taken on winemaking duties at Tower Estate in the Hunter Valley, but Smith continues at Wirra Wirra in the role of senior winemaker.

The range of wines here is stellar, from icons such as RSW Shiraz, The Angelus Cabernet Sauvignon and Chook Block Shiraz, through to the cellar-door-only Sparrow’s Lodge range. You are sure to find a few that will make the trip home with you.

After Wirra Wirra, travel for 100 metres or so along McMurtie Rd before looking for the flags and turning into Red Poles (08 8323 8994), a licensed cafe and art gallery that hosts a new exhibition every six weeks, and offers a range of art classes and workshops, as well as B&B accommodation.

Head back towards Main Rd now, turn left, then right into Branson Rd and pay a visit to Tori Moreton and David Arbon at Producers of McLaren Vale (08 8323 0060). Here, you will find fantastic B&B options, wine tastings and the chance to try some hands-on classes in everything from preserving food and cheese making to producing olive oils. It’s a fantastic concept – a celebration of all that is good about McLaren Vale and a great place to learn new skills.

Take some time out at your cottage before heading to one of the region’s best pubs. Drive west along Tatachilla Rd, turn left on to Main South Rd and follow it all the way to the sweeping bend that climbs above Sellicks Beach. On the corner, you’ll find the iconic Victory Hotel (08 8556 3083). There is no better place to enjoy an ice-cold, palate-calibrating ale than in the beer garden with its drop-dead gorgeous view down the coast and over the patchwork quilt of vines.

Publican Doug Govan completed renovations on the hotel late last year, and having a rummage through the cellar at the Victory is one of the great pleasures of a trip to McLaren Vale. There is a massive range of bottles, all reasonably priced and any one of them is ready to be enjoyed with dishes from the restaurant menu, which changes daily. What is it with South Australia and great pub wine lists? The Victory, The Exeter, The Wheatsheaf – must be something in the water.

At the Victory, you can also try Govan’s wee side project, Ruderless Wines (08 8556 3083), made by him and Justin McNamee from Samuel’s Gorge. The range includes grenache, GSM and a stunning mataro. At least one of the wines is usually available by the glass and I’m sure if you ask Govan nicely he’ll show you the rest.

Drive back along Main South Rd, then turn right at Biscay Rd, which takes you into Willunga and left into Main Rd to Fino (08 8556 4488), your destination for dinner. This place rocks... it picked up Restaurant of the Year in the 2009 Adelaide Food Awards and received the gong for Best Small Wine List in the Gourmet Traveller WINE Australia’s Wine List of the Year Awards 2009.

It is the brainchild of chef David Swain and front-of-house manager Sharon Romeo. The food is deftly crafted from local produce, and the experienced members of staff are on hand to recommend exciting Mediterranean-style dishes designed to share, with wines to match. It’s the perfect way to wrap up a solid day of tasting.

Day 3
This morning hit the winery trail early because today you are off to Langhorne Creek, and it’s about a one-hour drive through the towns of Meadows, Paris Creek and Strathalbyn. If you set off down Main Rd towards Willunga, veer left into High St then head up Old Willunga Hill Rd and turn left into Meadows Rd at the top of the hill then you’re well on your way.

Langhorne Creek sits on the Bremer River floodplain with Lake Alexandrina being a prominent feature of the area. The drought and reduced river flows to the Lower Lakes have made water a rare commodity in the region but the recently completed Lower Lakes Pipelines will hopefully provide some relief.

Your first cellar door is on the Strathalbyn Wellington Rd, just as you pull into town, at Bremerton Wines (08 8537 3093). Craig and Mignonne Willson made Bremerton their home in 1985 and the wines are made by daughter Rebecca Willson with her sister Lucy taking care of the marketing duties. There is a range of excellent wines on tasting and they all represent great value with some promising cellaring prospects at the premium end. The cellar door also has a range of fine local produce and giftware on offer and is a venue for regular art exhibitions.

A bit further down Wellington Rd you’ll find The Winehouse (08 8537 3441), the perfect place to try wines from some of the region’s smaller producers, including Gipsie Jack Wine Co, Old Mill Estate, Ben Potts Wines, Kimbolton Wines and John’s Blend.

A stone’s throw away is Bleasdale Wines (Wellington Rd, 08 8537 3001). The drops here are top-notch and well priced, plus there’s plenty of history on display with old photos and paintings of the winery and the pioneering Potts family lining the walls.

If you’d like to stay overnight in Langhorne Creek, Bremer Cottage (7 Murray Rd, Langhorne Creek, 08 8373 1400) is cosy and close to most of the cellar doors in the region.

Next stop on the itinerary is Goolwa, which is a 45 minutes drive and the ideal place for a spot of lunch. Head for Strathalbyn then turn south along Strathalbyn Goolwa Rd via Currency Creek down to the mouth of the Murray River.

Once a thriving river port, Goolwa is a now popular holiday destination. Make sure you have a look at the Cockle Train on the old wharf and if you are a cyclist, there is a superb local ride, the 22-kilometre Encounter Bikeway, which links Goolwa with Victor Harbor.

The top restaurant in town is Aquacaf (94 Barrage Rd, Goolwa, 08 8555 1235), situated on the banks of the Murray. You can dine on beautiful, fresh seafood while paddle steamers plod by. Their local specialties include Goolwa cockles and their famous Mulloway fish pasty.

When you can eat no more, Adelaide awaits, but if you have the time, there is one more winery worth a visit on the way back. Tucked away in the foothills, and off the beaten track, is Marius Wines (08 7127 4395), located on it’s own unique terroir of quaternary alluvial gravels studded with ironstone. It’s such a remote little vineyard, it’s best to call ahead. Roger Pike is the man behind the wines. In a past life he was a corporate high-flyer in Europe but now he’s producing brilliant shiraz and Rhône-style blends. It’s well worth the detour to pick up the last few bottles for the boot.

TEXT DAVE BROOKES PHOTOGRAPHY PRIMO ESTATE

This article was published in the February/March 2010 issue of Gourmet Traveller WINE.