McLaren Vale changed my life.
Quite literally. This region, and the people in it, awoke in me a whole new level of wine geek obsession. And I remember the moment quite clearly. I was in a ute, getting driven around the region to get some video footage for a DVD I was making, and crazy white Jamaican with Sideshow Bob hair drove me up to a hill behind his property, and started telling me about what the region was to him.
My rastafarian travel guide was none other than Justin “Choko” McNamee from Samuel’s Gorge – I call him part-farmer, part-artist, part-philosopher, part-poet, part-scientist, part-genius, and 100% inspiring.
He described the land, and sea, and the wines, and the culture, and how it all comes together. He gave me a list of names – people I should speak to, people who were the heart and soul of the place.
I learned about the great visionary Greg Trott of Wirra Wirra, and the legacy that he has passed on to a whole generation of “Valians” – not so much just in the winery and the brand, but a philosophy that became what the region was all about:
These people make seriously good wine, but they have fun doing it.
And we have fun drinking it!
But let’s start from the beginning. Nestled between the Mount Lofty Ranges of Adelaide Hills and the Gulf of St Vincent, it’s one of the few truly coastal wine regions.
The run of beaches from Port Noarlunga to Sellicks is postcard stuff. The town of Willunga is cute and charming as they come, and the famous Farmer’s Markets are not half bad either on a Saturday morning.
But onto the wines…
True maritime climate. Plenty of sunshine, but nice cooling ocean breezes from the sea and the mountains.
The result was best described to me by local winemaking legend Drew Noon: “They just taste good. I mean they’re rich and smooth…”
Shiraz and Grenache are king, but in the last decade or so, The Vale has been kicking some serious goals in the Cabernet stakes, too. They all share fruit generosity, and the most consistent thing about a McLaren Vale red is its deliciousness.
Shiraz can get quite powerful, but rarely harsh or aggressive. Ripeness and elegance are mentioned a lot. I get cherry, chocolate and spice. There are some beautiful old Grenache bush vines planted around, which produce wines of extraordinary character.
Also some very exciting mediterranean varieties emerging, especially Tempranillo.
There’s a saying among local growers that McLaren Vale has been supplying the Barossa with “the good fruit” for decades (there’s a great rivalry between the two regions that they have a bit of fun with in the Vale). The region was indeed a growing region for 4 or 5 generations, with its origins dating back to the original Hardy family in the 1860′s, and it’s really only this last generation or two that has seen an explosion in producers in the region.
Such icons as d’Arenberg, Wirra Wirra, Hardy’s Tintara and Chapel Hill have long and rich histories, but there are so many great producers and cellar doors – just mention Fox Creek, Paxton, Penny’s Hill, Leconfield, Serafino, Mitolo, Shingleback, Kangarilla Rd, Dowie Doole…
My mouth starts watering.
There are few experiences that top a glass of McLaren Vale’s finest over lunch at The Victory Hotel or Star of Greece. In fact there are very few experiences that can top a lazy weekend in the Vale no matter what you choose to do.
Give my regards to Choko next time you’re headed down.