Latest news with #McLarenVale
Yahoo
13-07-2025
- Yahoo
I've traveled to 77 wine regions across the world. Here are the 5 that everyone should visit at least once.
I write about wine for my job and have been to 77 wine regions around the world. Some of my favorite regions are Breede River Valley, Napa Valley, Tuscany, and McLaren Vale. In my opinion, these regions define the peak of the wine-making and consumption experience. I travel to wine regions across the world for my work as a freelance wine writer. As part of my "research duties," I've hunted for truffles in Barolo, touched down at the only winery in the US with its own airport, and even explored a prison island in Italy that utilizes viticulture to rehabilitate inmates and teach them new skills while also producing world-class wine. Although I've been to 77 wine regions, not every single one is worth revisiting. There are just five I'd return to tomorrow if given the chance. undefinedundefinedundefined McLaren Vale is a gem in Australia. Australia is vast, with 65 different wine regions crushing over a million tons of grapes a year. However, one of the country's most definitive and stunning regions is also one of its most accessible: McLaren Vale. Just 45 minutes south of Adelaide, the 168-square-mile region is fairly laid-back and situated between pristine beaches on the Gulf St. Vincent coast and Mount Lofty Ranges. One of the best ways to visit wine country in McLaren Vale is on two wheels. Consider biking the Shiraz Trail, which passes iconic wineries like Hugh Hamilton, Serafino, and Oxenberry. Don't miss this winery: If you're in McLaren Vale, visit D'Arenberg. The historic winery produces an incredible range of quirkily named bottles with names like Dead Arm and Low Life. However, the real draw for visitors is the mind-bending five-story Cube on the property. The building's highlight is a tasting room at the top with panoramic views of McLaren Vale, the Willunga Hills, and the Gulf St. Vincent. Bordeaux is a must-visit wine region in France. There are thousands of wineries and more than 270,000 acres of grapes under vine in Bordeaux. The wider region consists famously of the Left Bank and Right Bank regions, situated on either side of the Gironde River. Traditionally, Bordeaux wines are blends — Left Bank wines are typically dominated by cabernet sauvignon, and Right Bank wines are ruled by merlot. Beyond wine, the city offers impressive museums, stunning neoclassical buildings, gorgeous river walks, and many farm-to-table bistros and wine bars. I've spent days just strolling around Bordeaux, running into architectural masterpieces and hole-in-the-wall wine shops with hundreds of coveted, impossible-to-buy-elsewhere bottles. Plus, it's just a two-hour train ride from Paris, making it an excellent stop if you want to experience local wine culture during a trip to the City of Lights. Don't miss this winery: If you're just swooping into Bordeaux for a brief trip, head to Chateau Mouton Rothschild. Visits are by reservation only, and include tours of the winery's own Museum of Wine in Art with exceptional rarities and original artworks created by contemporary painters for Mouton Rothschild's famous, unique labels for each vintage. South Africa's Breede River Valley is stunning. South Africa offers some of the world's most stunning and progressive wine regions, with hundreds of thousands of acres of grapes under vine. I suggest visiting the Breede River Valley, one of the largest wine production areas in the Western Cape. Almost encircled by mountain ranges, the 80-mile-long valley hosts a range of boutique operations producing premium wines and sprawling co-ops cranking out value-priced wines on a large scale. Don't miss this winery: One of the best places to experience authentic South African charm is the Graham Beck Estate. The winery produces a range of entry-level to long-aged bottles and collectible Cap Classiques (made in the Champagne method). Plus, the sprawling estate is home to a variety of rare animals, including Cape leopards and zebras. Tuscany feels like a picture-perfect slice of Italy. Tuscany is one of those rare places that actually looks, feels, and tastes even better than it does in the movies. It's the spiritual home of Italian wine, complete with unvarnished views of rolling hills populated by olive trees, vineyards, charming farmhouses, sunflowers, medieval castles, and enchanting towns. While tasting delectable wines (the area's known for its reds), you can also treat your palate to fresh olive oil, shaved truffles, and homemade pasta. Don't miss this winery: Castello Banfi was founded in 1978 by the Long Island-based Mariani family, but the history of the Banfi Castle dates back to the medieval era. Today, it's an almost cartoonishly perfect setting for an Italian wine adventure. Swing in for a day and tour the winery, vineyards, and portions of the castle. Stay for longer and dine at the Michelin-starred La Sala dei Grappoli, which serves elevated Puglian and Tuscan cuisine perfectly paired with Castello Banfi's Brunello wines. Read the original article on Business Insider
Man of Many
16-06-2025
- Business
- Man of Many
This $30 Aussie Wine Was Just Named The Nation's Best
By Nick Hall - News Published: 16 June 2025 Share Copy Link Readtime: 3 min Every product is carefully selected by our editors and experts. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission. Learn more. For more information on how we test products, click here. Willunga 100's 2023 McLaren Vale Grenache has won a trio of top honours at the 2025 National Wine Show. has won a trio of top honours at the 2025 National Wine Show. The red wine secured the Grenache Trophy, Best Red Wine of Show, and the Prime Minister's Trophy . . Willunga 100 expression was sourced from its own estate vineyard in Blewitt Springs. The Grenache's win marks the first time the variety has won in the show's 50-year history. Who said cheap wine can't be grandiose? In a stunning upset that has shocked the domestic wine market, a $30 Grenache from McLaren Vale has been named 'Best in Show' at the National Wine Show. The 2023 McLaren Vale Grenache from South Australian producer Willunga 100 claimed the event's top honour, marking the first time that the variety has won in the show's 50-year history, but it wasn't done there. In addition to taking out the top prize, the 2023 vintage also nabbed the Grenache Trophy and the Prime Minister's Trophy, cementing its place amongst the drinks industry's most awarded red wine releases. Social post confirming the win | Image: Willunga 100/Instagram The brainchild of chief winemaker Renae Hirsch and Willunga 100 founder and director David Gleave, the 2023 Grenache is a true ode to South Australian terroir. The drop is made from fruit grown at Willunga 100's own Blind Spot Vineyard in Blewitt Springs, a site that Gleave reveals is prized for its more than 60-year-old dry-grown bush vines and deep sandy soils. 'Willunga 100 acquired this vineyard in 2019 and, and after getting to know the site, began to transition to organic viticulture,' Gleve explained. 'The result is seen in this wine, which is made with excellent quality fruit thanks to the work of our vineyard team, led by Alex Sas.' For Gleave and co, the introduction of organic production continued the label's long-standing approach to contemporary winemaking. Since opening in 2005, Willunga 100 has become synonymous with premium Grenache from McLaren Vale, a category that was previously thought to be undervalued. Willunga 100 Vineyard in McLaren Vale | Image: Willunga 100 Integrations such as its Single Vineyard range, sourced from two distinguished sites in the Blewitt Springs and Clarendon sub-regions, have helped to establish the brand as a true industry innovator, but success hasn't shifted the goal. The label continues to focus primarily on low-intervention winemaking, with chief winemaker Renae Hirsch describing the latest win as a testament to the process. 'To receive the Grenache Trophy, Best Red of Show, and the Prime Minister's Trophy all in one year is credit to the work we do in the vineyard and the winery,' Hirsch said. 'This is a single-vineyard wine from Blewitt Springs that retails for $30, and the awards reinforce our belief in the potential of this variety and its ability to deliver wines of elegance, depth, and regional expression.' Willunga 100 2023 McLaren Vale Grenache | Image: Willunga 100 Open only to wines which have won gold or silver medals at other regional shows, The National Wine Show remains one of the country's leading wine exhibitions. According to the event organisers, entrants are judged by a panel of respected wine professionals and critics, with previous winners of the Prime Minister's Trophy including Yarra Yerring 2021 Underhill Shiraz in 2023, and Murdoch Hill 2022 Rocket Chardonnay in 2024. The award-winning 2023 McLaren Vale Grenache is available for just $30 via the official Willunga 100 website and through selected fine wine retailers. Tastings are also available at the Grenache Room, situated in the restored Moritz family cottage at the Blind Spot Vineyard. This immersive experience is described by Willunga 100 as 'dedicated solely to exploring Grenache in all its forms'.
The Australian
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Australian
Glorious grenache from McLaren Vale's old vines
Who needs a sun dial? You can have a decent stab at working out the time of day by the colour of the wine in Bryn Richards' glass. The 'lunchtime' offerings on the website of his Grant Nash label include a straight grenache, the 'dinner' options include a heavier mourvedre/grenache/shiraz blend … and if you jokingly ask about breakfast: 'Well, there's always the rose,' he says. That's the whole point of the McLaren Vale winery Richards established with wife Sophie and their old friends, Sam and Caroline Martin, in 2022. They're deadly serious about the quality of the grenache-focused output. 'But we don't take ourselves too seriously,' Richards says. 'Wine should be fun as well, it should be a part of life and it doesn't have to be all scary descriptors and stuff that might put people off.' That intriguing MGS blend from Grant Nash – and we'll get to that name in a moment – is a leading part of this week's grenache-themed special-offer case from The Australian Wine Club. It also includes a 95-point GSM blend from d'Arenberg that usually retails at $78 a bottle, a 94-point, gold-winning grenache from Purple Hands, and Hentley Farm's Barossa GSM. As a collective, the case offers a meander through the way a single grape can inspire such different wines, especially with the lineage involved – some of the grenache in the Grant Nash MGS, for instance, comes from vines in their ninth decade. Of the four on offer this week, though, it's safe to say only one has taken its name from a delicious mistake by predictive text. Richards is delighted to give credit where it's due after Siri converted one of his voicemails to text – and accidentally transcribed grenache as Grant Nash. For a winemaker about to bottle his first vintage of a nascent label, but needing a 'kind of pseudonym' while he completed head winemaking duties at another South Australian winery, it was just too perfect. 'It worked on a few different levels and I guess it kind of sums up our philosophy a bit as well,' Richards says. 'We're very, very serious about the wine itself and I've always just loved the versatility of grenache. 'We've got a grenache gris we'll be bottling in a few months, we make a delicious rose and any number of different red blends. It can be bright, breezy and floral or darker and more concentrated. 'I love the fine tannins and it's just so food-friendly … plus I love where it's from in the south of France.' Grenache in McLaren Vale has its own storied history, since the first cuttings were planted in the mid-19th century by European settlers. Some of those venerable vines are still happily providing a harvest each year, their deep roots navigating the Vale's unique subsoils to find water even in times of drought. 'In McLaren Vale we're lucky to have such a treasure trove of all these old vines, which arguably grow some of Australia's greatest grenache,' Richards adds. 'The grenache component (in his MGS) is from a block that was planted in 1941. There's a reasonable amount of vineyards or blocks of that age in the McLaren Vale, and some from the late 1800s. 'I really think you can taste that complexity and everything that comes from those old vines.' Grant Nash McLaren Vale Mourvedre Grenache Shiraz 2022 This intriguing reordering of the more common GSM blend is a symphony with intensity on the nose, full of dark cherry, blueberry, cocoa, vanilla and chocolate. A well-structured palate offers earthy, herbal notes, rich, sweet fruit, and firm tannins that would welcome a dish of roast duck with open arms. 14% alc, RRP $45 a bottle. SPECIALS $41.99 in any dozen, $22.99 in our Grenache dozen. d'Arenberg The Ironstone Pressings Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre 2019 There's so much complexity buried within this, all of which will slowly make itself known given a few hours of decanting. Then you'll breathe in dark fruit and bitter chocolate, cigar notes, a waft of lavender and red currant – and the palate has more of that bitter chocolate and mocha, dried herbs and a savoury lick with pronounced tannins. Cut open a medium-rare steak next to that decanter and enjoy. 95 points, Halliday Wine Companion. 14.5% alc, RRP $78 a bottle. SPECIALS $74.99 in any dozen, $22.99 in our Grenache dozen. Purple Hands Old Vine Barossa Valley Grenache 2022 Fresh, vibrant fruit abounds from the glass on the first sniff, headlined by raspberry and sour cherry, with a hint of juniper and a balancing edge of tobacco. More concentrated red fruits come through on the palate and bathe in a crunchy acidity that delivers a very more-ish mouthful. 94 points, Halliday Wine Companion. 14% alc, RRP $35 a bottle. SPECIALS $27.99 in any dozen, $22.99 in our Grenache dozen. Hentley Farm Villain & Vixen Barossa Valley GSM 2023 When sweetness and spice combine, the result is a silky-smooth GSM with lovely balance. There's floral notes, cherry and redcurrant on the nose mingling with white pepper, pink peppercorn and smoky tones. The palate is packed with lashings of red strawberry, cherry and raspberry held in the grip of a restrained acidity. 14.5% alc, RRP $24.50 a bottle. SPECIALS $22.99 in any dozen, $22.99 in our Grenache dozen. GRENACHE DOZEN Three bottles of each wine above for $22.99 a $271.62. Order online or phone 1300 765 359 Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm AEST. Deals are available only while stocks last. The Australian Wine Club is a commercial partnership with Laithwaites Wine, LIQP770016550.
Daily Mail
07-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
The $12.99 red wine named the 'best value' in Australia: 'The ultimate after work drop'
A South Australian red wine has been singled out as the 'best value' shiraz – and it retails for under $13. As the cost-of-living crisis continues to bite, the $12.99 bottle has emerged as an affordable way for Aussies to enjoy a quality tipple. The results of Dan Murphy's 'Best In Glass' wine awards were recently announced, with the Shingleback Red Knot Shiraz named as this year's winner in the 'best value' shiraz category. The McLaren Vale red wine is priced at a highly reasonable retail price and reviews of the wine have seen it scored a respectable 4.3 out of 5 stars. Delighted reviewers have praised it as a good value drinking wine for casual occasions. 'Easy to drink and very pleasant on the palate,' read one review. 'Very well balanced,' said another, adding that it was a good drop for 'after work or before dinner'. Meanwhile, red wine connoisseurs that prefer a cabernet sauvignon over a shiraz will only have to cough up a dollar extra to try the winner in that category. The $12.99 bottle of Shingleback Red Knot Shiraz from the McLaren Vale region took out the award for 'best value' shiraz K by Krondorf Cabernet Sauvignon from the Barossa Valley retails for $13.99 per bottle and took out the 'best value' title for cab sauvs, which are always popular with Aussie drinkers. There was also a budget-friendly result for white wine drinkers, with this year's 'best value' winner in the sauvignon blanc category clocking in at under $15. Noble Fellows Sauvignon Blanc, which is a New Zealand wine from the Martinborough region, won the 'best value' category with its $14.99 bottle. Dan Murphy's General Manager of Premium and Luxury Andrew Shedden confirmed that some of this year's winners offered 'unbelievable value'. Andrew noted that while 'there was fierce competition across the board' the judging panel were blown away by 'the unbelievable value that traditional reds like Shiraz and Cabernet are providing'. To be considered for the Best in Glass wine awards, a wine needs to be available nationally in Dan Murphy's stores and priced under the $50 mark. In 2025, over 700 eligible wines were considered by the panel in a multi-stage judging process. The wines were re-tasted and scored by a panel, with the final tally used to determine the winners in each category. The awards are categorised by wine type, with each category having three prizes. There's the overall 'best' winner, then a 'best value' winner and a 'best international' winner. Andrew explained that the awards were conceived as a way to help shoppers navigate the tricky wine shelves. 'Choosing a wine can be intimidating. There is so much choice on shelves, so without a clear starting point, it can be overwhelming,' Andrew said. This year's winners featured wines from a cross-section of Australia's top wine regions, with South Australia leading the charge. 13 wines produced in either the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Clare Valley were among the winners list. Wine connoisseurs will have the chance to sample some of this year's Best in Glass winning wines when Dan Murphy hosts a ticketed in-store tasting events on Saturday 17 May. Tickets to the event cost $20 – but the cost is redeemable on the day for in-store purchases. The link to purchase tickets to the wine testing event is HERE. Event-goers will have the opportunity to participate in a session with a knowledgeable wine expert and sample a selection of this year's Best in Glass champions. Each participating store will host two sessions that cater for up to 200 people. The in-store wine tasting events will take place at five Dan Murphy's stores around the country, including Malvern East in Melbourne VIC, Kawana on the Sunshine Coast QLD, Marion in Adelaide SA, Bicton in Perth WA and Leichhardt in Sydney NSW.
