McLaren Vale is at the heart of the famous wine region of the same name. The region is the birthplace of South Australia’s wine industry and home to some of the world’s oldest grape vines. The first vines were planted nearby by John Reynell in 1838. The township was formed in 1923 when two 1840s villages, Gloucester and Bellevue, were merged. These were established in the 1840s by British and Irish settlers who came for the especially fertile lands. Today the town is home to restaurants, cafes, boutiques and galleries, some housed in original stone cottages. The town is home to a number of the wine region’s 80-plus cellar doors.
 

FAST FACTS!

• Close to both hills and gulf waters, the region was a reliable food source for the Kaurna Aboriginal people for tens of thousands of years

• Local restaurants and cafes take pride in serving the region’s fresh seasonal produce, including almonds, olives, quinces, orchard fruit and vegetables

• The wine region is best known for Shiraz though it also excels in the production of ultra-premium Grenache, Cabernet and several Mediterranean varieties

• The 8km Shiraz Trail follows wineries on the old railway line from McLaren Vale to Willunga, while the McLaren Vale Cheese & Wine Trail offers a ‘progressive picnic’