McLaren Vale
Thirty-five minutes south of Adelaide, McLaren Vale is where the Fleurieu Peninsula meets the sea: maritime air, ancient almond trees, and Shiraz vines that have been working this red clay since the 1850s.
Experiences
17 itineraries
Hills Luxury Day Tours
Hills Luxury Day Tours
Bespoke luxury touring through Adelaide Hills, Barossa, and McLaren Vale — no bus groups, ever.
Duration
Full day
Adelaide's Top Food & Wine Tours
Adelaide's Top Food & Wine Tours
Boutique small-group and private wine tours from Adelaide.
Duration
Full day
Adelaide Party Buses
Adelaide Party Buses
Group winery tours by party bus across Adelaide's wine regions.
Duration
Full day
Cellar Door Wine Tours
Cellar Door Wine Tours
Award-winning private and small-group Adelaide wine tours across SA's icon regions.
Duration
Full day
Small Batch Wine Tours
Small Batch Wine Tours
Intimate, private South Australian wine tours — without the crowds.
Duration
Full day
Wine Diva Tours
Wine Diva Tours
Multi-award-winning Mercedes luxury tours — boutique cellar doors, barrel tastings with winemakers, no crowds.
Duration
Full day
Capacity
Max 8
Samuel's Gorge
Samuel's Gorge
Justin McNamee's singular cellar door — limited-production reds, an 1853 farmshed, and views to the ocean.
Duration
Half day
Paragon Wine Tours
Paragon Wine Tours
Private chauffeur wine tours through the Barossa, McLaren Vale, and Adelaide Hills from $85/hour.
Duration
Full day
Gone AWOL - McLaren Vale Wine Tours & Adventures
Gone AWOL - McLaren Vale Wine Tours & Adventures
E-bike through the vines, paddle the estuary, taste the Vale — Luke's award-winning adventure wine tour.
Duration
Full day
Capacity
Max 12
A Taste of South Australia
A Taste of South Australia
All of South Australia's wine regions, curated by Mary Anne Kennedy.
Duration
Half day to multi-day
TrailHopper Tours
TrailHopper Tours
Adelaide's only hop-on hop-off wine tour. Stay as long as you like, catch the next one.
Duration
Full day (flexible)
See Adelaide and Beyond
See Adelaide and Beyond
The Barossa's biggest rocking horse, the Whispering Wall, and four excellent cellar doors — all in one day.
Duration
Full day
Capacity
Max 20
Wine Valley Tours Adelaide
Wine Valley Tours Adelaide
Luxury door-to-door wine tours across South Australia — 5 stars since 2015.
Duration
Full day
Capacity
Max 30
Bus and Barrel
Bus and Barrel
Four wineries, Maggie Beer's, a gourmet platter lunch — the Barossa done completely.
Duration
7-8 hours
Bums On Seats Tours
Bums On Seats Tours
Group and private wine touring across South Australia — Barossa, McLaren Vale, Clare Valley and the Hills.
Duration
Full day
Capacity
Max 24
Barossa Bespoke Tours
Barossa Bespoke Tours
Born in the Barossa. Twenty years of knowing exactly where to take you.
Duration
Full day
The Dossier
McLaren Vale sits 40km south of Adelaide's CBD, about 35 to 40 minutes via the Southern Expressway. The approach through Morphett Vale isn't the prettiest, but the moment you drop into the vale itself, rolling hills, olive groves, and the glint of Gulf St Vincent in the distance, you understand why people don't leave. Easy day-trip territory, though the region now has enough good accommodation to justify staying over.
Harvest runs February to late April, and the Shiraz harvest draws visitors who want to see the region working at full tilt. September through November is the sweet spot for touring: vines are in active growth, the weather is mild, and the roads are quiet. The Sea & Vines Festival in June is the region's signature event and worth building a trip around.
Shiraz reigns here: bold, earthy, laced with dark chocolate and olive notes that the region's clay soils produce better than almost anywhere. Grenache and Cabernet have loyal advocates too. The food scene punches well above its weight: regional produce markets on Saturday mornings are a ritual, and the farms feeding McLaren Vale's restaurants are among the best in SA. Cellar doors lean casual, most are welcoming, unpretentious, and happy to open a library bottle.
