Hangin' in The Vale

"Compromises are for relationships, NOT WINE!"

McLaren Vale is my favorite wine region apart from the Barossa Valley. I must admit , although my wine appreciation began in the Barossa, it is McLaren Vale that has captured my heart. The Mediterranean climate, crystal clear-blue water and sandy beaches, rolling green hills and world-class restaurants, it is certainly a 'must visit' place for Chad and I when we return home to Australia.

Chad and I wanted to try to stay in McLaren Vale for a couple of days to escape the heat of the northern Adelaide plains of Gawler. Chad's good friends Julie and Lyndon ('Good morning Body and Health creations, this is Lyndon'  They own Body and Health Creations on Elizabeth Street in Melbourne) helped convince us by coming out from Melbourne to hang out and taste wine. Unfortunately for Lyndon, he was still technically 'working' in between sipping fine wines, so every morning until 11am he was booking patients and organizing a thriving practice. No rest for the wicked, but he did have an amazingly fruity hat to keep him inspired!

We met them in the Adelaide Hills at Petaluma Winery before meandering down to the Vale. It was an awesome way to start our holiday. The 2008 Shiraz was d-lish. After a quick meal at the Aldgate Pub, we headed to Bird in the Hand. I wanted to see where my friend is going to get married this year. It is an amazing location - good choice Sarah and Gareth!

Our requirements for accommodation in The Vale were simple: proximity to beaches and vineyards. Ideally, we wanted a place amidst lush vines with a view of the ocean, but we couldn't quite find it.  Instead, we settled for The Producers which satisfied half of our needs. The apartment was spacious and idyllic. We looked out the windows to an organic vege patch and vineyards. The bathing room was inspired by a Japanese bath house that made Chad and I feel right at home. 10 minutes to Aldinga Beach. 10 minutes to McLaren Vale township. We were home!

Our days ran on a steady diet of wine, food and cleansing ales to refresh our palate for a second sitting of wine in the evening. We would rise about 9am to eat a leisurely breakfast supplied by Producers.By 11am we were in our first winery sampling chardonnay and shiraz.  5 - 6 wineries later, around 4:30pm, we would feel hungry and find a ploughmans tapas plate at a winery or restaurant to dine in. 5:45pm found us at Aldinga beach or Maslins (the clothed section, not the noodie part) sipping Vale Ale. By 9pm we would make our way to a pub to eat a hearty Aussie schnitzel or grain-fed beef. Ah, it was relaxing and just what we needed to make us forget the frozen tundra we now called 'home'.

Too many cool shots to edit! Sorry!

Coriole Winery

We woke up after the first day of tastings and Chad began complaining about his wrist being sore. He's a doctor, so he rarely complains about health issues, so it peaked my interest. I suggested that in his wine-infused stupor, he probably passed out on his wrist. Satisfied, he settled into our daily routine. But the next day, I woke up with the same complaint. Fearing that we'd both been bitten by some horrible Australian beastie, I checked for bite marks...nothing! We let it go and headed to Wirra Wirra for our first tasting of the day. The pourer handed us our first sampling and we swirled it vigorously to aerate the wine. We both cried out in pain simultaneously. To our horror, our 'strange wrist pain' was not a beastie bite, but a pulled muscle in our thumb and wrist from 'swirling with enthusiasm'.We decided to use our left hands to swirl from then on.

Don't swirl too fast, Chad!

Kangarilla Road Winery

Wirra Wirra Winery

Penny's Hill Winery

Chad and I usually bring back 2 cases of wine to Canada each time we go home. Here is  the list! (we bought back doubles of some wines)
Wine Purchased:

• Chapel Hill Chardonnay 2008
• Penny's Hill 2009 The Specialized Shiraz Cabernet Merlot
• Penny's Hill The Veteran Old Fortified
• Dowie Doole 2008 Cab Sauv
• Dowie Doole 2008 California Road Shiraz
• Wirra Wirra Mrs Wigley Grenache Rose 2010
• Wirra Wirra Church Block 2008
• Wirra Wirra RSW 2008
• Wirra Wirra Woodhenge 2009
• Wirra Wirra 12th Man chardonnay 2009
• Coriole racked semillon 2009
• Thorn Clarke Shotfire 2009
• Petaluma Shiraz 2008
• Petaluma Viongier 2009
• Moxie Sparkling Shiraz
• Paper Eagle Linchpin Shiraz 2007

 Vale Ale was the stand out brew from this trip. One sip of the Vale and our palates were restored and all wine tasted fresh once again. Our stand out meal was at the The Salopian Inn.The decor, food, free-range chickens in the yard was awesome. Definitely check out this gem of a restaurant.

The Salopian Inn

Duck Confit at Salopian Inn

Free-Range Chooks

 The Victory Hotel has the best view. Perched on top of a cliff overlooking the ocean, we hit it right at dusk and were treated with an amazing sun setting into the ocean. In the cellar, they had well over 300 bottles of rare wine for sale. This room also doubles as a private dining room.We drank Coopers Pale, ate schnitzel, played pool and enjoyed the atmosphere of a great Aussie pub.

The view from the Victory

The Victory's Cellar

The Star of Greece was the most unique place to eat. Again, perching restaurants on clifftops seems to be common in this part of the world. It overlooked my favorite Adelaide beach - Aldinga. By far the best swimming beach this coast has to offer apart from Waitpinga. But I prefer my beaches with no waves...I'm a softie!

I was really impressed by the new micro-brewery called "Goodiesons". All three brews were crisp and flavorful, but the wheat beer hit the spot. It was a perfect way to finish our McLaren Vale adventure.

Below are a collection of photos from the trip.

The Dog at Kangarilla Rd. Winery

The black dog at Kangarilla Rd. winery

Aussie Beach Cricket Game

It was such an amazing little break for us. Please try to get down there if you are ever in the neighborhood!