mclaren vale wine region

Exploring the McLaren Vale Wine Region

Located in the South Australia wine state just a short drive south of Adelaide, McLaren Vale is considered to be among the most significant viticultural areas in the world. For a relatively small region, it’s impressively diverse. A number of different red and white grape varieties thrive here thanks to the varied terroirs that coexist within this one appellation. The producers themselves also come in many shapes and sizes; McLaren Vale is home to both industry giants and small, high-end wineries alike.

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Clarendon Hills Winery vineyards

The Best Vintages from Clarendon Hills: Choosing Top Astralis and Other Clarendon Hills Wines

Shiraz grapes grow bountifully in the Land Down Under, where the climate is warm and the sunlight shines bright—particularly in the McLaren Vale wine region. This appellation is celebrated for consistently producing world-class Australian Shiraz—though Roman Bratasuik, owner of the Clarendon Hills winery, prefers to use this grape’s Old World name, Syrah, for his top-rated wines.

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Penfolds makes some of the best wine from the Barossa Valley

Collecting the Best Wine from the Barossa Valley

If you enjoy big, bold wines, look no further than South Australia’s Barossa Valley. This warm, sunny winegrowing region produces some of the most concentrated and hedonistic wines you’ll ever taste. From full-bodied, plush wines like 2002 Chris Ringland Dry Grown Shiraz to more acidic and refreshing styles like 2002 Torbreck Grenache Les Amis, wines from the Barossa Valley are extremely powerful. Even the region’s white wine varieties share this characteristic. 

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Penfolds is one collectible Australian wine producer

What Is the Most Collectible Australian Wine?

Last year, one of my goals was to expand my Australian wine collection. I already had a few bottles from Penfolds and Mollydooker, but I wanted to find more collectible Australian wine to add to my cellar. The problem was that I wasn’t sure exactly where to start. This country is known for producing some of the most delicious, distinctive wines in the world, but, like many collectors, I wasn’t as familiar with Australian producers as I was with French or Italian ones. To get more familiar with Australian wine regions, I spent some time sampling wine from well-known producers, including Clarendon Hills, Glaetzer, and Greenock Creek. The wines I tasted were so impressive that I ended up buying much more wine than I had initially planned. Today, my Australian wine collection is plentiful and diverse, and I had a lot of fun getting it to that point.

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An image of a bottle of Penfolds from our Penfolds Grange Gift Guide

Your Penfolds Grange Gift Guide: Which Vintages Make the Best Gifts?

Fewer than 1,200 people are going to receive a bottle of coveted Penfolds g3 this holiday season. This brand new, limited-edition wine is made from a blend of three different Grange vintages (the 2008, 2012, and 2014) that are among the best that Penfolds has ever produced. Because of its rarity and high quality, Penfolds g3 is a wine that just about any collector would love to see under the Christmas tree this year. The only problem is that these bottles will be nearly impossible to find. You can try to order one from the Penfolds website, but with such limited supplies (only 1,200 bottles exist), securing an order of Penfolds g3 is like winning the lottery.

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