Fleurieu Peninsula

Explore famous Fleurieu Peninsula wine country.

McLaren Vale
John McLaren was neither a winemaker nor a gastronomic genius, but he left an indelible mark on one of the foremost food and wine regions of Australia.

Working under orders from his boss Colonel William Light, Government Surveyor McLaren was responsible for mapping the regions south to the Fleurieu Peninsula. Under his guidance, the McLaren Vale District (just 40 minutes south of Adelaide) was born in 1839, but a year earlier the first vines were planted in 1838 by John Reynell, a Devonshire farmer who brought vine cuttings from the Cape of Good Hope and planted them at what is now Reynella.

The region (today home to such eminent winegrowers as Chester Osborn and Geoff Merrill) has become one of Australia's premier wine-producing districts, particularly renowned for its full-bodied reds.

The area is dotted by more than 60 cellar doors, most of which are shop fronts for small to medium-size boutique operations but also include such major Australian players as the BRL Hardy group and Rosemount. About 270 independent grape growers can also be found here.

Shiraz is a specialty, as are Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache, while Merlot is becoming increasingly popular as a varietal. Chardonnay dominates the white varieties but Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling are also gaining kudos, and experimentation is taking place with Viognier, Marsanne and Sangiovese.

Langhorne Creek
In Langhorne Creek you'll discover that there's more than one way to water vines: in most years the vineyards hereabout are naturally irrigated by the flooding of the Bremer River and sometimes Langhorne Creek.

Here's where you'll also find two sisters running the highly-acclaimed Bremerton Wines, and the descendents of 1850s viticulturist Frank Potts, who planted the region's first vines at a spot called Bleasdale Wines.

Once voted by the Sydney Morning Herald as one of the top 10 cellar doors in South Australia, Bleasdale now has a National Trust listing - tour the stunning cellar to see historic winemaking equipment including a huge century-old lever press.

Widely regarded as one of Australia's most exciting emerging wine regions since being officially declared a wine region in 1998, Langhorne Creek is just an hour south of Adelaide - sitting near Currency Creek and Southern Fleurieu in the Fleurieu zone.

More than 5000 hectares are now under vine (a ten-fold increase on the early 1990s) at more than 20 wineries across the region. Deep alluvial sandy loams, combined with cooling breezes from Lake Alexandrina and the South Ocean, have earnt the region an outstanding reputation for Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz - and these two varieties account for 70 per cent of plantings. Malbec, Merlot, Chardonnay and Verdelho are also grown.

You'll find seven cellar doors across Langhorne Creek: Angas Plains Wines, Bleasdale Wines, Bremerton Wines, Cleggett Wines, Lake Breeze Wines, Oddfellows Wines and Raydon Estate Wines.

Currency Creek
One of five regions making up the Fleurieu zone, Currency Creek has been forging a reputation for fine wine over the past 30 years. Stretching from the coastal village of Port Elliot in the west to Lake Alexandrina in the east - and all within an hour or so of Adelaide - it's a great spot for tasting wines all morning and watching whales from the coastline or hundreds of species of birds at Coorong National Park in the afternoon.

The climate is Mediterranean, but temperatures are moderated by the surrounding waters of the Southern Ocean and Lake Alexandrina. About 560 hectares are under vine, to grape varieties including Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz.

Visit the cellar door at Currency Creek Estate Wines and you might end up staying the weekend. The Shaw family bought the property in 2001 and quickly set about creating a total holiday experience - from accommodation in six luxury villas to a restaurant, cellar door and function facilities.

You can even work off the calories with a three-kilometre hike around the heritage-listed Black Swamp wetland, home to many rare and endangered bird species such as the Mount Lofty Southern Emu Wren.

Other wineries in the region include Middleton Estate, Ballast Stone Estate Wines and Deep Creek Wines.

While you're here, cruise The Coorong to see Australia's largest breeding colony of pelicans, wander through antique shops in the historic town of Goolwa, or see scarred trees used to make Aboriginal canoes.

Southern Fleurieu
Great coastal views and lush landscapes await you in the Southern Fleurieu wine region, where the first vines were planted in the late 1800s but official regional status wasn't granted until 2001.

Wine styles are influenced by the strong maritime conditions and varying elevations above sea level. Covering the southern and central areas of the peninsula, where wineries sprung up in the wake of great success in McLaren Vale, the Southern Fleurieu is experiencing extensive vineyard growth to varieties including Riesling, Viognier, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Shiraz.

For great wines, drop into cellar doors at Victor Harbor Winery, Twin Bays at Yankalilla, Trafford Hill Winery at Normanville and Mt Jagged Wines south of Mount Compass.

Quaint country towns are around every bend, and you can buy regional products including venison, yabbies, trout and berries right from the farm gate. You'll get more information on regional produce trails from visitor information centres across the Fleurieu Peninsula.