Wine & Cellar Doors
Taste the Peninsula
The best wine & cellar doors in McLaren Vale
From the legendary Shiraz of McLaren Vale to small-batch grenache and emerging Italian varietals, the Fleurieu is South Australia's most celebrated wine region. Over 80 cellar doors welcome visitors for tastings, tours and vineyard meals.
The Fleurieu Peninsula is one of Australia's great wine destinations, and its beating heart is McLaren Vale - the birthplace of South Australia's wine industry and one of the country's oldest regions. The warm, maritime climate here produces the generous, sun-soaked Shiraz and Grenache the Vale is famous for, alongside a growing cast of Mediterranean varieties like Vermentino, Fiano and Nero d'Avola that suit the warming seasons.
But the peninsula's cellar doors reach well beyond the Vale. You'll find boutique, family-run wineries around Willunga, Sellicks Hill, Currency Creek and the Southern Fleurieu, many of them pouring tastings just metres from the vines. The experiences run the full range - from architectural landmarks like the d'Arenberg Cube to honest tin-shed makers where the winemaker is often the one behind the bar.
Most cellar doors open daily for tastings, and a good number have kitchens or restaurants attached, so you can build an entire day around long lunches and slow drives. If you plan to taste widely, consider a designated driver or one of the local small-group wine tours. Spring and autumn are the prettiest seasons in the vineyards, but the cellar doors welcome visitors year-round.
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61 places
Scarpantoni Estate Wines
$$Italian-Australian family winery since 1979
Three generations of Scarpantonis run this McLaren Flat estate, pouring a broad, affordable range from the veranda with vineyard views.
Serafino McLaren Vale
$$$Cellar door, restaurant & accommodation
Family estate on Kangarilla Road combining a celebrated cellar door, restaurant, conference centre and on-site accommodation, set around a lakeside garden.
Sherrah Wines
$$Young-gun winemaker on McMurtrie Road
Alex Sherrah makes small-batch shiraz, grenache and left-field whites at this unpretentious cellar door on McMurtrie Road.
Shottesbrooke Vineyards
$$McLaren Flat hilltop with Mount Lofty views
Family winery on Bagshaws Road, McLaren Flat - home to The Currant Shed restaurant and a large cellar door with sweeping Mount Lofty Ranges views.
Smidge Wines
$$$Wine Spectator favourite on Tatachilla Road
Matt Wenk's boutique Smidge Wines has a Halliday five-red-star rating and has featured in Wine Spectator's Top 100 for ten consecutive years.
The Vineyard Retreat McLaren Vale
$$$$Boutique guesthouses on a working vineyard
Six elegantly appointed self-contained guesthouses on a 15-acre working vineyard at Blewitt Springs - plus a shared jacuzzi with vineyard views.
Thicker Than Water Wines
$$Home of Giant Squid Ink shiraz
A family-run McMurtrie Road cellar door famous for its Giant Squid Ink shiraz.
Varney Wines
$$Heritage 1870s barn overlooking Onkaparinga Gorge
Alan Varney's cellar door sits in a restored 1870s limestone barn on the edge of the Onkaparinga Gorge at Old Noarlunga.
Willunga 100 Wines
$$$The Grenache Room at Blind Spot Vineyard
Willunga 100's Grenache Room is a grenache-focused tasting space inside a restored 1920s cottage in the Blind Spot Vineyard at Blewitt Springs.
Wirra Wirra Vineyards
$$Heritage ironstone cellars
Heritage winery established in 1894, famous for The Angelus Cabernet and the award-winning Harry's Deli bistro in the ironstone cellar.
Woodstock Wine Estate
$$Family-friendly Douglas Gully winery
Family-owned winery with the Stocks Tasting Room, Coterie Restaurant, native wildlife park and extensive gardens on Douglas Gully Road.
Yangarra Estate Vineyard
$$$Biodynamic Grenache pioneers
Certified biodynamic and organic estate in the sandy-soil Blewitt Springs sub-region, making Australia's most celebrated old-vine Grenache.
Zonte's Footstep
$$Cellar Door & Kitchen on the Main Road
Family winery with a casual cellar door and kitchen on Main Road, McLaren Flat, known for Chocolate Factory Shiraz and a fun, family-friendly vibe.
Wine & Cellar Doors in Fleurieu Peninsula - frequently asked questions
How many cellar doors are on the Fleurieu Peninsula?
The Fleurieu is home to well over 100 cellar doors, with the largest concentration in McLaren Vale, which alone has more than 80. There are also cellar doors at Langhorne Creek, Currency Creek and around the Southern Fleurieu.
Do you need to book a wine tasting in McLaren Vale?
Many larger cellar doors welcome walk-ins, but booking is strongly recommended, especially on weekends and for seated tastings, food pairings or small-batch makers who open by appointment. A quick call or online booking avoids disappointment.
What wine is the Fleurieu best known for?
McLaren Vale Shiraz and Grenache are the headline wines, known for their rich, generous style. You will also find excellent Cabernet, Chardonnay and a fast-growing range of Mediterranean varieties such as Vermentino, Fiano and Nero d'Avola.
Can you visit cellar doors without a designated driver?
Yes. Plenty of local tour operators run small-group and private cellar-door tours, so nobody has to nominate a driver. In McLaren Vale you can also base yourself in the township and walk or cycle the flat Shiraz Trail between several cellar doors.
Are Fleurieu cellar doors family and dog friendly?
Many are. A good number of McLaren Vale wineries have lawns, playgrounds, grazing menus and welcome children, and several are dog friendly in outdoor areas. Policies vary by venue, so check individual cellar door listings before you visit.