A non-drinker's day in McLaren Vale
Olive oil, chocolate, gelato and a sober good time
Why this guide exists
If you are pregnant, driving, alcohol-free, or just not into wine, McLaren Vale can feel like a region that does not know what to do with you. It absolutely does - you just have to know where to point the car. This day route avoids alcohol-only venues entirely and still leaves you full, happy, and feeling like you saw the Vale.
When to go
Any day of the week works. Saturdays are best if you want the Willunga Farmers Market on the way, Sundays if you prefer quieter cellar doors. Avoid extreme heat days - much of this is outdoor.
How to plan it
Treat this as a six-stop loop with morning coffee at the start and gelato at the end. Driving distances are short - most stops are 5 to 15 minutes apart. Bring a soft cooler in the boot for olive oil and chocolate. Pack swimmers if you want to finish at the beach.
A note on the children
Most of these stops are kid-friendly. The chocolate shop is universally loved.
Cost
A full day on this route - coffee, two tastings, lunch, gelato, dinner - comes in well under what a wine tour would. Most olive oil and chocolate tastings are free or token cost.
Day 1
5 stops-
1
Lloyd Brothers Wine & Olive Co
McLaren ValeFirst proper tasting of the day - but olive oil, not wine. Lloyd Brothers press their own EVOO and the staff will run you through three or four single-variety oils with bread. Insider tip: ask about the leccino.
See place → -
2
The Salopian Inn
McLaren ValeLong lunch at the Salopian Inn. Their kitchen garden, share plates and house-made sodas mean you can have a proper restaurant meal without a glass of wine. Book ahead for weekends.
See place → -
3
McLaren Vale Lavender
McLaren ValeAfter lunch, head to McLaren Vale Lavender for the rows in flower (November-January is peak), the lavender ice cream and a relaxed walk around the farm. Allow an hour.
See place → -
4
Bracegirdle's House of Fine Chocolate
McLaren ValeBracegirdle's House of Fine Chocolate is the indulgent middle-afternoon stop. Hot chocolate, gelato, a long counter of pralines. Take a small box home.
See place → -
5
Port Willunga Beach
Aldinga & Port WillungaFinish at Port Willunga Beach for a sunset walk on the sand. Bring a towel for a swim if it is warm - and a jumper for the breeze if it is not.
See place →
On the map
More like this
Story
A weekend in McLaren Vale
A detailed two-day guide to the Fleurieu's wine country - from Friday afternoon at the d'Arenberg Cube through to Sunday lunch at a heritage inn, with enough grenache and sea air in between to make you want to move.
Story
McLaren Vale: a complete destination guide
McLaren Vale is the most-visited wine region in South Australia. There are 130+ cellar doors, dozens of restaurants, world-class architecture, beaches at the foot of the vineyards and a long list of things to do that have nothing to do with wine. Here is the complete guide.
Top 10
The best things to do on the Fleurieu Peninsula
Whales, wine, beaches, heritage trains and wild national parks - our pick of the best things to do across the Fleurieu Peninsula, all within an easy drive of Adelaide and each other.
Top 10
Where to eat on the Fleurieu Peninsula
Vineyard fine dining, cliff-top seafood, woodfired pizza and bakeries worth a detour - our pick of where to eat across the Fleurieu Peninsula.
Story
The Star of Greece: a wreck on the Port Willunga reef
On the morning of 13 July 1888, the iron square-rigger Star of Greece broke up on the reef at Port Willunga. Seventeen men died within sight of the shore while rescuers stood helpless on the cliffs. The wreck site is still there.
Story
The Tin Pot Tramway: McLaren Vale's forgotten horse railway
For half a century before the first motor truck rolled into McLaren Vale, a horse-drawn tramway ran from the vineyards down to the jetty at Port Willunga. Locals called it the Tin Pot. Its cuttings, sleepers and earthworks are still in the ground under what is now the Coast to Vines Rail Trail.
Image credits
- d'Arenberg Cube by Alan and Flora Botting , CC BY-SA 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons