Buy Australian Wines - McLaren Vale Online

The McLaren Vale region is well known for its dry red wines, especially those made from Shiraz, Grenache and Mourvedre. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot are also grown. White wine varieties in the region include Chardonnay, Semillon, Sauvignon blanc, and Riesling.

In recent years some wineries have begun using less common varieties such as Sangiovese, Tempranillo, Barbera, Cinsaut, Vermentino, and Viognier.

Notable for producing Shiraz, the grape is by far the most important variety for the region, accounting for about 50% of the total crush. The area's thin soils, limited water and warm summers harness Shiraz’s natural vigor and produce intense flavored fruit, and wine with a deep purple color that can last decades in the bottle.

McLaren Vale wines are distinguished by their ripeness, elegance, structure, power and complexity. McLaren Vale has 3218 hectares of Shiraz under vine. Other major varieties include Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Grenache.