McLaren Vale

This article is about the wine region. For the township, see McLaren Vale, South Australia.
McLaren Vale
Wine region
Type Australian Geographical Indication
Country Australia
Part of Fleurieu zone
Heat units 1525[1]
Precipitation (annual average) 180 millimetres (7.1 in)[1]
No. of wineries at least 120[2]

McLaren Vale is a wine region approximately 35 km south of Adelaide in South Australia. It is internationally renowned for the wines it produces. The region was named after either David McLaren, the Colonial Manager of the South Australia Company or John McLaren (unrelated) who surveyed the area in 1839. Among the first settlers to the region in late 1839, were two English farmers from Devon, William Colton and Charles Thomas Hewett. William Colton established the Daringa Farm and Charles Thomas Hewett established Oxenberry Farm. Both men would be prominent in the early days of McLaren Vale.

Although initially the region's main economic activity was the growing of cereal crops, John Reynell and Thomas Hardy planted grape vines in 1838 and the present-day Seaview and Hardy wineries were in operation as early as 1850. Grapes were first planted in the region in 1838 and some vines more than 100 years old are still producing. Today there are more than 88 cellar doors in McLaren Vale. The majority are small family-run operations and boutique wineries.

In February 2011, South Australian Premier Mike Rann announced that special legislation would be introduced to protect the unique heritage of the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale. Premier Rann said: "Barossa and McLaren Vale food and wine are key icons of South Australia. We must never allow the Barossa or McLaren Vale to become suburbs of Adelaide."[3] Legislation to protect the character of McLaren Vale was passed by the South Australian Parliament in 2012 and came into force in January 2013.[4]

Climate and geography

McLaren Vale has a Mediterranean climate with four clear seasons. With a dry warm summer, the area has dry weather from December through to March or April, giving an easy change between summer and winter. It is gentle with long warm days and short cool nights. Winter rains of 580–700 mm per annum flow into a fresh spring. The region rarely experiences frost or drought due to its close proximity to the sea. The region is bounded to the south by the Sellicks Hill Range and to the west by the waters of Gulf St Vincent. It extends east to the historic town of Clarendon and the area around the Mount Bold Reservoir. To the north it reaches to Reynella, named after the first winemaker in the area John Reynell.

Wines

McLaren Vale vineyard

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 with 1288 ha planted, Chardonnay with 722 ha planted, and Grenache with 402 ha—much of this dry-grown (non-irrigated) bush vines. (Statistics taken from the Phylloxera and Grape Industry Board's vineyard register as of May 2005.)

Soil characteristics

The McLaren district has many different soil types and this contributes to the wines from the area having different terroir. The vineyards are planted on soils including fertile red-brown earths, terra rossa, rendzina, soft sands and dark cracking clays.

Each of these soil types contributes to the rich diversity of wine produced by the winemakers of the region. Overall the soils have one common trait; they are free draining which means they hold very little water. This is, in fact, an advantage, as it allows the accurate control of moisture to the vines through the use of state-of-the-art drip irrigation. Because of reliable winter rain, irrigation can be kept to low levels and manipulated to achieve the production of superior fruit.

Some soil types allow grapes to be dry-grown. Approximately 20% of the total crop is dry-grown. These dry-grown vines are renowned for small fruit size, which is sought after for the intensity of its flavour.

Most vineyards are found on gently undulating land at about 100m above sea level. In the foothills of the Mount Lofty Ranges to the east, where there is a scattering of vineyards, elevation rises to 320 m. In the north around Blewitt Springs elevation is around 200 m. These variations in elevation have a significant impact on the terroir and fruit produced in the vineyards.

Subregions

The McLaren Vale wine region has no recognised subregions,[5] however, some wineries promote their vineyards as being in particular subregions with terroir peculiar to that part of the region. The McLaren Vale Grape Wine and Tourism Association has identified 19 distinct districts based on climate and geology.[6]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "McLaren Vale Wine Region". James Halliday Australian Wine Companion. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  2. "Wineries in the McLaren Vale". James Halliday Australian Wine Companion. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
  3. 891 ABC, 9 February 2011:"No Urban Sprawl into Wine Region"
  4. Brad Crouch, The Advertiser, 18 January 2013: "Legislation to protect agricultural regions of McLaren Vale, Barossa Valley from urban sprawl now in place"
  5. "McLaren Vale". Wine Australia. 2015. Retrieved 23 November 2015.
  6. James Hook, ed. (2013). "Districts of the McLaren Vale Wine Region" (PDF). McLaren Vale Grape Wine and Tourism Association. Retrieved 23 November 2015.

External links

Coordinates: 35°13′10″S 138°32′37″E / 35.219437°S 138.543615°E / -35.219437; 138.543615

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