McLaren Vale - Beaches, Vineyards and History

As we headed towards the beach house, I panicked that I'd messed up. It looked a long way from the wine region to the sea. We drove through suburbia and I thought I'd misread the information. Then just like life, you turn a corner and everything is looks perfect again.

We settled in at the fabulous Elandra Beach House in Moana. The views from the deck and the lure of the waves was enough convince me we would have a great few days. The ping pong table, x-box and boogie boards made the kids ask immediately "How long are we here for?" (There were complaints when it was time to leave too, but I'm getting ahead of myself).

The beach house was 7 minutes in the car from the vineyards. It was so close, yet over the road from the beach. The luxury of being able to trot to the beach in less than a minute when you have three kids in tow is indescribable.

Given we'd just been in the Barossa, where the little towns are made up of historic buildings, still intact, McLaren Vale seemed like it had lost a little of it's charm, as it was bigger and modern with historic buildings only scattered throughout the main street. The charm and beauty of McLaren Vale lies in the vineyards.

Wine aside, the top picks for me were Coriole - the perfect cellar door experience for those with children. Make this the first stop on your tour. This vineyard is beautiful, with an abundance of flowers, views to the sea and if not too crowded, tastings even the children can enjoy. Coriole is a "Fattoria - a combined vineyard or farm where grape vines are planted next to olive trees and the possible production of red wine vinegar occurs", and even is involved in local cheese making. Here you can stock up on olives, olive oil, cheeses as well as having a local produce lunch in the restaurant.

 
Oliver's Taranga Vineyard for a wood fired pizza lunch, if you time it right (check the website for details). The dining area over looks the vines and the cellar door is in a traditional stone cottage.

If you can ditch your kids, the restaurant at d'Arenberg is superb (while kids are welcome, it is costly) with equally wonderful views. The grounds are picturesque and a photographers delight.

Penny's Hill & Mr Riggs is one of the few that mixes the old historic buildings with new modern design. It has beautiful traditional buildings but modern sculptures and the cellar door is in a funky modern shed. Chickens, toys and games to entertain the children. Interesting to note they import a gin from the US too.

By mid afternoon, we were back at the beach, relaxing on the sand or playing in the surf. This was an excellent bribe for the kids, that and the lure of the xbox. Sunset drinks on the deck, and evening walks on the beach after dinner made the holiday complete.

The beauty of this area is that it is easy to fly into Adelaide and hire a car for the 40 minute drive to McLaren Vale. If you want to visit Adelaide Hills, it's a mere hour away. The Barossa is about an hour and twenty minutes, so you could day trip if really keen or split a week up, like we did.

However, given the luxury of the beach house, you could easily spend a week in McLaren Vale, including a few days were you just stay put at the house. For a family holiday that ticks the boxes for both adults and children alike, this is it. Just bring your camera and a lot of money - it becomes very easy to get cases of wine sent home as souvenirs....

Related Reading:

Coriole Vineyards http://www.weekendnotes.com/coriole-vineyards/
Elandra Beach House Moana http://www.weekendnotes.com/elandra-beach-house-moana/

Practicalities:
Coriole Vineyards http://coriole.com/
Oliver's Taranga Vineyards http://www.oliverstaranga.com/
d'Arenberg http://www.darenberg.com.au/
Penny's Hill http://www.pennyshill.com.au/about
Mr Riggs http://mrriggs.com.au
Elandra Beach House, Moana http://www.stayz.com.au/accommodation/sa/fleurieu-peninsula/moana-beach/132333

Linking with #TravelTuesday and #SharonsSouvenirs