With over 80 cellar doors in one of Adelaide’s most accessible wine regions, there’s certainly no shortage of options for wine tastings in McLaren Vale.
A Mediterranean climate, McLaren Vale’s wine list is perfectly paired with food. Yet not all cellar doors serve lunch and planning a substantial lunch is vital for fuelling the body on a long wine tour.
Here is our list of fine dining, middle range, platter and pizza lunch spots in McLaren Vale.
Salopian Inn
Salopian Inn is one of the true institutions in McLaren Vale. A beautifully restored old homestead and red wine cellar downstairs, this award-winning restaurant serves modern Australian cuisine with some Asian spice. Our local tip is to order the dumplings, as they are life changing.
Modern Australian $30 - $46 mains. $90 feed me menu.
Vigna Bottin
Vigna Bottin is the perfect lunch spot when you haven’t eaten breakfast and you are looking for the Italian Nonna serving sizes. Even entrees are generous portions and the stone walls and garden courtyard will make you feel like you have been transported to Tuscany. Our local tip is to order the Arancini Balls. Also leave room for their Tiramisu, because dessert calories don’t count, they go to the heart.
Italian $25-$35 mains.
Hugo Wines
A platter is often described as a “girl dinner” and there’s nothing better than putting the charcuterie board out, opening a bottle of wine, while grazing on cheeses and cured meats. Hugo Wines puts together one of our favourite selections of local delights. A representation of McLaren Vale, the grazing options are sourced locally. Coriole’s olives are a welcomed feature, along with fresh bread, soft cheeses and cured meats from Ellis Butchers. This is perfect when you’re peckish without needing a full meal.
Ploughmans Platter feeds 2-4 people for $49.
Beach Road Wines
A visit to McLaren Vale means Mediterranean wines and pizza. It’s a match made in heaven and right of passage when making the voyage down south. Beach Road Wines is a special place in our hearts. Afterall, we got married there and stuffed our faces with pizza. Our local tip is the pear & gorgonzola pizza.
Italian $26 pizza.
We are just scratching the surface when it comes to dining options. There are so many more to choose from, but we wanted to keep this blog concise.
This list will help you plan your day when booking our Designated Driver service.
Our tip is to book in lunch and then plan the rest of the day around lunch time.
If your booking for lunch is for 1pm, this will allow two tastings before lunch at 10am and 11:30am. If your lunch booking is for 12:30pm, book a 11am tasting beforehand.
Wine tours are meant to be relaxing and slow paced.
Enjoy the surrounds, graze, laugh and sip with us.
-Your partners in wine.
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