Tully's McLaren Vale

Tully’s got the tough gig of skipping and sipping around one of the greatest Australian winemaking regions, McLaren Vale, all in the pursuit of bringing you the wines we think you’ll love at a value you just can’t afford to miss. 

Here’s her download on what she loves most about the Vale, the wines she’s most excited by - plus her top tips if you’re thinking about visiting soon.

Can't wait? Check out the latest in stock from McLaren Vale here.

What I love about McLaren Vale is the same thing that excites me about its wines: the diversity. Of landscapes, soils, people, experiences, and sights. It’s a pretty big region in the scale of things; where else in the world can you find a wine region that hugs a city, beaches, and rolling hills? 

If I’m visiting the Vale, I often make a point to come in via Adelaide Hills and into Kangarilla and Blewitt Springs. The beauty here is second to none, with roads shaded by towering gums and often a sense of calm and quiet amongst the vines. Plus, you get to maybe stop in for a glass of bubbles in the hills on the way in to really get you in the mood. 

It doesn’t matter where you stop in the Vale, everyone is guaranteed to give you some great little snacks to pair with their range of wines: keep a note of the locality, you’ll bet most of it is only grown, made, or reared a couple of blocks from where you’re standing. 

As well as your classic cabs and shiraz, it’s exciting to mix it up Mediterranean style with so much influence in the varieties and styles here, and the best part is they’re almost always great bang for your buck. I’m thinking a barbera or a vermentino to really get your palate racing, but a McLaren Vale sangiovese is always an experience to treasure. 

If I could only drink one wine from here, it would be…

A Blewitt Springs grenache. Hands down. Every day. Any time. 

… but you shouldn’t sleep on...

McLaren Vale olive oils. Whenever I’m in town I make a point of stopping in to pick up a bottle of Joseph EVOO from Primo Estate - you’ll thank me later.

and whenever I visit, I…

Lunch. And not just ‘eat lunch’, I really eat lunch. It's a non-negotiable to put the time in and do it right. For me, it’s a toss up between the Salopian Inn or d’Arry’s Verandah, but if you run out of time a cheese-and-carb hit at Pizzateca will do you no wrong.

Pssst... if you're keen to see more of what the Vale has to offer check out our guide to 24hrs in McLaren Vale.

Anyway, feeling thirsty for what McLaren Vale has to offer? Here's our latest and greatest in stock.