Mclaren Flat: Wine, Trails and Wildlife Experiences

Mclaren Flat offers several reasons to plan a trip: the Flat to Vale Trail links sealed shared-use sections with a landscape of vineyards, native trees and Pedler Creek. There are also a range of wine and wildlife experiences. If you’re looking for a hotel in Mclaren Flat, you can plan your stay around the activities that interest you most.

Flat to Vale Trail and landscape

The Flat to Vale Trail includes a 2.5 km sealed shared-use off-road section between the McLaren Vale Sports Complex and the Chalk Hill Road/Foggo Road intersection. There is also a 1.1 km sealed shared-use section along Chalk Hill Road, ending at Blewitt Springs Road in Mclaren Flat. A significant part of the trail runs between commercial vineyards to the north and significant native trees and Pedler Creek to the south. The route therefore offers views of both cultivated vineyard landscapes and native nature.

Information about the route and surface may be updated. If these sections are important to your plans, check the latest information before visiting. You can also consider the two route descriptions separately: the longer section runs off-road, while the shorter one follows Chalk Hill Road. This gives you specific sections and endpoints to help you find your way, without implying a walking time.

Wine tastings and winery experiences

Gemtrees Wine and Wander Experience brings together several elements. At the Biodynamic Hut, guests learn more about biodynamic grape growing and winemaking; the experience also includes a guided tasting of Gemtree wines. Guests travel through the vineyards in the Gemtree vineyard ATV “Polly”. The program also includes a private three-course lunch with a bottle of wine on the elevated terrace. This makes it quite different from a single tasting. Confirm availability and current details before visiting.

Woodstock’s Winemaker’s Tour has a different focus: it includes a chauffeured drive through the winery in a 1920s Chevrolet truck. At the tasting, guests sample up to six wines, including wines from the limited Single-Vineyard Flagship range as well as “Collett Lane” Cabernet Sauvignon and “The Stocks” Shiraz. Tour details may change, so check the current itinerary in advance.

Grounded Cru is a family-run winery set among the historic vineyards of Mclaren Flat. Visitor offerings include guided wine tastings, seasonal platters and vineyard views; these offerings may change. Guided tastings are also available at the Beresford Tasting Pavilion, where visitor offerings may also vary. At DogRidge, participants can design their own bottle label while tasting six wines and take the labelled bottle home as a keepsake. Confirm the current availability of this activity before visiting.

Plan your stay around your interests

If you’re interested in the route and landscape, the Flat to Vale Trail offers specific sections and varied surroundings. When it comes to wine experiences, you can choose between a guided tasting, a winery drive, a lunch or an activity where you design your own label. Each of these experiences offers a different focus. Check the latest details for guided experiences in particular, and the availability of seasonal offerings, before planning your visit around them.

Discover more destinations: Stepney, Riverton, Krondorf, Menzies, Truro, Norwood, Somerton Park, Kongorong

For the broader travel overview: South Australia.