They planted grapes in McLaren Vale in 1840 a few years before the Barossa Valley though the first South Australian vines were naturally planted around the settlement of Adelaide. Remarkably a small Adelaide vineyard has survived, a museum of this history.
Colton and Hewett were early settlers at McLaren vale and together planted a vineyard next to the track that came south from Adelaide. Normally a McLaren Vale wine this Colton and Hewett blends McLaren Vale with Barossa Valley a pairing we found worked well on the tasting bench.
Older customers might recall Lindemans Nyrang Hermitage and Lindemans Auburn Burgundy which trialled similar blends. Indeed, the early red wine history of the 1950s into the 1960s featured many district blends, even interstate blends. Such blending was seen as the norm as were terms like Claret and Burgundy and both faded as varietal and single district branding became accepted.
The common sense drinker should only think of what is in the glass and this maturing red delivers.
