We drinkers are blessed that the two great premium regions of South Australia, McLaren Vale and the Barossa Valley, grow similar varieties, use similar wine making methods yet show differences in the geography in ways that make comparative tastings so interesting. McLaren Vale was settled in 1839 and Hopcroft and Cornock planted a tiny vineyard in 1840. In 1839 Colonel Light explored the Barossa Valley and vines were planted around 1843 at Bethany.
Similarities and differences is what keeps wine so appealing. Each bottle is different and allows you to ask why? McLaren Vale is a warm climate region since the heat from the inland can overwhelm the seaside location. Yet its latitude is south of the moderately cool climate region of Margaret River, W.A., which produces the cooler flavoured wines of its maritime climate. This geographical oddness of McLaren Vale, warm yet by the ocean is another reason why you should regularly drink the wines from this fascinating district.
