McLaren Vale is a wine region that is internationally renowned for the wines it produces. Grapes were first planted in the region in 1838 and some vines more than 100 years old are still producing. Notable for producing Shiraz, the grape is by far the most important variety for the region. The area's thin soils, limited water, and warm summers harness Shiraz’s natural vigor and produce intense flavored fruit, and wine with a deep purple color that can last decades in the bottle. McLaren Vale wines are distinguished by their ripeness, elegance, structure, power and complexity.
The McLaren district has many different soil types and this contributes to the rich diversity of wine produced by the winemakers of the region. The vineyards are planted on soils including fertile red-brown earths, terra rossa, rendzina, soft sands and dark cracking clays. Overall the soils are free draining which means they hold very little water. Because of reliable winter rain, irrigation can be kept to low levels and manipulated to achieve the production of superior fruit. Some soil types allow grapes to be dry-grown. These dry-grown vines are renowned for small fruit size, which is sought after for the intensity of its flavour.