Adelaide

Dudley Brown and Irina Santiago-Brown are mid-life converts to winegrowing and winemaking. After leaving overseas careers in high tech and government to move to Australia they’ve since become fanatical wine industry participants.  

There’s an energy about some places which simply draws you in - a cheeky, light-hearted and genuine spirit that is simply, enchanting. With its spectacular views over rolling vineyards to the coast and the Lloyd family at the helm, Coriole vineyards is one such place.

South Australia’s McLaren Vale wine region, just 35 minutes south of Adelaide City, has a strong tradition to celebrate the commencement of harvest. Held at Wirra Wirra, one of McLaren Vales oldest and most significant wineries, the annual McLaren Vale Bell Ringing Ceremony and Districts Tasting heralds the beginning of a new vintage. It’s a special event allowing winemakers and cellar staff from around the region to get together for one last time before vintage kicks off in earnest, and they spend many long days, weeks and months in their wineries.

During the last decade or two, wine and food have finally coalesced into a harmonious experience for Australians. No longer do we associate fine dining with indoor spaces, pressed napkins and an array of cutlery. Our food industry features the best of what South Australia has to offer in locally-sourced fresh produce and showcases it in al fresco settings in the city, country regions and at our cellar doors.

It’s not hard to see why South Australia holds a place among nine other Great Wine Capitals of the World.

The first European settlers to Adelaide and surrounding regions recognised the potential to produce wines from its soils, aided by a Mediterranean climate which encompassed the spectrum from freezing winters to hot, arid summers. Vineyards were planted in and around the colony soon after its establishment, and further afield in the fertile valleys of Clare and the Barossa.