There’s a new reason to plan a day trip to McLaren Vale, with family-owned South Australian wine producer Larnook opening the doors to its new cellar door.
Located on Settlement Road at McLaren Flat and surrounded by native vegetation, the new Larnook cellar door has been designed as an intimate wine tourism destination where the landscape, wines and people behind the label take centre stage.
For husband-and-wife owners Alexia and Damon Roberts, it marks an important new chapter for the small-batch producer they launched in 2022.
Rather than trying to create the biggest cellar door in the region, the couple has focused on something personal, a place where visitors can slow down, take in sweeping views across McLaren Vale and learn more about where the wines come from.
“We see the challenges facing our industry, but we also see a real opportunity,” Alexia says.
“People want to know where their food and wine comes from. They want to meet the people behind it, hear the stories and understand what makes a place special. Our cellar door gives us the opportunity to do exactly that.”
The space itself reflects that philosophy.
Natural stone, timber and warm interiors complement the surrounding landscape, creating a relaxed but premium setting without competing with the natural beauty of the region.
It also gives Alexia, Larnook’s winemaker, the opportunity to serve the wines in the place that inspires them.
“Larnook has always been about making wines that reflect where they come from,” she says.
“Opening our own cellar door gives us the opportunity to share those wines in context.”
The Larnook range celebrates both alternative varieties and some of McLaren Vale’s best-known regional heroes. Visitors can expect wines including Picpoul, Grenache Gris and Tempranillo alongside Shiraz and Grenache, made in a contemporary style suited to the Australian lifestyle.
While Larnook is still a relatively young label, it has already earned significant industry recognition, including trophies for Best New and Emerging White Wine, Best Small Producer and the Chairperson’s Trophy at the McLaren Vale Wine Show.
But the Roberts say the cellar door is about much more than trophies.
It is an investment in building direct relationships with wine lovers and showcasing another side of McLaren Vale at a time when authentic tourism experiences are increasingly important to the region.
“We’re not trying to be the biggest cellar door in McLaren Vale,” Damon says.
“We want Larnook to be one of those places people discover, remember and tell their friends about.”
The brand’s connection to the landscape extends to its sustainably certified vineyard at Blewitt Springs, where native vegetation encourages biodiversity and natural habitats. Even the wine labels reflect the property, with illustrations inspired by surrounding native flora.
For visitors, the result is intended to feel less like simply stopping for a tasting and more like discovering a small piece of McLaren Vale.
Larnook Cellar Door
Settlement Road, McLaren Flat
Thursday to Sunday from 11am–5pm
Monday to Wednesday available by appointment.
