McClaren Vale Archives - Dr. Liz Thach, MW

Three Delightful Days in McClaren Vale, Australia

Reunited with my Australian Relatives in McClaren Vale (February 14 – 16, 2016) Our plane touched down in Adelaide around noon, but it only took a short time to pick up our rental car at Hertz and drive the 45 minutes to McClaren Vale. We reached our private cottage around 1:30pm and after a shower and power nap, went to visit Hugh Hamilton Winery (see other post), before driving up Marshall Road to visit my relatives who live on top of the hill. As usual on this remote road, we passed at least 8 kangaroos jumping in the yellow grass. [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T14:15:13-08:00March 9, 2016|

A Visit to the Cartoon Decorated Molly Dooker Winery

(Feb. 15, 2016) I must admit that I’ve never been a fan of cartoon wine labels, but at the same time recognize that they have helped Molly Dooker to differentiate itself on the global wine scene. However, given the fame of their wines now, I’m not sure that the cartoon labels are still necessary. And indeed, they have dispensed with this custom on their high-end Black Velvet wine, which comes in a simple black bottle. On the other hand, the cartoons are part of what attracts many of my Millennial wine students to this winery. We arrived around 11:30 in [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T14:15:36-08:00February 25, 2016|

Visiting the Black Sheep Winery of Hugh Hamilton in McClaren Vale, Australia

(Feb. 14, 2016) The entrance to Hugh Hamilton Wineryis stunning, with a curved gray wall at the beginning and then a long driveway lined with tall green cypress trees. Along the drive, there are four “sheep dips”, which are upside down speed bumps, each marked with a cute sign with a sheep.” At the far end of the driveway is a tall circular building set on a hilltop and surrounded by vineyards. An imposing flight of steps leads to the building, and sitting in the center of the staircase is a statue of a sheep. The whole effect is both [...]

By Dr. Liz Thach, MW|2021-01-23T14:15:56-08:00February 24, 2016|