Traditional companies constantly have to come up with new ideas. The d’Arenberg winery in McLaren Vale, Australia, shows a clever way.
Australia has many quality wines to offer.
Among them are the products of the d’Arenberg winery, which are immediately recognizable by the red bar on the labels as its trademark.
Basket presses and sustainability
The products with a special focus on Shiraz and Grenache reflect the complex aromas of South Australia and fine tannin structures.
Wine producer d’Arenberg relies on traditional production techniques, such as basket pressing and foot stomping, as well as sustainability, ensuring that the character of each vineyard is recognizable in the final product.
Many wines are unfiltered.
Quirky names offer innovative ideas
Since it was founded in 1912 by the Osborn family, the winery near the Adelaide metropolis has steadily grown in importance under four generations of family management.
Today, Chester Osborn runs it and has made a pearl out of this family business.
The fine white, rosé and red wines are not only known for their whimsical names, such as ‘The Old Bloke & the Three Young Blondes’, ‘The Athazagoraphobic Cat’ and ‘The Broken Fishplate’, but also because they regularly win awards.
When expanding the vineyards in the 1980s, the Osborns opted for tradition and did not clear the Grenache bush vine.
As a result, they are now almost the only place in the region where these grapes are still grown.
Consequently, the wine is called “Custodian” – meaning guardian of this grape variety.
Avoiding the Barossa Valley
If you are in the South Australian region around Adelaide and don’t necessarily want to visit the famous Barossa Valley wine region, which is usually completely overrun by Chinese tour groups, you should head to the smaller and more boutique McLaren Vale.
Numerous tour operators even pick up the ‘wine connoisseurs’ directly from their hotels in Adelaide by bus and drive for hours around the various wineries.
This way you can taste the wines and not have to worry about driving.
Sale of the vineyard
The Swiss also have an interest in McLaren Vale. Thomas Schmidheiny bought the Chapel Hill vineyard, which has a real chapel, hence the name. It is located very close to d’Arenberg.
However, according to the latest information, Schmidheiny has sold the winery again from his associated company Parmafix in Rapperswil-Jona.
Complex building as a symbol
In McLaren Vale, however, d’Arenberg is something special, because the winery stands out not only for the sparkling names of its wines, another being ‘The Biophilic Silurian’, but also for its impressive modernist building, the Cube.
If traditional wine producers do not have an impressive production building, they can, like the Osborns, rely on innovation with modern architecture.
Inspired by the complexities and mysteries of winemaking, the nested cube has housed a tasting room, museum and art gallery since 2017.
Visitors can also enjoy breathtaking views of McLaren Vale, take scenic flights, take part in wine tastings and even blend their own wines, which is great fun.
They can even take their own creations home with them.
Rich ruby red
However, if you are traveling from Europe during the cooler months of the year, it is important to note that this is the height of summer in Australia.
The excellent but heavy red wines with a rich ruby red color from d’Arenberg are usually not so much fun at 30 to 35 degrees in dry outside temperatures, which is why the top products are better enjoyed at home.
Top quality for just a few dollars
And muula.ch has another tip for you.
Most wineries in Australia charge a ‘nominal fee’ of 5 or 10 dollars for a sample of their better products, so that boozers are not tempted try too much of the more expensive stuff, such as ‘The Blind Tiger’.
However, it is usually worthwhile for vacation guests from Europe to pay this fee and then get their hands on the significantly better products, which are often not available at home because they would cost several hundred francs a bottle and are therefore purely niche products.
A modern touch for a rich heritage
In summary, d’Arenberg embodies the balance between tradition and innovation.
For over 100 years in South Australia, the winery has offered brilliant wines with fruit flavors that both honor the rich heritage of McLaren Vale and point to the future of winemaking.
The d’Arenberg Cube with its diverse selection of wines and on-site experiences make the winery a must-visit for all wine lovers. A unique Aussie innovation which is simply clever.
09.06.2024/kut./ena.
