The flavours of McLaren Vale wines are an expression of the island summer warmth which is trapped to the east and north by the circling hills of the Mount Lofty Ranges and the strong cooling effects of the Great Southern Ocean. These two countervailing forces vary each season making each vintage unique.
George Pitcher Manning is the founding father of McLaren Vale wine. The Manning family arrived in South Australia on the 15th April 1850 and settled in McLaren Vale in May. They naed their property Hope Farm, the word Hope being derived from an old English term meaning “a small enclosed valley”.
The first vines were planted in December 1851 and by 1852, 15 hectares were bearing. The wines were of such high quality that Manning always found a market for his wines in Adelaide.
The Hope Farm vineyards were in the low hills that form the northern boundary of McLaren Vale, a region considered today as the “dress circle” of the Vale.
