Is it any wonder that this wine has slipped into McLaren Vale vernacular as Scrubby White? While the satiatingly mouthfilling mix of grapes may twist tongues, it also offers a rich array of fruit flavours, lead by a whoosh of refitalizing Adelaide Hills fruit, to inspire the most apathetic palate. Crisp, tantalizingly complex and delightfully fresh, Wirra Wirra complete the puzzle and give you something to ponder over a glass of judiciously chilled white, while you wrestle with the words Scrubby, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc.

Scrubby Rise is a significant part of the Wirra Wirra estate vineyards. Originally bushland, it's now anything but scrubby, it does however continue to produce wines which rise to every occasion. Formerly known as Sexton's Acre, this Chardonnay has always been a defacto member of the Scrubby Rise range. Refreshingly unoaked, it's for all those who like their wine to reflect the vineyard, not the trees, just a celebration of natural Chardonnay fruit character.

Fully organic fruit, coddled clones of the unique Grenache Blanc, all hand picked and whole bunch pressed for a wild indigenous yeast vinification in a mix of seasoned French oak barrels and traditional concrete fermenters. Batches are rested on sediments for several months, building texture and infusing complexity. Grenache Blanc is distinctive for its full flavoured palate, its bright, tangy citrus fruits are drizzled with honeysuckle and lemon balm. Vigorous and suave, a creamy, mouth filling wine of character, intensity and charm.

We blame the booze. The whiff and the swill did us in and all that was left to do was to make more. In many ways the wines that weren’t worth the pull on the cork caused this as much as the wines that we will never have the pleasure of decorking again. From the original Pulp Fiction novel, there's no time like the present to dress up and get down. When there's no time to think, we move quickly and unconsciously towards the things we really like. As the hours of carouse unravel, like so much unnecessary clothing, you'll happily find yourself enjoying it more, and more and more!

A mostly Chardonnay wine with smaller components of complimenting white varietal grapes grown to some of the finest vineyards, including the Davey family's own. Red Knot brings together the best of McLaren Vale, big bold wines which offer consistency, alluring bouquets and a stylish palate with good varietal character. Fashioned to give white wine lovers what they want, the Shingleback team has constructed a generously flavoured classic dry white in vibrant fruit driven styling, completely unoaked and innately suited to contemporary Al fresco cuisine.

Bonfire Block was a dilapidated old vineyard site, destroyed by fire in the 1980s, she has been replanted to Semillon. Geoff Hardy's K1 Vineyard at Kuitpo is only a few miles away from McLaren Vale as the crow flies. The maritime surrounds of the Bonfire Block yield generously flavoured fruit, augmented by batches of finer, cool climate Semillon from the Adelaide Hills. Bonfire Block is always crafted to a styling which displays the vagaries of vintage and outstanding intensity of Semillon grapes grown to Pertaringa's superlative vineyards.

Harvested off the illustrious Gemtree vineyard at McLaren Vale and matured in a luxurious selection of completely new French and American oak, a third of the fruit is treated to barrel ferments for complexity and textural richness.

Refreshed by the envigorating maritime breezes of Gulf St Vincent, McLaren Vale makes a magnificent Verdelho. Harvested off the environmentally sustainable managed Gemtree vineyard at McLaren Vale, early picked for excitement and a measure of titillating freshness. A sensual rendering of the food friendly Verdelho, the decadence of honeysuckle, pineapples and kaffir, generous with an expansive mouthfeel and unctuous flavours, a palate that tantalizes and excites.

Long Flat brings together the racy and fragrant Sauvignon Blanc aromaticness, with the fine and even palate of good Semillon, assembling a wine with maximum quenchability factor. Mostly Semillon, Long Flat is subtley spiced, with an extra dimension of richness to the palate, a dash of welcome steelyness and lively minerality rounds out the fruit. Perfect for that relaxed luncheon, its core of solid tropical fruit also makes it a delightful aperitif style just on it's own.

McLaren Vale is famous for its Mediterranean clime, ideal growing conditions which yield a distinct genre of Chardonnay, gentle and fruit forward with exemplary balance. Ingoldby can boast the Midas touch with Chardonnay, fashioned to the traditional McLaren Vale style, always displaying lovely elegance and finesse, a rejuvenating wine of focus and length. The citrus, nectarine and soft creamy buttery finish makes Ingoldby the perfect Chardonnay to accompany fresh white fleshed fishes, which we should all be eating twice weekly.

Grazing pastures invariably make the most auspicious soils for winegrowing. Hugo owe their splendid provenance to a mixed farm which ran sheep and assorted cattle, dairy and tomatoes, almonds and of course grapes. Chardonnay vineyards came much later, but McLaren Vale, influenced by balmy maritime climes and populated by olive groves, is highly favourable to white grapes. Hugo choose to frame the natural charm of McLaren Vale Chardonnay with a supple touch of oak, allowing the fruit to speak for itself, a ripe peach and nectarine style, perfect for chicken caesar or salade niçoise.

Fruit from healthy vineyards specialized in yielding grapes to specification, early ripening and disease free, is selected to make the Hardy No-additives range of wines. Barrel fermentation introduces subtle oak complexity onto the palate, whilst maintaining a reductive environment (non-oxidising) for the wine through contact with sedimentery yeast lees (for heightened flavour profiles). Utilizing innovative preservatives-free vinification, Hardy have been able to craft a wine without the use of any additives, purely for the enjoyment of good Chardonnay.

The pick of the Geoff Merrill harvest, a collation of Coonawarra and McLaren Vale estate vineyard parcels, treated to a luxurious course of French oak barrel ferments and ten months age. Fashioned into a finely fleshed, generously proportioned styling, its innate melon and nectarine fruit characters are wrapped in a textural linen of mineral leesyness, summer straw and toasty cashew oak. Mate Mr Merrill to the ripest cheese and finest gourmandise, ideally a gently grilled dover sole or crisp fry of the freshest whiting tempura.

McLaren Vale yields a generously proportioned yet gentler style of Chardonnay, Fox Creek is made more complex by treatments of battonage, a course of lees resting and luxurious barrel ferments. Grapes are harvested throughout the cool of early morning, retaining all the crisp, clean charm of McLaren Vale Chardonnay. The peachy varietal stonefruit characters becomes prominent, together with a noticeable mineral quality and the beginnings of honey toast as it evolves. Wonderful upon release, expect Fox Creek to be at its very best alongside fine food.

Like its Rhone Valley siblings, Adelaide Hills Viognier is a wine that drinks well on release, evolving as it grows in complexity. Named after a site which lies at the bottom of a gully in McLaren Vale, the Last Ditch was originally planted to a small block of Doradillo vines during the 19th century. In 1995 the site became repopulated by Viognier. Last Ditch is a highly auspicious wine which receives the very best barrels of d'Arenberg Viognier, it simply blossoms on the palate and continues to linger.

The hallmark of this wine, is that it's a great value drink, anywhere and at anytime with most anyone. Every Stump Jump takes the drinker on a journey of engaging varietal fruit experiences. The dimension of flavour and textural richness brought about by a complex cépage of Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc, Marsanne and Rousanne, are heightened by a level of dryness and splendid integration. The palate is very fresh and tight, restrained fruit intensity and ripeness balanced with lovely crunchy acidity keeps the finish in check.

You'll see plenty of olive trees alongside the d'Arenberg roadsides, flourishing among the vines. McLaren Vale is littered with olive groves which were planted by the first settlers. While neighbouring table grape growers consider olive trees a nuisance, local winemakers are thankful for the bittersweet nuances which the tiny green stonefruits impart to the wine. Chester Osborn determines the critical time of picking his Chardonnay, which is treated to wild ferments and lees stirring, for a rich textural wine with savoury aromas and good palate complexity.

D'Arenberg planted McLaren Vale's first Viognier, Marsanne and Roussanne. The first crop was found to be covered in a sea of tiny Money Spiders Erigoninae. Popular belief is that kindness to these active little creatures will bring good luck, hopefully in the form of money. Being nature lovers and slightly superstitious, the staff refrained from sending spiders to their death. Hence the first Roussanne was not released until the following year, by which time Money Spiders had learned their lesson and moved to bushland surrounding the vines.

The close proximity of d'Arenberg's vineyards to Gulf St. Vincent means the grapes can be stimulated by gently cooling maritime breezes. Much of McLaren Vale is planted to free draining soils underlaid by limestone, formed by the calcareous remains of local marine fauna. One such creature was the Hermit Crab, a reclusive little crustacean that to this day inhabits the cast off shells of others. McLaren Vale's first ever Marsanne Viognier is named Hermit as a reference to the region in France where the Marsanne grape dominates white wines.

Darenberg's neighbours built a dam in 1992 which collected little water throughout the first dry winter. Rains arrived the following year but the dam was still unable to do its job, bad news for McLaren Vale farmers but perfect conditions for Darenberg's low yielding vines. Dry grown Riesling makes the most engaging wine, you'll enjoy the heady yet delicate personality, it promises an even greater range of refined characters as you sip and savour alongside the freshest fishes or sophisticated gourmandise.

Chenin Blanc has been Coriole's flagship white since 1982, a pure varietal wine that couldn't be any fresher. Beautifully aromatic, it has great fruit concentration and shows an outstanding ability to age, highly suited to the moderately warmer climes of Coriole's vineyard at McLaren Vale. Lively, spirited tropical fruit characters are jumping out of the bottle, so get those flatheads frying, forget the serious analysis and just enjoy a crisp, clean bottle of fun.

A luxury Chardonnay crafted at one of the Mclaren Vale's oldest operating wineries. Originally intended for labelling under one of Australia's most internationally recognized brands and destined for consumption by the most discerning Chardonnay enthusiasts. An intensely flavoured wine with a complex and engaging palate that belies its packaging and pricepoint, it carries the essential expression of premium McLaren Vale fruit, fashioned to an extravagant vinification and cellared at the winery for extended ageing and development.

Verdelho originated in Portugal and has acclimatized itself well to the McLaren Vale's maritime climes. One of the very first varietals planted in McLaren Vale circa 1825, Verdelho is a beguiling variety, its generous and vibrant characters evoke an array of stylistic influences, making it a highly fashionable wine with wide versatility. Chapel Hill showcases the three distinct flavour profiles of Verdelho, grassy, pungent characters, tropical fruit flavours and beautifully scented honeysuckle blossom perfumes.

There's a place in McLaren Vale's Seaview terraces, where Ben Lacey grafted Fiano on to a parcel of twenty five year old Chardonnay rootstock. A wonderful idea when you consider that the clonal cocktails are yielding a magnificently ripe early harvest of fruit which begets a sensationally complex wine. Whole bunch pressed into a choice of vinification on skins or good old fashioned, wild indigenous ferments in well seasoned oak. Batches remain on sedimentery gross lees until June, followed by assemblage into a precious, multi dimensional small batch wine of a mere 165 dozen bottles.