There is no doubt that Sonoma and Napa wines are lauded worldwide and have put US winemaking on the map. Both these counties have unique climate and geographic strengths which make them excellent for wine.

I am taking a somewhat skeptical attitude towards “green” wines. I suspect if you’ve got to market your wine based on features like the winery’s carbon footprint, then there is potentially a reason that you haven’t been able to sell your wine based primarily on its quality. Having said that, what I want in a bottle, (after establishing that it’s good), is uniqueness and expressiveness.

McLaren Vale, the home of the Curtis Family Vineyards, is just 45 minutes drive south of South Australia’s capital of Adelaide, has been making wine for one and a half centuries. That’s not as long as wine has been made in Italy, but the results are just as encouraging. And how a family with its ancestry dating back to the 15th Century has brought its expertise to McLaren vale with a new range of wines with an impressive European lineage.

Mclaren Vale wine is produced in the south of Australia where many of the family owned vineyards are over 100 years’ old. Some have been developed into boutique vineyards that supply the local fine restaurants with signature wines. The visitor to the area will be surprised by the choice of cafes and fine food establishments.

The Australian wine industry has a major share in the Australian economy. Australia is the fourth largest producer of wine in the world with an international export market of over 400 million liters annually, in addition to an equivalent domestic market. The total numbers of wine producers in Australia have increased from 1625 to 2299 between 2003 and 2011.

McLaren Vale, the home of the Curtis Family Vineyards, is just 45 minutes drive south of South Australia’s capital of Adelaide, has been making wine for one and a half centuries. That’s not as long as wine has been made in Italy, but the results are just as encouraging. And how a family with its ancestry dating back to the 15th Century has brought its expertise to McLaren vale with a new range of wines with an impressive European lineage.

Select wine merchants Buying wine online is a useful and convenient way to source wines from unusual wine varieties. There are many advantages, and a couple of pitfalls to buying wine online.

The survey of the ‘rich and extensive valley of McLaren Vale’ was completed three years after proclamation, in 1839 by John McLaren. McLaren was appointed as Senior Surveyor was given the task of surveying the southern districts of Adelaide. McLaren divided up the south of Adelaide into three districts – B, C and D. B reached from Holdfast Bay and extended south as far as the Onkaparinga River, it was opened to the public in February 1839. Section C was to include all the land south of the Onkaparinga River to Willunga Hill. Section D included land from Willunga to Encounter Bay.

Sort after premium McLaren vale wines are produced by the Curtis family since 1973. The Curtis Family Vineyards are established just west of the township of McLaren Vale

In recent years, like a lot of people, I’ve been buying more of my wine online. The picture I would prefer to hold of myself is the fellow who faithfully patronizes (perhaps plagues?) the local wine shops rather than browses some brightly arrayed screen. To be sure, I’d rather be there in person, discussing a wine’s qualities with an enthusiastic merchant rather than passively scrolling through professional tasting notes. And I believe in the importance of neighborhood proprietors (whether they sell wine or house paint) to a vital, thriving community; they’re the hubs of the real social network.