Long before Serafino became a McLaren Vale destination for award-winning wine, Chef Hat dining, long lunches and stays beside the lake, its story began with a teenager arriving in Australia from Italy with an ambitious dream.
Commendatore Serafino ‘Steve’ Maglieri AM arrived in 1964, bringing with him a passion for grape growing and winemaking. Just two years later, with the help of his father Giovanni, he planted his first vines in McLaren Vale.
Those early plantings would eventually grow into 500 acres of vineyards and lay the foundations for what is now Serafino Wines.
Today, the family-owned estate brings together many of the things people travel to McLaren Vale for in the first place.
Visitors can taste their way through one of the region’s largest collections of Italian wine styles, settle in for lunch beside Lake McLaren, return for dinner at the Chef Hat-awarded restaurant or make a night of it in the estate’s newly renovated accommodation.
And there’s now another reason to pull up a chair.
Serafino has introduced lunch at its Cellar Door from Thursday to Sunday, with a dedicated menu from Executive Chef Mark Cooper that brings the quality of the restaurant into a more relaxed daytime setting.
Guests can dine inside or head onto the deck overlooking Lake McLaren, with heaters making it an inviting option even through the cooler months.
For Mark, the new lunch offering was about creating another way for visitors to experience the property.
“The deck has always been such an inviting part of Serafino, so bringing lunch outdoors felt like a natural evolution,” Mark says.
“It’s relaxed and approachable, but guests still receive the quality of our Chef Hat-awarded cuisine. You can come in for a quick lunch between tastings or settle in with friends and spend the afternoon enjoying the food, wine and surroundings.”
The seasonal menu has been designed around generous, uncomplicated dishes that work equally well as individual courses or shared plates, paired with Serafino wines.
It’s deliberately less structured than dinner at Serafino Restaurant, where guests can settle in for a traditional dining experience over several courses.
On the deck, things are a little more spontaneous.
“It’s fresh air, lake views, good conversation and no real reason to rush,” Mark says.
“It brings together the food, wine and landscape in a way that feels very connected to McLaren Vale.”
There will also be live music on selected dates, adding another reason to linger over lunch.
Wine, of course, remains at the heart of the property.
In the early years, Steve steadily built the family wine business and became particularly well known for Shiraz and his chilled red wine.
By the 1990s, he had earned a reputation as Australia’s ‘Lambrusco King’, producing more than five million bottles a year at the wine’s peak. The wine was also Australia’s number one selling red wine for two consecutive years.
There were plenty of accolades along the way, stretching back to Steve being crowned Bushing King at the McLaren Vale Wine Show in 1979, an honour he would receive again in 1992 and 2007.
Today, the Serafino name remains firmly planted in McLaren Vale, with Steve’s daughter Cavalieri Maria Maglieri leading the family business and continuing its strong Italian influence.
Alongside McLaren Vale favourites including Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache, the family pays homage to its Italian heritage through varieties including Fiano, Montepulciano, Barbera, Nero d’Avola, Sangiovese, Nebbiolo and Pinot Grigio.
Head Winemaker, Brett Smith, joined Serafino back in January 2024, and has been making a positive impact on the winemaking process and styles the team are producing.
Brett’s influence shines through the wineries strong results at recent wine shows, including numerous medals and a trophy.
And the wines are continuing to attract national attention.
Serafino wines received ratings of 95 points or above in the latest Halliday Wine Companion and was noted as a five star winery, adding to a long list of recognition for the estate.
Visitors can explore the range through tastings at the Cellar Door, including its Italian varieties and modern expressions of McLaren Vale classics.
There’s also a new Blind Tasting Challenge for anyone keen to put their palate to the test.
Guests are given five wines to identify without seeing the labels and, if they manage to correctly name all five, the tasting is complimentary.
For those looking for something more leisurely, grazing platters are available seven days a week, making it easy to spend an afternoon over a glass of wine even when the full lunch menu isn’t being served.
As evening arrives, attention shifts to the Chef Hat-awarded Serafino Restaurant, where contemporary Australian dishes showcase local produce alongside matched Serafino wines.
The restaurant offers a more traditional dining experience than the Cellar Door lunch, giving guests the time to work their way through structured courses and explore the food and wine pairing in more depth.
And for anyone who would prefer not to make the drive home afterwards, the estate’s newly renovated accommodation means dinner can easily become an overnight McLaren Vale escape.
The broader property also hosts weddings, private celebrations, conferences and corporate events, making Serafino as much a destination as it is a winery.
It’s a long way from the first vines Steve and Giovanni planted together, but the family story remains at the heart of the estate.
For the Maglieri family, sharing food, wine and warm hospitality has always been part of Serafino.
Now, whether it’s a tasting at the Cellar Door, an afternoon beside the lake, dinner at the restaurant or a night spent on the estate, there are more ways than ever to experience it.
Serafino Wines
When: 39 Kangarilla Road, McLaren Vale
Lunch: Thursday to Sunday, from 12pm
Dinner: Thursday to Saturday, from 6pm
For more, click here.
