Images: Grounded Cru Instagram
Acclaimed McLaren Vale winery Grounded Cru are set to open a brand new cellar door this November after renovating their breathtaking McLaren Flat grounds. The new space will feature a 120 person indoor cellar door and function space, and an extensive lawn area.
Owner Geoff “Joffa” Thompson and winemaker Matt “Jacko” Jackman recently acquired the property. The grounds previously hosted Parri Estate Winery, and the pair are keen to transform the space into a vibrant hotspot for tastings and small plates which they hope will evolve with the local crowd.
Geoff Thompson says “Grounded Cru’s ethos is to be down to earth, fostering relationships and connections through welcoming and relaxed family friendly service.” So, when you head on over to the McLaren Flat cellar door, you can expect a wonderful warm welcome followed by a delicious pour of Grounded Cru.
The winery’s iconic bottles are featured heavily in South Australia’s restaurant and bar scene. With a five star Halliday rating, the winery will settle for nothing less than excellence, producing wines in McLaren Vale Langhorne Creek and Adelaide Hills regions. While the label is relatively young, Thompson and Jackman are by no means short on experience.
Thompson says “We’ve both got decades of experience and I’m coming up to my 10th year working on the property,” which he has taken over for Grounded Cru’s new cellar door. Thompson says, on the Grounded Cru land, “We have a real respect for our first nations people, and want to work to create great wine leaving the grounds better than we found them.”
The property has an extensive winemaking history with 70 year old shiraz and cabernet vines and 90 year old grenache vines. The cellar door will be primed to showcase the vineyard’s history just in time for the beautiful mid November weather.
Thompson’s vision for the cellar door is to serve a diverse range of half a dozen small plates pairing delightfully with Grounded Cru’s extensive range of hand crafted wines. Once it’s all up and running, he hopes to fire up the kitchen’s woodfire pizza oven and host food trucks for recurring pop-up event. The space will also offer a exceptional function area which Thompson says will be a perfect wedding venue.
The new cellar door is poised to offer a wonderfully relaxed, family friendly tasting and lounging experience in the heart of McLaren Vale this November.
Grounded Cru’s brand new cellar door
When: Opening mid November, 2024
Where: 49 Ingoldby Rd, McLaren Flat SA 5171
For more information, click here.
Stay up to date on Grounded Cru’s Instagram.
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