A little bit of culture and wine – McLaren Vale in SA’s Fleurieu Peninsula

 Day 11

Still raining this morning as we left the Adelaide Hills and headed towards the McLaren Vale wine region on South Australia’s Fleurieu Peninsula. Our destination was the d’Arenberg Cube.

The d’Arenberg Osborne family have been making wine in McLaren Vale since 1912. The idea for the Cube’s distinctive five‑storey geometric design came from the complexities and puzzles of winemaking, and it opened in 2017.

Each level of the Cube offers something different. On purchasing our tickets, we were told very seriously not to miss the toilets on Level 2, so we dutifully stopped in to check them out. They were certainly different — quirky, immersive and a lot of fun. Possibly the only time I’ve ever wanted to hang out in a loo for any length of time.

The standout level for me was the Alternate Realities Museum. It felt like a cross between some of the contemporary art at MONA and the creepy hybrid toys Sid creates in Toy Story. There was also a 360‑degree video room and a wine virtual fermenter — all slightly surreal, and very on theme.

Outside, we wandered among Salvador Dalí installations, while inside the Cube another level housed a Salvador Dalí exhibition featuring 25 bronze sculptures and graphic artworks. Quotations from Dalí were scattered throughout the space, and one felt fitting for our journey so far:

 

 

 

 

The top level of the Cube is the tasting room, and given a tasting was included in the entry fee, it would have been rude to decline. We chose the red wine flight and enjoyed learning more about the winemaking and history of d’Arenberg. We enjoyed it enough to leave with two bottles — a Grenache (The Derelict Vineyard) and a Montepulciano (The Hunjee Heartstring).

Outside again, we wandered through the sculpture garden designed by South Australian artist Greg Johns, very aptly named A Road Less Travelled — a title that feels increasingly appropriate for us. 

We also popped into the Modern Masters Marquee to view the Dr Seuss collection, featuring both well‑known and unknown works from the life of Theodor Seuss Geisel. I’ve always loved Dr Seuss, and one of my favourite books is the last one he published before his death in 1991 — Oh, the Places You’ll Go!. It feels like we’re quietly celebrating the message of that book each day: getting on our way, embracing curiosity, and saying yes to adventure.