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Welcome to
Kangarilla Road Welcome to
Kangarilla Road Welcome to
Kangarilla Road Welcome to
Kangarilla Road Welcome to
Kangarilla Road
Kangarilla Road has always been known as the winery with the leaf on the label.  So much so that our branded hashtag for Instagram says just that; #thelabelwiththeleaf. The label design appears quite simple but on closer inspection you will find that each variety of grape has its own particular morphology, or the way the leaf looks.  Each of the different wine varieties Kangarilla Road make reflects the varietal integrity as expressed by the leaf on the bottle.
Learn More About Kangarilla Road

A few of Uma's
favourite wines.

Shop Our Range
Kangarilla Road Reds

2021 Thieving Angels Shiraz

$20.00
Kangarilla Rd Whites

2021 Kangarilla Road Chardonnay

$30.00
Kangarilla Road Reds

2021 Kangarilla Road Shiraz

$30.00

Join Our Wine Club

The Roadsters is a club for people who love delicious wine and who love a great deal.

Qualifying members receive up to 20%  discount on all of our wines.

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Cellar Door

Kangarilla Road’s Cellar Door has been voted to be one of the best four in McLaren Vale and is modern, elegant and welcoming.   Stylishly curated artwork complements the fabulous views over the vines down to the sea.

We serve our extensive range of varieties of wine and wine styles from Enomatic machines and Coravin ensuring all our range is fresh and is available for tasting at all times. 

We have over 20 different wines to taste with 10 different interpretations of the McLaren Vale hero, Shiraz.  Our philosophy is that you should be in charge of your own tasting and the tasting fee gives you access to any of the wines that you would like to taste whether it is white, pink or red.

Book a Wine Tasting
Bookings essential for groups of 4 or more.
Tasting with the winemaker Kevin O’Brien by appointment.

Cellar Door

Cellar Door

About Kangarilla Road

Kangarilla Road has always been known as the winery with the leaf on the label.  So much so that our branded hashtag for Instagram says just that; #thelabelwiththeleaf. The label design appears quite simple but on closer inspection you will find that each variety of grape has its own particular morphology, or the way the leaf looks.  Each of the 9 different wine varieties Kangarilla Road make reflects the varietal integrity as expressed by the leaf on the bottle.

The vineyard and winery that winemaker Kevin and Helen O’Brien bought in 1997 in McLaren Vale is on Kangarilla Road.  When they would tell people where it was Kangarilla Road was always part of the conversation.  The name stuck.  Kangarilla is not as some people imagine named after the love between a kangaroo and a gorilla. It is in fact the indigenous Kaurna people’s word meaning place of rest with water and trees and is the name taken by a small town – so small there is no pub -10 kms from our vineyard.

Our wines are made by Kevin, who graduated from Winemaking at Roseworthy in 1982, who makes the wines with care and attention to detail to make wine in the style that is so well loved.  Wines that have varietal integrity. They are sometimes diverse but always approachable, authentic and delicious.

While not certified organic, Kangarilla Road grows their grapes using organic practices and is a member of Sustainable Winegrowers of Australia.  We have always believed in having an environmental conscience and in the long term sustainability of our vineyards.  It is just something that makes sense.

While the range of wines is diverse, they are all made in a more restrained style with a nod to the natural generosity of the McLaren Vale wine growing region and share the similarity of being smooth, elegant and consistent.

All about the wine.

Each wine is crafted with care and attention to detail to ensure that it showcases the unique characteristics of the grape variety. Our wines are approachable, authentic, and delicious, and are known for their diversity, each wine is made with the goal of expressing the distinct terroir of McLaren Vale..

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Join the Club

Learn a little more about Kangarilla Road and the region from our head wine maker,
Kevin O'Brien.

Learn a little more about Kangarilla Road and the region from our head wine maker,
Kevin O'Brien.

Our People Set us Apart

Kevin O'Brien

Chief Wine Maker
Learn More about KOB

Helen O'Brien

Chief Executive Officer
Learn More about HOB

Meridee

Chief Operating Officer
Learn More about Meridee

Charlie O'Brien

Wine Make and CEO Silent Noise
Learn More about COB

Dave O'Brien

Chief Dish Licker and Noise Maker
Learn More About DOB

Don't miss a thing!

Join our mailing list and be the first to know when our limited wines are released, receive special curated offers and keep up to date with all things Kangarilla Road, delivered straight to your inbox.

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At Kangarilla Road we have our own interpretation of the McLaren Vale wine style, making elegant wines which show restraint, fine textural qualities and varietal integrity and clarity.

We produce wines we enjoy drinking to enrich every occasion – wines enjoyed with or without food and with good friends. 

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We acknowledge the traditional owners throughout South Australia and we pay respect to the custodians of the land on which we live and learn. 

We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging and we acknowledge the cultural authority of Aboriginal people visiting from other areas of South Australia and Australia.

Kevin O'Brien

Kevin was born and educated in Adelaide, South Australia. After studying most of a Bachelor of Science degree at Adelaide University Kevin was working part time in the fertility lab at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.  Friends suggested to him that it would be beneficial to actually make wine as he enjoyed drinking it a so much. Kevin didn’t need to be told twice and he transferred his degree to the Roseworthy Campus and graduated in Oenology in 1982.  During this time he gained experience at a number of wineries including Hardy’s in SA, Arrowfield in NSW and Killerby in WA to name a few.

After graduating from Roseworthy Kevin joined Wine Industry identities Robert Hesketh, Mark Swann and James Herrick where he was involved in all aspects of the wine business from being a part of establishing Mark Swann Wines in the USA as well as general winemaker for the group and working on commodity supplies to the local wine industry.  Kevin was also heavily involved in establishing the industry bible, The Wine Industry Journal.

Kevin next worked as a bio-technology consultant working with Mauri Yeast setting up a global network for their Australian made yeast products specifically designed for winemaking and brewing. He also consulted to Adelaide Hills label Hillstowe Wines in their initial start up phase.  Whilst involved in these businesses Kevin undertook an MBA through the University of South Australia and graduated in 1996.

Following this Kevin worked for the Australian Wine and Brandy Corporation (now Wine Australia) as Export Manager with the Australian Wine Export Council for two years heading programs for the generic promotion of Australian wine business.

In 1997 Kevin with his wife Helen spotted an opportunity to fulfil any winemaker’s dream to express themselves which is to buy a vineyard and winery.  The property they found was in McLaren Vale and they named it Kangarilla Road Winery.

Today Kevin enjoys making the classic varieties including Chardonnay, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon and he also has fun making a little more unusual varieties and styles including Skin Contact Chardonnay, Vermentino Under Flor, Fiano, Sangiovese, Primitivo, Montepulciano and Zinfandel.   

Helen O'Brien

After leaving school Helen spent more than a decade in the fashion industry modelling in Australia, Asia and Europe. When she got tired of that Helen then spent several years in the business management and operations side of a leading model agency.

After 4 years with the agency Helen left to study Business Management at the University of South Australia and supported herself working in hospitality as a door bitch at a nightclub.

Helen met Kevin and they married 4 months later.

Since establishing Kangarilla Road with Kevin Helen is now responsible for various operations of the business including Cellar Door, strategic planning, marketing, general liaison with our wholesalers and importers and coordinating packaging and bottling.

Being the major care giver to Dave is one of her biggest responsibilities.

Meridee

Meridee has been with Kangarilla Road forever and we love her for that!  During the week and with special guest appearances on a weekend Meridee looks after guests at Cellar Door but that is not her only talent.

Meridee looks after the movements of packaged wine both domestically and internationally including all the dreary paperwork that goes with that.  She has it all sorted whether the wine is going to Adelaide or Switzerland and is a complete whizz with a spreadsheet!

She is in charge of all the ridiculous cartoons our club members would be familiar with in the wine offers we send them – yes it is all her fault!! 

Meridee is also a budding graphic designer and is mainly responsible for the Andy Warhol inspired wallpaper in one of the loos as well as the label for our wine, The Veil. 

Meridee is a legend – you just have to ask vaguely if she can do something and she is all over it – no matter, what including having Dave for sleepovers!

Charlie O'Brien

Charlie O’Brien was born in 1998 and is a second generation winemaker in waiting for Kangarilla Road Wines.  He has his own award winning label, Silent Noise Wines which shares the Kangarilla Road Cellar Door.  While Charlie has his own creative outlet with Silent Noise Wines,  he was brought up in the Kangarilla Road business and understands Kevin’s particular style of winemaking.  Charlie has travelled extensively representing the Kangarilla Road label.

Charlie is a master of the wine stories at Cellar Door and can – if you express the slightest interest –  tell you more about the winemaking of any of the wines than you really thought you wanted to know.  And he does it in his own rather fabulous style and his enthusiasm is contagious.

Charlie is an enormous asset to Kangarilla Road and it’s future is in very good hands.

Dave the Groodle

Dave the Groodle was adopted by Kangarilla Road in 2017 at the age of 8 weeks and his parents come from Rivergum Designer Puppies in NSW.  Dave’s mother is a golden retriever named Skye and his father is a red standard poodle called Woosley. 

Dave takes his job as a greeter at Kangarilla Road very seriously.  If he is outside he will come to your car when you arrive and escort you to the Cellar Door.  Otherwise he waits at the door for you to come to in.  If you take longer than he perceives as necessary he becomes anxious.  It doesn’t take long for this so please don’t dawdle!

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Visit us at:
44 Hamilton Rd
McLaren Flat  SA  5171

T: +618 383 0533
E: [email protected]

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