McLaren Vale, South Australia
Douro, Northern Portugal
Maslin Beach, The Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia
Nazare, Portugal
Adega is a word with a few meanings in Portugal; primarily it means winery, a place where wine is made. But it can also refer to a cellar, where wine is aged and stored. It can also be used in a hospitality context, a restaurant that focuses on an incredible wine selection, and often making their own wines. This deep cultural connection with wine is what makes Portugal so special when it comes to the millennia old drink, and was from this that Adega Wine Company was born. Inspired by the deep climatic and cultural parallels between Portugal and South Australia. With the cold Southern Ocean nearby and the Adelaide Hills rising to the east, McLaren Vale carries an unmistakable resemblance to Portugal’s coastal wine regions. We work exclusively with Portuguese grape varieties, sourced exclusively from McLaren Vale, South Australia. Currently we work with Alicante Bouchet, Alvarinho, Arinto, Bastardo, Tinta Miúda, Tinta Roriz, Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Trincadeira and Verdelho. And we are always on the hunt for more!
Founded by winemaker Henry Smale, an Australian that grew up in Portugal, Adega explores Portuguese varieties and winemaking traditions through the vineyards of McLaren Vale, seeking to show the potential of these varieties in what they can make. Travelling and working in Portugal over many years has given Henry a unique ambition and aspiration to demonstrate how important wine can be, not as an alcohol, but as a way to clearly communicate culture and place, while also tying together the trinity of good food, good wine and good people
