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Cellar Door
A visit to Hardys Tintara is not just about tasting wine, but experiencing the rich history that goes into running a business over 175 years. The Hardys Tintara winery, on the main street of McLaren Vale, has been at the heart and soul of the region from the very beginning. In 1878 Thomas Hardy transformed an old flour mill into one of the region’s best wine cellars, and with his success, McLaren Vale began to prosper and grow. Today, we are proud to still be the home of Hardys, and be able to showcase the original winery, as well as combine time-honoured winemaking techniques with the best of today’s technology.
SELF-GUIDED TOUR
Things to do at Hardy's Tintara
Our Cellar Door
At Hardys Tintara Cellar Door you can enjoy a range of wines that showcase the best McLaren Vale has to offer.
Opening hours
Monday - Friday, Sunday 11am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm
Open some Public Holidays 10am - 4pm excludes Christmas Day, New Year’s Day and Good Friday.
CLINK at TINTARA
Cross the sprawling lawn area, (home to the biggest fig tree in the Southern Hemisphere) to the Fleurieu’s newest pop up ‘CLINK @TINTARA’, proudly brought to you by Tintara Winery & McLaren Vale Hotel.
FREE
Fleurieu Arthouse
Housed on the historic Hardys Tintara site, the Fleurieu Arthouse is an exciting alchemy of creative talent with a stunning exhibition space, working artist studios, artisan retail shop and interactive workshop space.
Summer Opening Hours
Everyday from 10am - 5pm
Winter Opening Hours
Fri – Mon 11am – 4pm
BEHIND THE SCENES
Wine Viewing Platform
Explore the generations of the Hardy family who have worked and contributed to Hardys Wines over the many years with our museum display. Take a look at a few of the key pieces of winemaking equipment that have been part of the winemaking process.
Or take in the view of our open fermentation cellar, where all the premium Hardys red wines are made every year from February to May. From plungers, to basket presses, to 5 and 10 tonne fermenters, this is the heart of our working winery.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Our Fortified Room
Housed in the heart of the original mill building, our Fortified room is a wonderful celebration of the many delicious styles of fortified wine that have played such an important role in the history of Hardys Wines.
You will see original advertisements from the Hardys Wines archives, as well as new and old fortified wines. Take a look at the beautiful colours of the different fortified wine styles, as they develop and mature over time, or take a closer look at the antique model of a typical brandy still.
Look out for the Solera stack of barrels at the back of the room, which is how Tawny is made, or the barrel of sherry that is maturing before your eyes. It is a great opportunity to understand more about these long standing styles and what goes in to making them.
ROAM
The Garden
The lovely gardens at Hardys Tintara includes a large lawn area and our most distinguished feature - the enormous Moreton Bay Fig Tree. Planted in around 1868 and listed in the National Trust Register of Significant Trees, numbered 17 out of 650. The seedling was handed to the Manager of the Mortlock Mill around 1865 by the Adelaide Botanic Gardens Director of the time, who encouraged their planting, as he considered the Moreton Bay Fig to be the Oak tree of Australia.
Rumoured to be the largest Moreton Bay Fig tree in the Southern hemisphere, this tree is as much a part of Hardys Tintara as the winery itself.
Plan Your Visit
Wine Tastings
Hardys Tintara welcomes groups by appointment with a number of tasting experiences available to book.
Premium Tasting
Taste 5 icon and super premium red wines that showcase our long-standing commitment to quality, backed by over 9000 medals.
$25 / 45 mins
Standard Tasting
Explore 5 wines from our range from our Heritage Reserve Range, Tintara Range or Light Wines Range.
$15 / 45 mins
A Sensory Experience
Tasting in the Dark
Have you ever wondered how the senses work together to influence what you taste? Have you ever wondered what happens when we remove the sense of sight? And how does this influence the wine experience?
If these walls could talk
Hidden Secrets Tour
Discover the rich history of Thomas Hardy and his wine empire with an intimate, guided tour through the historic Hardys Tintara property and taste five of our best wines matched with a local tasting plate.
Group tastings
Enjoy and explore a selection of 5 Hardys Wines with a group of 10 - 20 friends hosted in our Winery Viewing Platform.
Tasting in the dark
Have you ever wondered how the senses work together to influence what you taste? Have you ever wondered what happens when we remove the sense of sight? And how does this influence the wine experience?
Book now
FAQs
Yes, we have expansive lawns and plenty of space for your furry friend. Dogs however are not allowed inside the Cellar Door.
To ensure you get the best experience at our cellar door, please make a booking ahead of time either by booking an experience or calling our cellar door
Our Premium and Standard tastings take around 45 mins
Yes, we have a selection of regional produce platters and wine by the glass for you to enjoy at Hardys Tintara. The platters have been designed for two to three guests and for you to order multiple to build a larger platter.
Yes, we have our Hardys ZERO range of non-alcoholic wines featuring a Sparkling Wine, Chardonnay and Shiraz available to enjoy a glass or to take home. We also have a range of traditional soft drinks available.
No, we no longer have the BBQ facilities available for guests to use. As we have our picnic platters available at Cellar Door and during the Summer period the Clink Food Truck, there is no bring your own picnic available.
Yes, for a group of 11-20 guests, hosted in our Winery Viewing Platform we offer our Group Wine Tasting Experience (booking is required – see our Group Wine Tasting Experience). For groups of 21- 45 guests we offer our Hardys Tour And Tasting – Private Group Experience. Please contact Cellar Door for enquiries and bookings.
Yes, with the expansive lawns and plenty of space for kids to play around and explore. While you are enjoying a tasting, to entertain the kids we have our Around Hardys Tintara Scavenger Hunt.
In the spirit of reconciliation, Hardys Wines acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.