Show-stoppers at the Fringe

There’s art everywhere at Fox Creek in McLaren Vale, not least the fine art of winemaking, writes Katie Spain

Fox Creek Winery at McLaren Vale.

Flicking through this year’s Adelaide Fringe program is best done with a glass of something fun in hand.

The breadth of performances on offer is startling.

If you’ve ever enjoyed a glass of wine at Adelaide Fringe’s Garden of Unearthly Delights, chances are it was a Fox Creek drop.

The McLaren Vale winery is a big supporter of the arts. Sculptures salute visitors to the McLaren Vale cellar door (a 19th-century stone cottage) and there’s a gallery boasting exhibitions that change regularly.

There’s even an onsite Tesla charging station – which let’s face it, constitutes modern art these days.

This year, the wine brand has a dedicated Fox Creek Wine Bar and seating area in the Garden.

It’s good news for anyone wanting something a bit more premium in their glass as they dash between Sam Simmons sets and Tom Gleeson giggles.

The container bar is equipped with an eight-bottle Enomatic Wine Dispenser for the top-end stuff.

Like the Garden of Unearthly Delights, the Fox Creek Wine Bar is here for a good time, not a long time.

Alongside back vintage Reserve Shiraz, a birdie tells me it’ll also serve nero d’avola, tempranillo, grenache (thanks to 97-year-old vines) and a cabernet sauvignon-dominant Bordeaux blend.

There’s art at heart here, too. Local sculptor Bianka Kennedy made the large barrel stave sculpture on show at the bar.

As for the wine, each label has a story. Fox Creek’s journey started in 1984 when Helen and the late Dr Jim Watts purchased the 32ha McLaren Vale property on Malpas Rd.

Three of the founders of the enterprise are honoured in Fox Creek’s three premium blends: Postmaster, JSM and Jim’s Script.

Postmaster is named after Henry Malpas, Willunga’s first postmaster and the man who acquired the first certificate of title to 205 Malpas Rd, where he grew cereal crops and ran cattle.

JSM is named after decorated army Captain James Stanley Malpas, who was born at Willunga in 1873. His family lived in what is now the cellar door cottage and his initials are carved into the cellar door’s entrance.

Jim’s Script is dedicated to Dr James Watts, who started the Fox Creek journey with his wife, Helen.

Look closely at the labels and you’ll notice large print and key product information in braille.

It’s just another small but important touch to help the wider community.