This winery goes by two names. The wines are called Fork in the Road wines and the venue as such is called Old Oval Estate and it’s the sweetest family run winery. Old Oval Estate has a lovely home away from home feel and before my visit I had someone tell me it’s their favourite place to take the kids and I can see why.
The location and space lend itself to being a great place to head for a platter and catch up with friends and/or family. So that’s what we did when we met another family there for an afternoon of playing, platters and wine. With kids ranging in age from 4 to 14 who were happy the whole time, we think it’s a winner.
There are many spaces to enjoy. You can sit out the front of the cellar door or enjoy a tasting in the cellar door then head out the back to the garden and that’s where I think the magic begins. There are tables scattered around the gorgeous manicured gardens and then there is a beautiful patio area that is heated and has me dreaming up having a birthday party there.
When it comes to kid friendly this place is ticking the boxes. When we arrived Joan showed us through to the garden. She clearly likes having kids visit too as they are warmly welcomed and there’s many child focused touches. There is a gorgeous tree where the kids can play under its foliage and a sweet little table underneath, Joan showed us this straight away and it had games being played instantly. There is a little sandpit close by and a big toy box where Miss 4 found a barbie and joined it in the sandpit fun. The main back garden area is fenced and away from where the cars come in and has a great outlook over the vines. The bigger kids went outside the main garden area to an open space behind the car park and kicked the footy and I got to chat with the grown ups (yay) with kids in view happily playing. Now there’s a win!
Our platter came out and it was not only substantial but delicious and the variety kept everyone happy – pate, almonds, cold meats, quince paste and more. The Shiraz deserves a BIG mention and the Rose was popular too. You really can’t leave without taking a bottle home to enjoy later too. The service is super friendly and I couldn’t get over how the whole experience feels so homely which we really enjoyed especially with kids in tow and we had some great conversations.
The biggest highlight for Miss 4 was the winery dog called Yoda, a gorgeous border collie who I believe has been crowned Winery Dog of the Year more than once.
Old Oval Estate / Fork in the Road wines is the kind of place where you could sit for hours with the kids happily playing and I can see why as a venue it is getting its fair share of weddings and the like. After my visit I’m planning some mums and kids catch ups there soon!
Final thoughts on Fork in the Road Wines…
- Tree cubby area and climbing potential so dress the kids in climbing/ playing clothes
- Fenced garden for kids to play.
- Take a footy for older kids to find a spot to kick around
- Sandpit for the little ones who like to dig
- Open spaces for ball games
- So very welcoming of children and the kids were shown all the child friendly touches which was just great
You’ll find Fork in the Road at
18 Sand Rd, McLaren Vale
Phone: 08 8323 9100
For more information visit their website at
www.forkintheroadwines.com.au
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For other places and things to do with kids in McLaren Vale check out this link
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