Why it matters
The producer
Bernice Ong and Julian Forwood founded Ministry of Clouds to make wines conceived with gastronomy in mind. That starting point is visible in a range built from several grapes and sites rather than one inherited holding: McLaren Vale reds sit beside Clare Valley Riesling, with each bottle intended to bring fruit, acidity, tannin or texture to the table in a different way.
The winery is on Chapel Hill Road in McLaren Vale, but its bottle labels travel across South Australia where a site suits a variety. The Chase gives the estate a Seaview base; purchased fruit lets the pair work with old-vine Grenache and other red varieties from cooler parts of McLaren Vale.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
McLaren Vale was chosen for its maritime position, Mediterranean climate and geological complexity. Those conditions frame the producer’s preference for Mediterranean red grapes: Grenache, Mataro, Shiraz and Tempranillo can carry ripe fruit while retaining the structure needed for food.
Seaview is the home of The Chase, while Clarendon and Blewitt Springs supply further McLaren Vale fruit. These names matter on the range because the producer does not treat McLaren Vale as a single uniform source: estate grapes and purchased old-vine material enter different wines, including Shiraz and Tempranillo Grenache.
In the cellar
Vineyards and cellar
The Chase is sustainably farmed, and its airflow supports organic vineyard work by reducing usual disease and pest pressure. In the finished wines, that farming focus is joined by fruit from selected old-vine sites, so the cellar begins with parcels of different age and McLaren Vale subregion rather than one blended vineyard source.
Fermentation and maturation are central parts of the producer’s stated winemaking work. The Clare Valley Riesling is fermented and aged on lees, a choice that puts a layer of texture beside its acidity. For the reds, the documented Tempranillo Grenache and Shiraz descriptions emphasise fruit, body, tannin and texture: the cellar’s task is to carry those structural differences into separate bottles.
Wines to know
The range in view
The McLaren Vale red range moves through Grenache, Mataro, Shiraz and Tempranillo, with named wines including McLaren Vale Tempranillo Grenache, McLaren Vale Shiraz, Grenache and Grenache Carignan. Old-vine sourcing is particularly important to the Grenache material, including a source planted in 1922; the red wines therefore move from blended fruit-and-tannin shapes to darker Shiraz with an earth register and firmer grip.
Clare Valley Riesling is the counterweight. Its fermentation and lees ageing make it a dry white with acidity and texture rather than a lighter version of the reds. Adelaide Hills Chardonnay and Mencia extend the range further, but the core contrast remains clear: McLaren Vale red varieties provide body, tannin and fruit, while Riesling brings a cooler-climate white line.
A useful way in
A bottle to begin with
Start with the 2021 Ministry of Clouds McLaren Vale Tempranillo Grenache. It puts two central red grapes into one bottle and shows the house’s food-minded direction without relying on a single-vineyard claim. Expect fruit, medium body and clear tannin structure: the Tempranillo Grenache blend has enough grip for a meal, while its fruit keeps the palate open. It is a useful first bottle because it connects McLaren Vale sourcing, Mediterranean varieties and the producer’s stated gastronomic purpose in one red.