Alpha Box & Dice

Some wineries can be intimidating. Alpha Box & Dice isn’t one of them.

The cellar door opened as a rudimentary shed among a plot of decades-old McLaren Vale vines in late 2008. Very little has changed since then. The unpretentious set-up puts the winery’s raison d’être – to experiment with progressive, small-batch varietals – in context.

If your visit falls outside of vintage, you might find head winemaker Sam Berketa stationed at the cellar door. It’s as educational as you want it to be: get the full run-down, or grab a bottle and plant yourself on a comfy armchair in the sun.

Six choices from the “Alphabet of Wines” are pouring at any one time, and they’re constantly on rotation. Expect bubbles, a white, a light red, a skin-contact wine and a few interesting, non-standard reds.

The team also offers one-hour premium tastings of six of current favourites, accompanied by warm olives and bread. Larger groups (8-12) can take part in a Tarot Flight tasting, featuring the Tarot range of wines. Those abstaining can enjoy a tasting of nonalc wines by Non.