Building in progress – 22 January 2016…  precisely how many vines were sacrificed ?

McLaren Vale hasn’t seen anything like it – though Chester Osborne already has a reputation for thinking outside the box. His 90 year old father d’Arry, living still in the bungalow in which he was born, just metres from this building site, reckons it will cost him $11m dollars – a big price for bright ideas. The Cube will draw the crowds, not only to the d’Arenberg winery but to the whole of McClaren Vale.

In the meantime Toby, one of the winemakers who produce 35 different wines from 64 different grapes, uses technology that dates from the mid twentieth century. It is repaired and supplemented by their own maintenance squad – capable of building their stainless steel basket presses as well as foot-treading the grapes in the ferment tanks and re-waxing and re-sealing them before every vintage with a mixture of bees-wax and parafin wax, and a blow torch. A fulltime work force of around 45 makes the accountants’ eyes water as much as the Cube does….

tap on the photos to see them full size….no, that’s definitely not me on the catwalk…

and yes, Darry’s Verandah restaurant does produce exquisite lobster bisque and sells Dadds sparkling – not to be confused with Mumm….