Family History

Domenico Scarpantoni arrived in Australia in 1952 and settled in the McLaren Vale region. In 1958, he purchased his first parcel of land and planted the first of many vineyards. A decade later, in 1968, Domenico acquired a further 49 acres of property in McLaren Flat, on the site of one of South Australia’s earliest schools. It was here that the family built their winery in 1979 and established the Scarpantoni label.

Today, Scarpantoni Estate Wines has 60 acres under vine and produces around 20,000 dozen bottles annually.

The winery remains very much a family operation, with every stage of production—from viticulture through to bottling and packaging—carried out on site. This hands-on approach gives the family full control over the winemaking process and ensures consistently high standards. Scarpantoni wines are, and always have been, distinctly McLaren Vale in style.

McLaren Vale is home to some of the most diverse soils of any wine region in Australia. Having grown up locally, Michael and his son James Scarpantoni have developed a deep understanding of these soil types and their influence on vine performance. This knowledge guides decisions about which varieties are best suited to specific sites. For example, Cabernet Sauvignon thrives in sandy soils over ironstone, while Shiraz shows excellent longevity in deep sand—both soil profiles found across the Scarpantoni estate.

Scarpantoni wines have received some of Australia’s most prestigious wine awards, including the Jimmy Watson Memorial Trophy in 2007 for the 2006 Brothers Block Cabernet Sauvignon, and the Great Australian Shiraz Challenge in 2008 for the 2006 Block 3 Shiraz, among many others.

The Scarpantoni blends are regarded as true expressions of the region’s red varieties. The School Block Red brings together three McLaren Vale standouts—Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot—while the recently released School Block White combines Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon and Chenin Blanc.

The family also cultivates several less common varieties for the region, including Barbera, Nero d’Avola, Montepulciano and Gamay. The Scarpantoni winemaking team continues to explore new possibilities, driven by a commitment to crafting distinctive, high-quality wines for all to enjoy.