2026 Dandelion Vineyards Fairytale Grenache Rose, McLaren Vale

Elena Brooks founded Dandelion Vineyards with a clear intent: to make wines that speak plainly of the places they come from. Born in Bulgaria and trained in oenology in Australia, she has worked vintages across Europe and South Australia before settling in McLaren Vale. Her winemaking philosophy is built around restraint: spending time in the vineyard and then stepping back in the winery.

The 2026 vintage of the Fairytale of McLaren Vale Rosé is once again made from now 26-year-old old bush vine Grenache. The fruit was hand-harvested at the end of March, with the free run juice fermented with indigenous yeasts in older well-seasoned French oak puncheons and the wine left to rest on lees for fifteen weeks.  

The 2026 Fairytale is dry in style and displays high natural acidity. An extremely versatile rosé, it’s resh and food-friendly character makes it a good partner for Japanese-style whitebait tempura or a Vietnamese prawn salad with herbs and nuoc cham.