James Halliday Best Value Winery 2026

Started in 2012, Bondar is the vision of husband and wife team Andre Bondar and Selina Kelly.  Andre, with a history as a winemaker in the Adelaide Hills and Selina with a background in marketing and law, have planted roots (literally) in the north of McLaren Vale, on the border of Blewitt Springs and the Beautiful View (Seaview) subregions.  Plantings of bush vine Grenache are up to 50 years old and Shiraz up to 65 years are already in play, while newer, more close planted Counoise (one of the 13 Châteauneuf varieties) has been recently planted, and Mataro, Carignan and Cinsault are on the horizon. 

A blend of 85% Grenache and 15% Cinsault, this was sourced from the sandy soils of the Rayner vineyard and a south-facing site in Blewitt Springs (planted in the mid-1990s on deep sandy soils). The Grenache portion from the Rayner vineyard was fermented in old oak barrels to add texture and complexity to the blend. The Grenache from the grower and the Cinsault from the Rayner vineyard were fermented at cooler temperatures with some solids in tank to preserve brightness and freshness.