Natural charm
The lush and leafy Adelaide Hills is one of Australia’s coolest wine regions – in terms of both climate and attitude. An elevated expanse of rolling terrain just 20 minutes east of Adelaide in South Australia’s Mount Lofty Ranges, the landscape here is as diverse as the wines.
In a country of beautiful wine regions, Adelaide Hills stands out for its picturesque surrounds encompassing orchards and farmland, hillside vineyards, bushland spiked with towering gum trees and historic European-influenced towns. The central town of Hahndorf is Australia’s oldest German settlement.
Narrow roads twist and turn through the undulating region, unveiling picture-perfect views and cellar doors at every turn. Although it sits between the warm, world-renowned Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale regions, the Adelaide Hills is a uniquely cool haven for elegant wines. Tourists are rewarded year-round: from autumn’s golden crunch to the colourful bloom of spring, and from the summer CRUSH festival in January to July’s Winter Reds weekend.
Home of innovators
Creative and quality-driven growers and winemakers have found an ideal home in the Hills.
Crisp, vibrant white wines lead the charge, along with standout sparkling drops, elegant reds and exciting alternative varieties. Experimental wines from a new generation of boundary-pushing winemakers, concentrated in the Basket Range area, add diversity to the flourishing wine scene.
The region’s cool climate and huge array of microclimates, thanks to its varied topography, give the Adelaide Hills a point of difference that’s seen it drive the evolution of modern Australian wine. Vines were first planted here in the 1800s, but they were pulled out in the first half of the 20th century before being replanted in the 1970s. Australian wine legend Brian Croser set up Petaluma winery in 1976, and the region as we know it was born.
Adelaide Hills sets the benchmark for Australian Sauvignon Blanc, producing a fresh, aromatic and easy-drinking wine. The region is also a leader in elegant, cool-climate Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Riesling and Pinot Noir. Beyond these well-loved wines, alternative varieties are a big part of the story, with whites such as Arneis and Fiano and reds including Sangiovese, Nebbiolo and Montepulciano. The bright and spicy white wine Grüner Veltliner is a highlight.
Elegance on the road
With around 50 cellar doors and many more wineries, there’s so much to discover here. For a sip of some of the region’s best sparkling, follow the way to Deviation Road. Run by Kate Laurie, a sparkling wine authority who trained in Champagne, and her husband Hamish – whose great great grandmother was South Australia’s first female winemaker – Deviation Road has a modern cellar door on a scenic 50-hectare property. “The cool climate of the Adelaide Hills is just perfect for sparkling wine,” says Kate.
Shaw + Smith is another winery showcasing the region’s best, with award-winning wines that include Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Noir and Shiraz. It was established in 1989 by cousins Michael Hill Smith MW and Martin Shaw, who also have two vineyards and a tasting room that’s open daily. Other standout wineries to look out for include Penfolds Magill Estate, The Lane Winery and Bird in Hand. For a taste of something different, the Summertown Aristologist is a community cellar door pouring organic, minimal-intervention wines.
The Adelaide Hills has set itself apart as one of Australia’s most exciting wine regions and a hub for the bold and adventurous. Soak up the unspoilt natural surrounds, explore new wine styles and experience Australian wine at its elegant best.
