Adelaide Hills is among Australia's highest, coolest and wettest wine regions. Its varied altitudes and aspects create many local climate pockets. The cool conditions suit Sauvignon Blanc with grapefruit and tropical notes, carried by crisp acidity. Most of the region's nineteenth-century vines had been grubbed up by the 1930s. Adelaide Hills was reborn from 1979 and later became a centre for new-wave experimentation after heavily oaked, concentrated Australian reds dominated in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Elsewhere in South Australia
Continue through the region
- Barossa Valley13 producersWarm, dry Barossa Valley is known for generous Shiraz and an exceptional inheritance of old vines. Cooler Eden Valley rises beside it within the wider Barossa zone.
- Clare Valley1 producerClare Valley Riesling is restrained when young, with lime and mineral notes, and can develop over decades. Its Shiraz is fuller, with ripe blackberry, spice and mint.
- Coonawarra2 producersCoonawarra's narrow strip of terra rossa over limestone is closely associated with Cabernet Sauvignon. The wines are medium to full-bodied, with cassis and dark fruit, firm plush tannins, and ageing potential.
- McLaren Vale10 producersMcLaren Vale's maritime Mediterranean setting and varied soils give Shiraz and Grenache room to vary. Its Shiraz often combines fruit with spice and, sometimes, an earthy note.
Producer profiles
Producers in Adelaide Hills
- Amadio Vineyard KersbrookThird-generation Italian-Australian Cabernet estate at Kersbrook in the Adelaide Hills; their Sebastien's Reserve 2021 took the Trophy for Best Cabernet Sauvignon at AWC Vienna, beating entries from more than 40 countries.
- Bird in HandAdelaide Hills estate producing four-tier Shiraz and Chardonnay from a 29-hectare Woodside vineyard, led by Master of Wine Kym Milne.
- Byrne VineyardsThree-generation South Australian family estate farming Clare Valley and Riverland, best known for barrel-fermented White Hut Shiraz.
- Longview VineyardsMacclesfield estate pairing Adelaide Hills fruit with Northern Italian grape varieties.
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- Paracombe Premium WinesOn an ancient plateau in the Adelaide Hills, Paracombe turns hand-pruned estate and local-grower fruit into fresh Sauvignon Blanc, structured Cabernet and oak-spiced Shiraz.
- PenfoldsAustralian producer founded at Magill Estate in 1844, known for Shiraz shaped through regional blending, seasoned vats and French oak.
- Schild Estate WinesSouthern Barossa wines shaped by family-grown fruit, from stainless-steel Chardonnay to full-bodied Shiraz.