The Region |
The Adelaide Hills is Australia's premier cool climate wine region. It has been defined as that part of the Mount Lofty Ranges which has an altitude of 400 metres or more and abuts the Barossa region to the North and the McLaren Vale region to the south.
Mt Lofty is the highest point (727 metres) of the Adelaide Hills and forms a backdrop to the city of Adelaide immediately below.
Wine grapes initially were planted in the region in 1839 and in 1845 Hock from Echunga was the first South Australian wine exported, sent as a gift to Queen Victoria.
These first winemaking efforts petered out by 1905, but the region re-emerged in 1971 with Jan and Leigh Verrall's plantings at Upper Hermitage, and grew rapidly when Brian Croser began planting in and publicising the Piccadilly Valley in 1979.
The region is undoubtedly "cool climate" with the folds and undulations of the hills creating a wide range of microclimates. In seeking and exploiting these climatic differences the vineyards tend to be small in area and often very steep. Hand pruning and picking is often a necessity as well as a choice.
There are now more than 3000 hectares of vineyards in the region, more than 50 wine labels, 16 cellar doors, with more growth planned.
