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The Adelaide Hills area is very beautiful, particularly in autumn, and is still a largely undiscovered treasure. Twisting and turning, rising and falling, the roads offer cameo vistas with bewildering frequency.  But no one should venture into this region without a detailed road map, for it is impossible to navigate by simply using one's sense of direction.  The Adelaide Hills has two registered subregions, Lenswood and Piccadilly Valley.

Altitude is the key to the climate. Mount Lofty and the Piccadilly Valley are a bare 25 minutes' drive from the centre of Adelaide, but the contrast in climate throughout much of summer has to be experienced to be believed.  The veritable maze of valleys and sub-valleys, with slopes offering every conceivable aspect, means there is as much mesoclimatic variation as one can find anywhere in Australia, making generalisations very hazardous. However, most of the Adelaide Hills has an unequivocally cool climate, with heat summations ranging from less than 1,300 at Stirling to 1,398 at Lenswood.  It is not until one reaches the northern extremity of the region, and the west-facing slopes, that one moves out of a climate suited principally to the early-ripening varieties such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc, and into terrain which satisfactorily ripens Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz.  Rainfall varies throughout the region, increasing at higher elevations, but is strongly winter and spring dominant. Irrigation is considered necessary.  The main viticultural hazard is the misty, wet weather which often prevails during flowering and results in poor fruit set. 

The soils are predominantly grey to grey-brown loamy sands of low to moderate fertility.  Most fall into the common south-east Australian family, and are well suited to viticulture.

Key wine varietals:

Sauvignon Blanc: The Adelaide Hills region is winning accolades for its Sauvignon Blanc, producing some of the best examples of the variety in Australia.  Typically the wines are fresh, fragrant and aromatic, yet crisp and food friendly with the distinctive acidity and fine structure that typifies many wine styles – both white and red – from the Hills. Sauvignon Blanc is one of Australia's most significant contemporary wine styles.  Those from the Adelaide Hills seem to echo the fresh, cool, crisp, bright climate of the region.

Chardonnay: Complex but elegant wines may be expected. The variety flourishes and the resulting wines are invariably full of character, responding in marked fashion to the winemaking philosophies and practices of the numerous distinguished producers in the region. As one would expect, natural levels of acidity are good, allowing makers to use malolactic fermentation to increase complexity without threatening the longevity of the wines or permitting them to become soft and flabby.

Riesling: Riesling is grown across the span of climatic sites within the Adelaide Hills, producing razor-sharp, fine and delicate wines in the cooler locations and richer, more conventional wine styles on the warmer sites. For early consumption, the latter wines may well be favoured. For those prepared to wait five to ten years, the cooler sites provide the answer.

Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot: Although not widely grown, several producers have managed to make outstanding wines from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Quite apart from any other consideration, success with these varieties is a testament to the importance of site selection.

Pinot Noir: After a slow and at times uncertain start, Pinot Noir is now asserting itself in the manner long suggested by the climate, and the arrival of new Burgundian clones should ensure continued impetus and interest. There is no doubt that the Adelaide Hills is, and will remain, South Australia's leading producer of Pinot Noir.

Sparkling Wine: Substantial quantities of the Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grown in the Adelaide Hills are used in the making of sparkling wine. As one might expect, the style is extremely refined, the flavour long and lingering.

Source:  The official Wine Australia website.