Less than a 30-minute drive from the centre of Adelaide in South Australia, the Adelaide Hills is a long and narrow wine region that stretches from the Barossa to its north, down to McLaren Vale in the south.

Unlike its neighbouring regions, the Adelaide Hills boasts a distinctly cool climate thanks to its high elevation and has one of the largest diurnal temperature variations in Australia.

Diurnal variation is the difference between the maximum day and minimum night temperatures, allowing grapes to slowly build their sugar levels during the warmth of the day, while the cool nights during ripening season help the grapes retain balancing acidity and aromas.

As a rule of thumb, Adelaide Hills’ wines are fresh and vibrant, elegant yet complex and bursting with flavour and varietal character.

The region’s diverse landscape is a patchwork of peaks and valleys, bushland, farms and vineyards, where some of Australia’s best-quality grapes are produced.

Roads twist and turn through the undulating landscape, the steep hills and valleys creating an array of microclimates. It’s sheer beauty, proximity to Adelaide and wide array of wineries and dining options make it a popular destination for tourists and South Australian locals alike.

Although the modern-day wine community only began here in the 1970s, the Adelaide Hills wine region has rapidly become one of the country’s most important, spearheading the evolution of Australian wine in recent years. Grape growers and winemakers collaborate to produce a diverse range of premium cool-climate wines.

Established producers such as Barratt Wines craft classic, pure wines styles but this is not without a strong element of innovation with emerging varieties and winemaking techniques to make this one of Australia’s most exciting wine regions.