The Adelaide Hills wine region was one of the best surprises of our first trip to South Australia, so much so that we had to go back on our second! It’s a beautiful area, with scenic landscapes, dozens of award-winning, down-to-earth wineries and several lovely villages to explore. There are more than 60 wineries in the Adelaide Hills, and many of them are household names. You’d need more than a week to explore all of the best wineries in the Adelaide Hills, but a few days is enough to get a taste of what the region has to offer. Pick a few to visit and take your time, chat to the team at the cellar doors and enjoy lots of lazy lunches and leisurely strolls around the region’s villages along the way.

The Adelaide Hills is just a 30 minute drive from both Adelaide and the Barossa Valley, so it’s easy to add as a side trip for a night or two. Alongside dozens of spectacular wineries and cellar doors, the region offers beautiful scenery, European-influenced villages, plenty of delicious shopping at farm shops and gourmet producers, and beautiful restaurants, making it one of the best places to visit in South Australia.

The best wineries in the Adelaide Hills to visit

Nepenthe

I visited Nepenthe on my most recent trip to South Australia, to check out their newly-renovated cellar door. It was a gorgeous spring day, the doors were thrown open, there was a food truck slinging pizzas, live music, and lawn games, and an idyllic set up on the top of the hill with picnic tables, large umbrellas and panoramic vineyard views. They kindly hosted us for a wine tasting of their Apex single vineyard wines, guided by their Cellar Door Manager & sommelier, Ashley, and then we enjoyed another glass of wine on the lawn, with some pizzas from the food truck. Heaven!

The Cellar Door has recently been renovated, with a new extension to create a large indoor tasting room, complete with a tasting bar, indoor lounge & deck. The star of the show is the floor-to-ceiling views over the rolling Adelaide Hills, but the sustainable design, high ceilings and gorgeous stonework complete the picture. I loved the new barrel room, lined with barrels and shaped like one too, kitted out with soft arm chairs facing onto a panoramic view of the estate.

I’ve recently visited Burgundy, in France, and I was so disappointed we couldn’t bring any beautiful white burgundy wines home with us. Lucky for me, Nepenthe’s chardonnays are made in the Burgundy style, and they’re perfect – just as spectacular as the original! I haven’t tried anything like it anywhere else in Australia, and luckily for me, Nepenthe is stocked at major bottle shops across the country.

I’m very particular about Sauvignon Blanc, and if you are too – or if you’ve never had a good one – look no further than the Adelaide Hills. An Adelaide Hills Sauvignon Blanc is the best you’ll find, and Nepenthe’s is the best-selling Sauvignon Blanc in South Australia. In a state literally littered with premier wine regions, this is a big deal.

Nepenthe is just across the road from Shaw + Smith (below), which makes them perfect to visit on the same day.

Cobb’s Hill Estate

Cobb’s Hill Estate is one of my favourite wineries from our trip across three wine regions in South Australia. The winery has been operating since 2017, on the grounds of the former pastures of the horses who pulled the Cobb & Co stagecoaches across Australia from 1867. The cellar door is set in the old homestead, surrounded by rolling hills and gardens, making it one of the most idyllic cellar doors in the region.

We arrived shortly after opening, and for the first half hour had the cellar door to ourselves. The staff member who led our tasting was so warm and knowledgeable about not only Cobb’s Hill wines, but the entire region. This was one of the most relaxed and enjoyable wine tastings of our trip, and we left laden with wines, their new Joe’s Pinot Noir Gin & a new membership to their quarterly wine club, which has been a delight ever since.

The Southern Cross Sparkling and Shooting Star Rose are my favourites, and are really special, along with the Sidesaddle Sauvignon Blanc.

Cobbs Hill Estate Cellar Door is open 7 days. Grazing platters are available

Shaw + Smith

Shaw + Smith is one of the most famous wineries in the Adelaide Hills, and the only one I was familiar with before our visit. The setup here is very smooth, with two Tasting Flight options that are paired with local cheese. Once again, the staff member who guided our tasting was extremely knowledgeable, passionate and welcoming.

The wine they’re most famous for, which is still my favourite of theirs, is the Shaw + Smith sauvignon blanc.

They have are have always operated in an environmentally conscious manner and are in the process of pursuing organic certification for the vineyards.

Shaw + Smith’s cellar door is open daily. Wine tastings can be done as a $25 Wine Flight (5 wines, 3 cheeses) or a $45 Single Vineyard Flight (3 wines, 3 cheeses).

Golding Wines

One of the most beautiful cellar doors we visited on our trip was Golding Wines. Located in a contemporary stone bar with high ceilings and beautiful gold-topped tables, this was a wonderful first stop in the Adelaide Hills. We had a wine flight, matched with beautiful snacks from the onsite Gingko Restaurant. I really enjoyed the diversity of Golding Wines and trying varietals I haven’t come across often, like their award-winning Savagnin.

Golding Wines is owned and operated by husband and wife team Darren & Lucy Golding. The beautiful cellar door is located in Lobethal, and the vineyards fall under the Lenswood appellation.

Golding Wines’ Cellar Door is open from 11am daily. You can order a flight that comes with gourmet snacks, or book for lunch in the on-site Gingko restaurant.

Hahndorf Hill

In the German village of Hahndorf, visit winery & cellar door Hahndorf Hill. This winery specialises in Austrian varietals and “writes the book on gruner veltliner” according to critic James Halliday. This is a fun Adelaide Hills winery to visit for trying Austrian wines you’re unlikely to come across very often, such as Blaufrankisch, St Laurent and Zweigelt. The tasting room has floor to ceiling windows and overlooks the vineyards, and you can order food as well as a range of different wine flights.

Hahndorf Hill’s cellar door is open Monday-Saturday, excluding public holidays. In addition to wine flights, cheese & wine flights can also be purchased.

Read more about Hahndorf, Adelaide Hills

Adelaide Hills Wineries I want to visit next time

We explored the Adelaide Hills at a leisurely pace, which means there are a few I didn’t get to that I’d love to try if we go again. Notable winery cellar doors I’d love to visit are The Lane, Pike & Joyce, Bird in Hand and Petaluma.

Wines to try in the Adelaide Hills

The Adelaide Hills wine region is cherished for elegant and modern wines, despite being a young wine region. Vines were originally planted in the 19th century, but by 1930 they’d all withered, died and been removed. The renaissance of the Adelaide Hills wine region began in the 1970s. Leigh and Jan Verrall reintroduced viticulture to the region and Brian Croser founded award-winning winery Petaluma in 1976. In less than 50 years, the Adelaide Hills has blossomed into one of the best cool climate wine regions in Australia.

Adelaide Hills is a cool climate wine region, at a high altitude and with plenty of sunlight. This results in fresh, flavourful contemporary wines. Despite being very close to the Barossa Valley, Eden Valley and McLaren Vale, the Adelaide Hills has a totally different climate. The region is a lot cooler and wetter than its neighbours, resulting in distinctly different wines.

Adelaide Hills is best known for pinot noir, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc, including sparkling wine made from pinot noir and chardonnay. Adelaide Hills pinot noir is considered to be the best in South Australia, and is my new favourite in the world! According to James Halliday, Adelaide Hills sauvignon blanc is the best in Australia.

How to get to Adelaide Hills wineries

The Adelaide Hills is extremely conveniently located – just a 30 minute drive from Adelaide, and 30 minutes from the Barossa. We visited the Adelaide Hills between Adelaide and the Barossa, which worked perfectly for our road trip. There are also tours available, if you don’t want to drive.

Have you been to the Adelaide Hills? What are your favourite wineries & cellar doors in the world?