Adelaide Hills

Appears in
Oxford Companion to Wine

By Jancis Robinson

Published 2006

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Adelaide Hills, fashionable, relatively high (450–550 m/1,480–1,800 ft), cool wine region in south australia and one of Australia’s best for growing fine Sauvignon Blanc, part of the mount lofty ranges zone with clare valley. Lenswood and Piccadilly Valley are officially recognized subregions. The 90 producers are also notable for sparkling wine made from Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. In the north of the region, lower-elevation west-facing slopes produce fuller-bodied wines from Shiraz. To complicate the picture, Shiraz (sometimes married with Viognier) also flourishes in the cooler parts to produce northern Rhône Valley lookalikes. alternative varieties are increasingly grown, the main successes being Tempranillo, Nebbiolo, Pinot Gris, and Fiano.