South Australia

Wine-growing region (GI) located north of Adelaide in the federal state of South Australia in Australia. The region is further divided into the three sub-regions Gumeracha, Lenswood and Piccadilly Valley. Together with the Clare Valley region it makes up the Mount Lofty Ranges zone. The highest mountain in the Adelaide Hills is Mount Lofty, which is 727 metres high. The region was colonised mainly by immigrants from Europe. The town of Hahndorf was founded by German families in 1839, and is thus one of the oldest settlements in Australia founded by Germans. The total vineyard area is 2.200 hectares, with vineyards located at 400 to 600 metres above sea level. The key white varieties planted are Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon and Riesling, the key red varieties planted are Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The soils are sand, clay and limestone. Spring and summe rare mild, while the summer is not too hot, the climate is cooled by sea breezes. Well-known producers include Ashton Hills, Barratt, Bridgewater Mill, Chain of Ponds, Lenswood Vineyards, Paracombe, Petaluma, Rosemount Estate, Shaw & Smith and Weaver.