Travel Experience Blog

Adelaide is considered to be one of South Australia’s most famous wine producing areas.  It is home to many vineyards and wineries, covering huge areas of land.  Adelaide’s most famous vineyards can be found in the Barossa Valley, Encounter Bay, Fleurieu Peninsula, McLaren Vale, Clare Valley, Yorke Peninsula, Mount Benson, Mount Lofty Ranges and the Adelaide Hills.  Wines produced in Adelaide are known throughout the world, such as shiraz, merlot, pinor noir and chardonnay, as well as a number of fortified wines and ports.

The Barossa Valley is arguably the most well known wine-growing region in Australia.  The Valley is located about 30 minutes drive from Adelaide, but is home to around 50 wineries and offers fantastic scenery along with quaint towns along the way.  Some of the most popular wineries in the Barossa Valley include Yalumba, Wolf Blass, St Hallett Winery, Rockford Wines, Kellermeister Wines, Kies Family Wines and Penfolds Winery.

The Adelaide Hills wine region is a little cooler than other areas of South Australia, and therefore produces a different mixture of grape varieties.  Situated to the eastern side of the city of Adelaide as part of the Mount Lofty Ranges, and located south of the Barossa Valley, the Adelaide Hills can be divided into 3 sub regions – Piccadilly Valley, Lenswood and Gumeracha.  However, due to the complex topography of the region, each vineyard seems unique in its quality of soil, altitude and aspect affecting the growth of the grapes.  Popular white wines to come out of the region include Pinot Gris and Viognier, as a lot of wineries use the cool temperatures to grow early maturing varieties of grapes.

The Mount Benson wine region can be found on the western edge of the Limestone Coast.  It is considered a small, but rapidly growing wine region – showing promise in particular with its citrus infused white wines.  The main wines that are produced in this area are shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, merlot, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay and viognier.  Shiraz and cabernet sauvignon are the main red varieties of the region, with shiraz considered the region’s icon.

If you plan to take some wine back with you, don’t forget your credit card! Choose the perfect wine for your meal.  Choose the right restaurant too and you might even get some extra rewards from your rewards card entitling you to some extra offers on things like dining, shopping, travel or entertainment.