Sitting in a car as we head up Greenhill Road, a scenic route into the Adelaide Hills, the sweeping vista of the city below reminds me just how close they are. It may feel like a destination in its own right, but the Adelaide Hills doesn’t need to be an expedition, like the Hunter Valley from Sydney or Margaret River from Perth. This is somewhere you can pop to for a meal or a drink – and that’s just what people do.
My driver for the day, David from Door to Door Chauffeurs, points to a small cellar door and restaurant called The Summertown Aristologist as we pass by, and tells me he drops a lot of the young crowd there for weekend lunches. I’m not stopping today (I fret for a moment this means I’m not cool) but you really are spoiled for choice. Soon I’m sitting at Pike & Joyce winery with a stunning view across the rolling vineyards and a glass in my hand, a bit shocked that I left my Adelaide hotel only 30 minutes ago.
With two of the country’s best wine regions nearby – McLaren Vale and the Barossa Valley – it might be easy to overlook the Adelaide Hills, but the delicacy of the cooler-climate wines here helps it stand out. Sauvignon blanc, chardonnay and pinot noir are the most popular grapes, but Pike and Joyce is also playing around with the Austrian variety Gruner Veltliner.
At the nearby Anderson Hill winery, there’s a family of emus wandering across the road as we arrive. But at the tasting room and restaurant, it’s dogs and children that seem to be doing the wandering, the outdoor terrace and tables on the lawn giving it a welcoming and unpretentious atmosphere.
Clare and Ben Anderson opened the small cellar door at the winery 11 years ago and it, like the region, has seen dramatic growth since then.
“I’ve lived here for 40-something years and when I was younger, the food and wine industry never existed – if we wanted to go out for dinner, we’d have to go to town,” Clare tells me. “It’s only been in the last 10 years that the food and wine industry has recognised we’ve got such good produce up here.”
It’s peaceful driving through the Adelaide Hills, full of windy roads where you get a bit lost, creeks lined with trees, and autumn leaves this time of year. There are small fruit and vegetable stalls on the side of the road – look beyond them and you’ll notice the farms and orchards.
It all comes together at Lot 100, a large contemporary complex with an apt name because there really is a lot here. Five of the region’s beverage producers share the space so you can taste wine, beer, cider, spirits and juice. There’s a casual dining courtyard, but I think the highlight is the seven-course degustation matched with drinks from all the brands.
Each place I visit, I leave before I’m ready, such is the nature of trying to do a tour to see a variety of offerings in the Adelaide Hills. It’s no different at Prancing Pony, the local brewery that’s won international awards. Part warehouse, part lounge room, you can see the beer being made and it’s easy to spend hours tasting it. As venue manager Grant Coates acknowledges, you can’t separate the Prancing Pony from its peaceful agricultural setting.
“I think what makes the Prancing Pony is that everything is more relaxed in the hills than the hustle of the city. So you’ve got the farm right next door and some days if the wind’s right you can smell the farm, which is … ah, refreshing,” he laughs.
Quite often when tourists think of the Adelaide Hills, it’s towns like Hahndorf that come to mind, with its German heritage on display in the main street. And, sure, with international borders closed, there’s something nice about a fleeting flirt with another country. But the focus on Australia these days means visiting the hills is an opportunity to go a little deeper … literally, in the case of The Tank.
To find The Tank, head to the Uraidla Hotel, which has a sign on one side declaring it “Uraidla’s Best Pub” and one on the other side calling it “Uraidla’s Worst Pub”. Last year, the pub converted an old underground rainwater tank into a circular cellar with about 4000 bottles displayed around the walls and a central wooden table where wine enthusiast Owen Colin runs tastings.
“One of the ones I like doing is showing the best of Piccadilly (a subregion within the Adelaide Hills), so we go through a couple of chardonnay and a couple of pinot noir. But I can tailor it to whatever people want to do,” Owen tells me as he pours me a glass of his choosing.
Of course, you can tailor your visit to the Adelaide Hills to be whatever you want. There are the heritage towns, the cultural centres, and you’ll also find new walking paths and bike tracks, if you prefer to be a bit more active. For many people, though, this stretch of South Australia’s Epicurean Way is the perfect trail to follow for a day of incredible food and drink right on the doorstep of a capital city.
WHAT TO DO:
- Take a private tour of the Adelaide Hills with Door to Door Chauffers
- Visit wineries like Pike & Joyce and Anderson Hill (which also have excellent restaurants)
- Taste the beer and see the brewery at Prancing Pony
- Explore the heritage town of Hahndorf, which is famous for its German heritage
WHERE TO EAT:
- The cellar door and restaurant and The Summertown Aristologist makes for a lovely casual lunch
- Try the degustation menu with matching beverages at Lot 100
- Have a meal at the Uraidla Hotel when you do a tasting at The Tank
WHERE TO STAY:
- For views and comfortable modern rooms, there’s the Crowne Plaza
- With a cool rooftop bar, Hotel Indigo is in the centre of the CBD
- You can’t miss the reflective golden exterior of Eos by SkyCity
- Stare out at the famous sportsground at the Oval Hotel
