The wine and cider loop
A cool-climate circuit through the central Hills, from estate cellar doors to orchard cider.
The plan
The Adelaide Hills is one of Australia's premier cool-climate wine regions, and the magic is in the altitude - the higher you climb, the crisper and more nervy the fruit. This loop strings together estate cellar doors, a cheese cellar and a proper orchard cidery into one unhurried day.
It's a circuit, not a sprint. Build in lunch, taste in moderation, and leave room in the boot for bottles you won't find in the city.
A designated driver or a tour is essential. Start mid-morning so the cellar doors are open and the light is good, and pick a Wednesday to Sunday, when the cidery is pouring.
Day 1
6 stops-
1Balhannah
Shaw + Smith
Begin with benchmark sauvignon blanc and chardonnay at one of the region's flagship producers.
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2Balhannah
Nepenthe Wines
A founding cool-climate name - taste the whites that built the region's reputation.
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3HAY VALLEY
The Hills Cider Company
Swap wine for dry apple and pear cider pressed from local orchard fruit (open Wednesday to Sunday).
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4
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5Woodside
Woodside Cheese Wrights
Line your stomach with handmade Hills cheese before pushing on.
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6Lenswood
Pike & Joyce
Climb to the glass pavilion above Lenswood for precise, high-altitude wines and a long view.
On the map
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