Adelaide is the capital city of the state of South Australia and the gateway to our 18 distinctive, world-renowned wine regions.
Located between 30km of white sand beaches to the west and cool, rolling hills to the east, Adelaide has a Mediterranean climate with hot dry summers and mild winters.
Wine culture
Wine is an integral part of life in Adelaide and the city offers a diverse range of opportunities to taste it and talk about it. These unique wine experiences are combined with excellent local produce and stunning scenery. Adelaide boasts:
- an eclectic small bar scene
- restaurants that embrace Australia’s cultural diversity
- the most vibrant food market precinct in the country.
There are more than 200 cellar doors within an hour’s drive of Adelaide city encompassing all manner of varietals. Some cellar doors are heritage stone buildings, others are contemporary and modern. Many offer excellent dining facilities and tours.
History
South Australia’s wine history may be short by old world standards, but it is incredibly rich. This prestigious wine region was born of equal parts vision, planning and hard work, and it all happened quickly.
Barely 3 years after the original colony was founded in 1836, a German settler saw immense potential in the area north of Adelaide that we now know as the Barossa, noting a resemblance to France’s famous Rhone Valley.
A few years later, pioneering winemakers were beginning to make their mark. Vineyards were flourishing in the Barossa to the north, McLaren Vale to the south, and the nearby Adelaide Hills – 3 of modern South Australia’s pre-eminent wine regions.
South Australia's oldest vines
It is significant that 8 of the 13 oldest wine companies or continuously operating brands in Australia are in SA. Established between 1841 and 1853, these include household names:
The likes of Saltram and Hardys Tintara were soon to follow.
South Australia has some of the oldest producing grape vines in the world because our industry remains free of phylloxera. The state has strict biosecurity measures in place to prevent this root eating bug from taking hold in the wine regions.
Today, the industry supports not only highly regarded, established wine producers, but many innovative, young winemakers who embrace alternative varietals and natural winemaking principles. These include minimal interventions and organic farming.
Outcomes reports
Our annual reports outline the efforts invested in leveraging our Great Wine Capitals Global Network membership, as well as growing SA’s reputation as a leading wine producing region:
