Adelaide Hills
Vines were planted in the Adelaide Hills as far back as the 1870s. Unfortunately, due to the challenges of cool climate viticulture, most of these had been grubbed up by the 1930s. The rebirth of the area as a wine region began with winemaker Brian Croser and his family planting Chardonnay in the Tiers Vineyard in 1979. Brian had identified the potential of the region as one of the best places in Australia to plant cool climate loving varieties. He was soon joined by other Australian wine pioneers including Stephen George at Ashton Hills, Geoff Weaver in Lenswood and Michael Hill Smith and Martin Shaw at Shaw and Smith. Today there are around 100 producers in Adelaide Hills who have planted over 4,000 hectares of vines between them.
Adelaide Hills is home to a number of noble grapes varieties that are especially suited to the region’s climate. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay were planted in the early stages of Adelaide Hills’ modern history and produce everything from exceptional varietals to sparkling wines.
Adelaide Hills has also developed a reputation for being the benchmark region for Australian Sauvignon Blanc. The style is lively and aromatic with distinct grapefruit and tropical notes and crisp acidity. West-facing slopes in the northern areas of the region are warm enough to ripen Cabernet Sauvignon and several producers have had great success with cool climate expressions of Shiraz from around towns like Balhannah and Macclesfield. That said, much of the region is best suited to early ripening varieties.
Traditional Australian classic varieties have been joined in recent years by a range of promising and exciting emerging varieties. White wines from Arneis, Grüner Veltliner and Fiano to red wines from Sangiovese, Nebbiolo and Montepulciano are helping to further evolve the Adelaide Hills’ fine wine story.
In the late 1990s and early 2000s it was intense, concentrated and heavily oaked examples of Shiraz, Grenache and red wine blends that dominated the Australian fine wine story. For some in Australia, several of whom cut their winemaking teeth during this time, there has been a strong desire to rebel against the status quo of that time. Many of these winemakers are classically trained but knw the rules well enough to know how to break them. While this quiet Australian wine revolution is taking place across the industry, the greatest concentration of rebellious activity has emanated from the Adelaide Hills.
The Basket Range area of the Adelaide Hills is, according to leading Sydney sommelier Tai Tate, home to some of the 'most exciting, prolific, eccentric and boundary-pushing winemakers in Australia.' Winemakers like Anton Von Kloppers, Taras and Amber Ochota at Ochota Barrels, Brendon Keys at BK Wines and Gareth Belton at Gentle Folk are changing perceptions of Australian wine around the world with their delicious and thoughtful expressions using grapes from the Adelaide Hills and beyond.
https://www.wineaustralia.com/whats-happening/stories-of-australian-wine/june-2016/adelaide-hills#:~:text=Adelaide%20Hills%20%E2%80%93%20the%20beginnings&text=The%20rebirth%20of%20the%20area,plant%20cool%20climate%20loving%20varieties.