Hahndorf Hill Winery - the jewel of the Adelaide Hills wine region

The Adelaide Hills are the defining blue backdrop to the city of Adelaide and offer some of the most breathtaking scenery you'll find anywhere. At times the countryside resembles postcards from Tuscany or provincial France … but the gum trees give it away.

This spectacular wine region covers seventy kilometers of the Mount Lofty Ranges, stretching from the Barossa in the north all the way down to McLaren Vale in the south. There are more than twenty cellar doors in the Adelaide Hills and many are located less than thirty minutes' drive from the city.

One of the real gems of the region is Hahndorf Hill Winery situated outside historic Hahndorf village - the oldest surviving German settlement in Australia.

This beautiful boutique winery has won for two years running the SA Great Regional Award for Best Tourism Winery in the Adelaide Hills … and when you visit it's easy to see why.

The magnificent cellar door sits high on a hill in the heart of the vineyard and looks like an architectural slice of Europe transplanted to Oz.

Inside there's everything to make your visit as enjoyable and comfortable as possible. Lovely sofas in which to unwind, a wine library where you can pick up answers to all your tricky wine questions, and a viewpoint balcony where you can drink in the panoramic views!

The famous grape of the Adelaide Hills is Sauvignon Blanc, and Hahndorf Hill Winery produces one of the top-rated savvys in all of Australia. Winemaker Larry Jacobs reckons it all comes down to time spent in the vineyard.

"We nurture our vines like children,' he says. "Everything's hand crafted, so we hand pick and hand prune, and we keep our yields really low so we get intense flavours." The winery also produces a very unusual rosé made from two rare German grapes, Trollinger and Lemberger. This unique rosé is beautifully dry rather than sweet, and it goes fantastically with seafood and spicy Asian meals. "It's a near religious experience if you team it with oysters," says Larry.

On weekends the winery serves lunches showcasing delicious regional produce. A specialty of the menu is the local Hahndorf venison glazed with a special sauce created from Adelaide Hills figs and the winery's own Shiraz wine.

This is one winery you simply have to include on your Hills itinerary. And while you're there, head up the road and visit The Cedars, the historic home and studio of the late Sir Hans Heysen, South Australia's most renowned artist.

Fortunately, Hahndorf Hill Winery is open 7 days (including most public holidays) from 10am to 5pm for tastings and sales of their internationally-awarded wines, so there's no need for you to miss out.

Don't forget to look out for the winery dogs, Bacchus and Nero - they're very friendly and will probably escort you, tails wagging, all the way to the front door!

Hahndorf Hill Winery
Street address: Lot 10 Pains Road, Hahndorf
Postal address: PO Box 474, Hahndorf, SA 5245
Phone: (08) 8388 7512
Fax: (08) 8388 7516
Email: cellardoor@hahndorfhillwinery.com.au
Website: www.hahndorfhillwinery.com.au