Adelaide Hills alternative varieties: top wines to try

Adelaide Hills alternative varieties: La Linea, Verdure Estate — Tempranillo vineyards at Verdure Estate in Kuitpo, from which La Línea buys fruit.

(Image credit: La Línea)

Individual analysis of the Adelaide Hills by grape variety:

Chardonnay | Sauvignon Blanc| Shiraz | Pinot Noir | Sparkling

Plus: Adelaide Hills value – the best wines to buy

The great excitement in exploring the Adelaide Hills is finding things you never expected. Whether that be driving along its maze of undulating country lanes to find hidden wineries, or discovering grape varieties that most would never expect to find in this part of Australia.

With so many different soil types, microclimates and elevations dotted throughout the region, along with its absence of entrenched vinous history, the Adelaide Hills has become a fertile bed of experimentation.

Scroll down for notes and scores of top Adelaide Hills alternative varieties

The subsequent ongoing search for appropriate styles across myriad grape varieties has seen a majority of Adelaide Hills producers dabble in at least one alternative variety – with many surprising and impressive results. This includes some very classic grapes that are less common in the Hills, such as Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon.

A concerted effort to promote Grüner Veltliner across the higher elevations, led by Larry Jacobs and Marc Dobson at Hahndorf Hill winery, but now including more than 20 other grape growers, as resulted in the introduction of a Grüner Veltliner class at the annual Adelaide Hills Regional Wine Show, and launched rigorous debate about appropriate styles.

However, it is the southern Mediterranean grapes that originate from warm, dry climates that are showing the greatest potential, and many plantings have found a natural home in the Hills: Arneis, Fiano, Nebbiolo, Montepulciano and Nero d’Avola for starters.

La Línea’s Peter Leske, for example, has made a fist of Tempranillo and Mencía, capturing the spice and bite of both styles in a distinctly Australian manner. This is a space for bold winemaking where anything can happen – and probably will.

Top producers of alternative varieties in the Adelaide Hills

Unico Zelo
SC Pannell
La Línea
Hahndorf Hill
K1 by Geoff Hardy