The diversity of wine styles produced make the Adelaidean-Mount Lofty Range the greatest wine region in Australia. It is a sweep of hilly, twisted country stretching from the Flinders Ranges, along the North and South Mount Lofty Ranges, down the Fleurieu Peninsula before plunging under the ocean to emerge re-appear as Kangaroo Island.
The range of wine along this rocky landscape is unequalled.
This country, 350 kilometres in length including Kangaroo Island, is located between latitudes 33 S (South Flinders Ranges) and 35.36S at the southern tip of the Fleurieu Peninsula (Cape Jarvis) while across the passage Kangaroo Island is 35.90S. T
The most northerly vineyards of any size are those of the Southern Flinders Range, east and north of Port Pirie. The most southerly vineyards are on Kangaroo Island. Vines could be grown north of the southern Flinders Range and into the Flinders Ranges and beyond if water was available.
Currently 13 wine regions are identified
| Southern Flinders – Baroota Clare Valley Barossa Valley Eden Valley | Adelaide Hills Adelaide Plains – Gawler Adelaide Reynella McLaren Vale | Langhorne Creek Currency Creek Fleurieu Peninsula Kangaroo Island |
Over time those with long established vineyards began to use a regional, district or town name to indicate the origin of the wine. Later it became an issue over who can use the region’s name. For outlying vineyards where the numbers are small it is difficult to determine who may use a name and who cannot. This became a difficult issue when formal recognition was required and led to the many odd shapes on our map.
Thus the boundaries mean very little. At best they are only a weak guide to wine flavours and should be used carefully when making buying decisions.
High Hopes and Hard Times is a history of the region.
