Moving away from the coastline and eastwards, the scene changes dramatically from one covered mostly by bush and vegetation to rolling hills and broad expanses of open plains. Welcome to the Adelaide Hills Wine Region.
Just a 20-minute drive from Adelaide, the Adelaide Hills Wine Region is nestled in the Mount Lofty Ranges, touching Barossa Valley to the north and McLaren Vale to the south. The high altitude results in a much cooler climate, with cold wet winters and cool dry summers.
These conditions, coupled with the mixture of sandy and clay loam soils in the region, make it ideal for the cultivation of apples, pears, cherries, strawberries, and of course, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Renowned Australian wine writer and critic James Halliday included 12 wineries from Adelaide Hills in his 13-member list of the top producers of Sauvignon Blanc in his most recent guide to Australian wineries, indirectly sealing the region's reputation as the Sauvignon Blanc capital of Australia.
Occupying just 11 hectares of land in the high-altitude Lenswood sub-region of Adelaide Hills, the Geoff Weaver Wines (www.geoffweaver.com.au) is a family-owned business, and averages just 70 tonnes of grape annually.
However, owner and winemaker, Geoff Weaver has managed to harness the unique characteristics of the terroir in Lenswood to consistently produce premium Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Riesling.
Having begun his viniculture career in Orlando in 1972, Geoff rose to become chief winemaker at Hardys before calling it quits in 1992 to pursue his own dream of setting up a winery. He has not looked back since.
This is one man who definitely knows his whites and has amassed a great wealth of experience to share it. And when Geoff's not tending grapes and making wine, he spends his time painting landscapes, and he paints brilliantly as well.
So schedule a stopover at Geoff Weaver Wines when you're in Hills with your local guide. You might just want to pick up a souvenir along the way.
Like a row of Monopoly houses rising out from the ground, Shaw + Smith winery (www.shawandsmith.com) stands out from the Balhannah area in Adelaide Hills with its minimalist look.
This small-scale winery producing predominantly Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, is the fruit of labor and the realization of a dream by cousins Martin Shaw and Michael Hill Smith to make wine together. Though only slightly more than five years old, Shaw + Smith has generated much press coverage due to its unique Cellar Door and Tasting Room experience.
Visitors to the winery purchase a flight of wines for wine tasting, complete with a tasting mat for making notes. The wine tasting experience is enhanced by the delectable local Australian fare and a cosy ambience bathed in natural light.
Other noteworthy wineries in the Adelaide Hills Wine Region to stop by include the Chain Of Ponds, Hahndorf Hill Winery, and Petaluma.
Unlike the wineries and vineyards in Margaret River, those in Adelaide Hills tend to be spread further apart from each other, so it is wise to rent a car for your wine adventures. However, make sure at least one person in your group is not going to be tasting wines for the day, for the obvious reason that drink-driving is a safety hazard.
And if you're getting a local guide to drive you around, make sure he or she abstains form the bottle as well. Most guides would be professional enough to abstain from drinking. Besides, they probably would have tasted so much of their own wine in that area.
