Barossa, McLaren Vale or Adelaide Hills: Which Wine Region?
Three of Australia’s best-known wine regions are within an hour of Adelaide: the Barossa Valley about an hour to the north, McLaren Vale 45 minutes south, and the Adelaide Hills just 25 minutes east. They’re close together, but they make very different days out, and the right one depends on what you like to drink and how you like to spend a day.
We’re Carl and Ing, Adelaide locals who grew up around these regions and have worked in cellar doors ourselves. Here’s how the three compare, and how we’d choose.
How the three compare
Barossa Valley
Big reds and famous names
Drive about an hour north
Climate warm and dry, and hot in summer
The wines Shiraz, Grenache and Mataro, plus Riesling from the Eden Valley next door
Cellar doors more than 90
Don’t miss Shiraz from vines planted in the 1840s
McLaren Vale
Wine by the sea
Drive about 45 minutes south
Climate warm, with a cooling sea breeze in the afternoon
The wines Shiraz and old-vine Grenache, plus Fiano, Vermentino and other Mediterranean grapes
Cellar doors more than 80
Don’t miss the d’Arenberg Cube, then the beach at Port Willunga
Adelaide Hills
Cool, green and close
Drive about 25 minutes east
Climate cool, 400 to 600 metres above sea level
The wines Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and some of Australia’s best sparkling
Cellar doors about 50
Don’t miss Hahndorf, the German village founded in 1839
Which region suits you?
You love big reds
Head to the Barossa. Its Shiraz is rich and warm, and some of it comes from vines planted in the 1840s.
You’d like to see the sea
Choose McLaren Vale. The beach is about ten minutes from the cellar doors, so a walk on the sand fits easily into the day.
You prefer whites or bubbles
Try the Adelaide Hills, for crisp Sauvignon Blanc, fine Chardonnay and some of the country’s best sparkling.
You don’t want a long drive
The Adelaide Hills are 25 minutes from the city, so more of the day goes on tasting.
You want the famous names
The Barossa. Henschke, Seppeltsfield, Yalumba and Chateau Tanunda are all here.
You’d like something different
McLaren Vale. Taste in a five-storey glass cube, try Italian and Spanish grapes, and meet small makers doing their own thing.
It’s a hot summer’s day
The Adelaide Hills are noticeably cooler than the city, and McLaren Vale has its sea breeze. The Barossa can pass 35 degrees.
You can’t decide
Do two. The Adelaide Hills are on the scenic route to the Barossa, and we’ll plan the day so you’re not in the car for long.
The Barossa Valley: big reds and old vines
The Barossa is Australia’s best-known wine region, and it looks the part: grand stone wineries, avenues of palms and old vineyards spread across a wide valley. English and German-speaking settlers planted its first vines in the 1840s, and because South Australia never had phylloxera, some of those vines are still producing.
Shiraz is king here, rich and warm and full of dark fruit, with Grenache and Mataro close behind. The cooler Eden Valley next door makes some of Australia’s best Riesling, and the fortified wines go back more than a century.
It’s the furthest of the three and the most spread out, so give it a whole day. Our Barossa Valley day trip guide has the details.
McLaren Vale: wine by the sea
McLaren Vale sits between the Mount Lofty Ranges and the sea, with vineyards a few minutes from the beach. Sea breezes cool the vines in the afternoon, and the region’s Shiraz is plush and generous, often with a savoury edge. Its old-vine Grenache is some of the best in the country.
The warm, dry climate is a lot like the Mediterranean’s, so Italian and Spanish grapes do well: look for Fiano, Vermentino, Sangiovese and Nero d’Avola. Add plenty of small family makers, many organic and biodynamic growers and a relaxed main street, and it’s an easy place to spend a day.
The region is compact, too, so you spend less of the day in the car. See our McLaren Vale day trip guide.
The Adelaide Hills: cool, green and close
The Hills are the closest region to the city, and the coolest. The vineyards sit 400 to 600 metres up in the Mount Lofty Ranges, among gum forests, apple orchards and old stone villages, and summer days are noticeably cooler than down in Adelaide.
That altitude makes elegant wines: crisp Sauvignon Blanc, fine Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, and some of the country’s best sparkling. Hahndorf, the German village founded in 1839, is good for a stroll between tastings. In autumn the trees turn red and gold, and in winter you can taste beside an open fire.
Our Adelaide Hills day trip guide has the details.
Can you visit two regions in one day?
Yes, with a bit of planning. The Adelaide Hills pair best with either of the others: they’re on the scenic route to the Barossa, and about 45 minutes from McLaren Vale. The Barossa and McLaren Vale are at opposite ends of Adelaide, around an hour and a half apart, so we’d save that pair for separate days.
Two regions means more time in the car and fewer cellar doors. If it’s your first visit, one region done properly usually makes the better day.
When to go
Every season has something, and the best time depends on what you’re after.
- SpringSeptember to November. Fresh green vines and mild, sunny days. Every region looks its best, and weekends fill fast.
- SummerDecember to February. Long, hot days. Pick the Hills or McLaren Vale’s sea breeze, and catch Crush in the Hills in late January.
- AutumnMarch to May. Vintage runs from about February to April, so the wineries are at their busiest. The Hills turn red and gold, and the Barossa Vintage Festival runs in odd-numbered years.
- WinterJune to August. Our quiet favourite: open fires, red wine and fewer crowds. Sea & Vines fills McLaren Vale on the June long weekend.
Let us plan your day
Still not sure? Tell us two or three wines you’ve enjoyed and we’ll suggest a region, or two. We run private day tours to all three for one to three guests, with pick-up from your door anywhere in Adelaide. It’s $500 for two, and a third guest comes free.