Adelaide Plains Region

Location
 Zone - Mount Lofty Ranges within Adelaide Super Zone
State - South Australia

Map Reference
 Latitude 34 degrees and 41 minutes South
Longitude 138 degrees and 34 minutes East

Elevation
 20 metres above sea level

Subregions
 Nil

Introduction
 The Adelaide Plains is located north of Adelaide city, east of Adelaide Hills and southeast of the Barossa Valley. It is a significant producer of low-cost grapes, which come from high-yielding vineyards with a low incidence of disease. The flat topography is an additional factor assisting in the economics of grape production and makes possible broad acre planting and a high degree of mechanisation.

There is a solution to the limitations of the climate and that is simply to look to other regions - in this instance to the nearby Barossa Valley - for grapes, and to transport those grapes to the winery for processing. This may seem obvious to Australian wine makers, but it is a freedom that is denied to any European winemaker making wine within the official framework of the Appellation Laws.

It is the sort of bold creativity, which lies outside the imagination of the old world winemakers and which places Australia in such a good position.
Primary Grape Varieties
White
 Chardonnay 60 ha
Sauvignon Blanc 20 ha
Semillon 25 ha
Riesling 20 ha
Other 30 ha
Total White 155 ha
Red
 Shiraz 170 ha
Cabernet Sauvignon 75 ha
Grenache 25 ha
Other 120 ha
Total Red 390 ha
Primary Wine Styles

Chardonnay
The majority of Chardonnay grown each year disappears into the obscurity of cask wines and lower-end priced bottled wines.

Colombard
The variety is predominantly well suited to hot climates thanks to its ability to retain fairly high levels of acidity, and is much valued as a blend ingredient for this very reason in casks and generic white wines.

Shiraz
Production is similar to that of Chardonnay, however considering the area under vines, yields are much lower and therefore produces a wine of remarkable quality, showing an absolutely surprising touch of spice, which is normally reserved for cooler climates. Winemaking skills have no doubt played a part, but it clearly demonstrates what can be achieved with grapes with controlled yields.