Australia in pictures: Adelaide Hills

The next stop on our Aussie wine tour was the cool climate region of Adelaide Hills. Traditionally known for its Sauvignon Blanc, winemakers in the region have more recently been carving a niche for their elegant Chardonnays and sparklers.

One such producer is Sidewood Estate, our first port of call, where we were greeted by this suspicious fellow guarding the entrance.

During our visit we enjoyed a comparative tasting of Chardonnays and traditional method sparklers from key producers in the region. Among them was Erinn Klein of Ngeringa, who we think is a dead ringer for a young Woody Harrelson.

On the subject of doppelgangers, also in attendance was Hamish Laurie of Deviation Road, who bears a striking resemblance to British actor Dominic West.

A handsome pair of cattle grazing at Sidewood Estate.

Our next port of call was Ashton Hills, founded by shoeless renegade Stephen George, and maker of arguably the best Pinot Noirs in Australia today. Talking us through the hauntingly beautiful wines was Sam Temme from owner Wirra Wirra and winemaker Paul Smith, not to be confused with the British fashion designer.

 Having worked up an appetite, we headed on to Lost in a Forest, a fantastical wood-fired pizza restaurant in a converted church.

We were greeted by Taras Ochota of Ochota Barrels, a laid-back surfer and spiritual leader of an exciting new collective of winemakers in the small town of Basket Range that are turning heads with their bright, light and delicious wines designed to be effortlessly easy to drink.

The common thread among the Basket Range wines was their lightness of touch, delicacy and drinkability. They all had beautiful labels too.

Among the most passionate in his plight as a ‘natural’ winemaker was James Erskine of Jauma, a former chef and Schnapps seller, who adds nothing to his wines in pursuit of single site expression. “When you add acid and sulphur, the drinkability of a wine is inhibited,” he says.

We also met cool cat Brendan Keys of BK Wines, who wouldn’t look out of place in Dalston. New Zealand born Brendan worked at Wirra Wirra before branching out with his solo project where he makes Pinot Gris in concrete eggs, stunning Syrahs and a savoury Savagnin aged under flor.

Among our favourites of his wines were this cheeky pair of opulent Chardonnays.

In addition to an array of exciting wines, we tucked into a plethora of wood-fired pizzas, our favourite of which was this salty, anchovy-laced beauty.

Popping in for a slice of pizza was restaurant designer James Brown, who has put his hand to the interiors of popular Adelaide restaurant Africola, the Motel Mexicola in Bali and Hotel Harry in Sydney. We were rather taken with his tribal tattoos.

Our final encounter was with the disarmingly charming and disheveled Anton van Klopper of Lucy Margaux, an artisan natural wine producer named after his talented young daughter who designs the estate’s beautiful labels.

Our final night in Adelaide took us to the Star of Greece restaurant in Port Willunga where we were treated to this stunning sunset.

A surfer patiently waits for a wave before sunset