Winemaker Notes
Adelina Wines is a small vineyard and winery in the Springfarm sub-region of Clare, set amongst one of the most historically relevant winery and vineyards in Australia. The plantings of well established Shiraz, Grenache and Pedro Ximenez, some dating back to the turn of the 20th century and recent plantings, of Shiraz, Mataro and Malbec are NASAA certified. The talent involved in this winery is impressive with both Col McBryde and Jen Gardner both holding PHD’s in Oenology, although the winemaking and technology remain quite simple and traditional. All the wines are exceptionally crafted reflecting Col and Jenny’s passion and winemaking intelligence.
A narrow band of hills and valleys east of the city of Adelaide, the Adelaide Hills region is a diverse landscape featuring a variety of microclimates. In general it is moderate with high-altitude areas cooler and wetter compared to its warmer, lower areas.
Piccadilly Valley, the part of Adelaide Hills closest to the city, was first staked out by a grower named Brian Croser, in the 1970s for a cool spot to grow Chardonnay, then uncommon in Australia. Today a good amount of the Chardonnay goes to winemakers outside of the region.
Producers here experiment with other cool-climate loving aromatic varieties like Pinot Gris, Viognier and Riesling. Charming sparkling wine is also possible. On its north side, lower, west-facing slopes make full-bodied Shiraz.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.