Adelaide is known as the wine capital of Australia as South Australia accounts for 60% of wines in Australia. One of its top wine regions is Adelaide Hills, which produces great white wines due to its cool climate. It is a beautiful place to visit, offering scenic views, charming villages and lovely vineyards.

We opted for a hop-on-hop-off tour to Adelaide Hills operated by Trailhopper for AU $180 for two. Driving was an alternative, but that meant we could not drink much wine which defeats the purpose. 😂

In addition, I find this experience truly unique, as I have never come across a hop-on-hop-off tour to wine regions elsewhere. The city centre pick-up in Adelaide added to the convenience, making it hassle-free for us.

Trailhopper offers three wine regions options: Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Adelaide Hills. Initially we wanted to visit Barossa Valley because of its reputation, but we chose Adelaide Hills at the end because it includes a visit to Hahndorf, a charming German town. We love German food and were also excited about more activities in the town.

 

Nepenthe Wines

Our first stop was Nepenthe Wines, a popular vineyard in Adelaide Hills. The deck’s seating area provided a comfortable and relaxing experience, offering beautiful views of the vineyard. There are plenty of outdoor seating which are an ideal place to relax in pleasant weather.

The wine tasting is priced at $25 per person, covering a self-guided tour and sampling of four different wines. We also added a mini cheese platter for extra $25 for sharing.

 

Artwine

We chose Artwine as our second stop and were very glad with our decision. It is one of the most stunning vineyards I have ever seen! With modern architecture, artistic charm, and breathtaking panoramic views, the entire place feels like a fairy tale. If time allowed, I could happily spend hours here.

In addition, the wine tasting was more affordable at $25 per person that includes 9 diverse wines and a cheese plate. The wines were different to the ones we tasted before such as Fiano grapes. We really enjoyed our time here.

 

Hahndorf – a German town

Hahndorf is a historic town with a strong German influence. It offers craft stores, art galleries, parks, and delicious German cuisine. 😋 Its picturesque setting and cultural charm make it a popular destination. We decided to spend two hours here even though it means less time in the vineyards.

There are many German restaurants with great ratings in the town. At the end we went with The Haus Restaurants, and ate Trio of wurst and a black forest cake. Very yummy!

 

The tour last from 10am to 5pm. It has a selection of about 10 locations/wineries with a maximum of 4 stops lasting 1 hour each. Since we wanted 2 hours in Hahndorf, we had only 3 stops.

The tour can accommodate up to 20 people but our day had just 12, so it gave us a bit of extra time at each location since the van did not have to visit all spots. The tour guide added to the experience by sharing some stories of Adelaide.

Although it was advised to pre-book wine tastings when we reserved the tour, we did not do so as we wanted more flexibility. Fortunately, everything worked out well for us.

Overall I had a really great time as this is one of the most enjoyable tour for me. Beautiful scenery, wines, beers, cheese, sausages, breathtaking vineyards and a soulmate… what more could I ask for? 🙂 I really love vineyards and hope to visit again soon.