A wine-producing region about 10 miles east of the city of Adelaide in the Mount Lofty Ranges Zone of SOUTH AUSTRALIA. Its wine history dates back to the 1840s, and it was a popular growing area that thrived over many decades. It fell out of favor in the  early 1900s, as the BAROSSA VALLEY became South Australia’s dominant region. This change in popularity is credited to the bias for BIG, FULLBODIED, high-ALCOHOL wines produced by the Barossa, but not possible in the cool-weather climate of the Adelaide Hills. These cooler hills (where most vineyards are planted above 1600 feet) are better suited to SPARKLING WINES made from CHARDONNAY and PINOT NOIR, and for elegant STILL WINES produced from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, SAUVIGNON BLANC, SÉMILLON, and RIESLING grapes. Fortunately, these wines have caught on in the last couple of decades, and the Adelaide Hills is considered an area to watch. The climate varies throughout the Adelaide Hills, and red varieties like CABERNET FRANC, CABERNET SAUVIGNON, and MERLOT do better in the warmer northwestern sectors. Just over 6,000 acres are planted in the Adelaide Hills.