Adelaide's Wine Regions: Barossa, McLaren Vale and the Adelaide Hills
Three wine regions sit within an hour or so of Adelaide: the Barossa to the north-east, McLaren Vale to the south and the Adelaide Hills right behind the city. Comparing Adelaide wine tours? Pick your region first, then check what the fare pours.
They taste different because they sit in different country. The Barossa is warm valley floor and old vines. McLaren Vale runs down to the coast with a Mediterranean climate. The Hills are higher and cooler, and grow the whites and sparkling the other two do not.
The Barossa — about an hour north-east
Distance: about an hour's drive from the city, and 76 km from Adelaide Airport.
Size: Tourism Australia counts more than 150 wineries and 80 cellar doors, in one of the country's oldest wine regions.
Known for: rich reds and fortified wines. Seppeltsfield, established in 1851, pours its 100 Year Old Para Vintage Tawny in the Centennial Cellar. Chateau Tanunda, established in 1890, stands on the site of the valley's first winery and its first vineyards, planted in 1843.
On the tours: the Barossa is where most wine days from Adelaide go. They leave the city from about 8:45 to 10:00, and most include lunch.
McLaren Vale — 45 minutes south, towards the coast
Distance: 45 minutes south of the city, with 30 km of coastline along its western edge.
Known for: shiraz, which fills 54% of the region's 7,308 hectares of vines, then grenache and cabernet sauvignon. Spanish and Italian grapes such as fiano, vermentino and tempranillo do well in the Mediterranean climate.
History: wine has been made here since 1838. The region is free of phylloxera, and its Geographical Indication was registered in 1997.
On the tours: the Highlights, Hahndorf and McLaren Vale day spends 45 minutes each at Kay Brothers and Haselgrove Wines, with the tastings in the fare. The region's Grenache and Gourmet festival runs from 18 September to 5 October 2026.
The Adelaide Hills — the closest and the coolest
Distance: directly behind the city; Hahndorf is 25 to 30 minutes away.
Known for: cool-climate wine. The region's own list runs from chardonnay and pinot noir to sauvignon blanc, riesling, grüner veltliner, sparkling and a cool-climate shiraz.
History: South Australia's first vineyard was planted in 1836 by John Barton Hack in North Adelaide. He moved it to Echunga, near Mount Barker, in 1840, and in 1843 sent Queen Victoria a case of its wine. Many early Hills wineries went bankrupt in the early 1900s, and the region was revived in the 1970s and 1980s.
On the tours: the Hills hop-on hop-off bus loops the cellar doors for about five hours, and you pay each tasting as you go. The Cleland day adds an optional tasting stop. The village itself is on the Adelaide Hills.
The cellar doors on the tours
Here are the named cellar doors each region's tours visit. The list of tours shows which itineraries go there, so you can find the estate you want and work back to a day.
| Region | From Adelaide | Cellar doors on the tours | Tours |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Barossa | About an hour north-east | Kies Family Wines, Chateau Tanunda, Rosenvale, Chateau Yaldara, Hemera Estate, Ubertas, Seppeltsfield, Gibson, Atze's Corner, Laughing Jack | Premium Barossa tastings, lunch and chocolate Discover Barossa: four tastings and lunch Barossa four tastings and lunch (sold separately) Hahndorf and Barossa with gourmet lunch Barossa small group, eight guests at most Barossa hop-on hop-off bus Private Barossa day for up to four Barossa day from your Barossa stay |
| McLaren Vale | 45 minutes south | Kay Brothers, Haselgrove Wines | Highlights, Hahndorf and McLaren Vale wine day |
| The Adelaide Hills | Hahndorf in 25 to 30 minutes | The venues on the hop-on loop; a tasting stop on the Cleland day | Adelaide Hills hop-on hop-off bus Cleland Wildlife Park and Hahndorf day |
Know which region you want?
Compare the wine days by region, tastings in the fare, lunch and pickup.
Tasting fees, 18+ and drinking on the day
- Check who pays for the tastings. Most coach days from Adelaide include them. On the hop-on hop-off buses and the private Barossa day, each cellar door charges you.
- Check the age rule. The Barossa-stay day and the Stamford Plaza four-tastings day are sold to adults 18 and over. Others take children from 3 or 5.
- Check the bottle rule. The premium Barossa day allows no alcohol on the coach, so ask before you buy wine to take home.
- Eat. Lunch is in the fare on most Barossa days, but not on the hop-on buses or the private day.
- Driving yourself? Decide who is not drinking before the first cellar door, not after it.
Two regions in one day
You can pair the Hills with either of the other two, because the Hills sit between them and the city. The Hahndorf and Barossa day gives you 90 minutes in the village and about three hours in the Barossa. The Highlights day pairs 90 minutes in Hahndorf with 90 minutes at McLaren Vale cellar doors, and adds Mount Lofty Summit and Glenelg.
The Barossa and McLaren Vale sit on opposite sides of Adelaide, so no day tour links them. If you want both, give each its own day.
Adelaide's wine regions: your questions
Which wine region is closest to Adelaide?
Do I pay tasting fees on an Adelaide wine tour?
What is McLaren Vale known for?
Can non-drinkers join a wine day?
Can I visit Seppeltsfield on a tour?
Can I see two wine regions in one day?
Where these facts come from
- Tourism Australia: guide to the Barossa Valley
- Seppeltsfield: visit
- Chateau Tanunda
- McLaren Vale Grape Wine & Tourism Association: about
- Adelaide Hills Wine: our story
Hours and access change. Check with the venue before you travel.
Next: see where each day starts on the Adelaide tour map, or compare every wine day on Adelaide Australia Tours.