Petaluma

Petaluma is one of those wonderful wineries where the sum of the parts is most definitely more than the whole. This is because it has taken a very unique approach to sourcing the most suitable grapes from several of South Australia's greatest regions. Also, very aware of the environment around the vines, water use in the vineyards is 80% less than the industry average and the viticulture is based on an underlying organic approach with minimal spraying and an integrated pest management system in place. The Hanlin Hill vineyard in the Clare Valley, planted in 1968 at an altitude of 500m, provides Riesling grapes defined by their backbone of high acidity with limey intensity and slate nuances.

Seven higher altitude sites dotted all around the Piccadilly Valley, just nestled behind Mount Lofty, provide Chardonnay of great purity and concentration, including the fruit that goes into the legendary Tiers vineyard Chardonnay, one of Australia's icons. Thirty kilometers east Mount Barker is known for its micaceous schist soils and its climatic balance between the warming influence of the plains to the north and the cooling effect of the cold southern ocean. Here Shiraz and Viognier prosper and always provide elegance and good natural acidity.

Meanwhile down south in Coonawarra, the Evans Vineyard, purchased from the late, great Len Evans in 1978, with its Terra Rossa soils and maritime influences provides the perfect hunting ground for Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The Coonawarra wine, as well as the others, is marked by great elegance and balance. These aren't blockbuster bottles and they have great ageing potential. As such they have for a long time been lauded as Australia's answer to European fine wine.