The Forbes have been growing fruit for generations, they've won many accolades around the national wine show circuit and supplied grapes to Southcorp for some of Australia's most favourite and memorable vintages. In their quest to craft the essential expression of Australian Pinot Gris, they have collated parcels of hand picked grapes from the balmy, elevated, cool ripening climes of Adelaide Hills. Juicy and decidedly varietal, Zilzie is vibrant with crisp orchard fruit characters and a brisk minerality before finishing, intense, savoury and refreshingly dry.

Gold Label is an ever evolving proposition, as emergent and resurgent genres in wine serve to enthuse the impassioned team at the House of Blass. As a prolific award winner, Gold Label inspires Wolf Blass to produce a beautifully perfumed, piquant style of Shiraz, endowed with a chewy palate of complex Rhonesque fruit. Viognier contributes lift without dominating, bringing winsome aromatics and Fleurs blanches, apricots and Frais des Bois.

Mighty Wolf Blass command the most superlative vineyards throughout the premier precincts of Australia's south, an elite inventory are specialized for the growing of grapes destined exclusively for superior sparkling wines. Gold Label is an assemblage of two thirds Chardonnay and balance of Pinot Noir, sourced from the most excellent sites in cool ripening Adelaide Hills, crafted to the full Methode traditionelle and fashioned for the most discerning palates.

Exclusively Adelaide Hills Chardonnay? You bet, it's a Wolf and it's nothing but the finest, in a modern adults only styling. Wolf Blass captures the affinity between Adelaide's Hills and Chardonnay, fashioning a vital wine with crunchy fruit characters and solid structure. High altitudes and a cool climate make Adelaide Hills the ideal location for Chardonnay, where the grapes develop elegant flavours while retaining cleansing natural acidity. Extended time resting on yeast lees adds creamy textures and exciting mouthfeel.

In 1947, Wirra Wirra patriarch Greg Trott lost the only watch he ever owned, from that day forth he never bothered with wearing a timepiece again. Confdent to the end that he could tell time by the sun, Trott was notoriously always late, hours and even days. Fortunately, his great legacy to the nation was unhurried and unstrained, to make great wine, one needs to ignore the clock and allow the magic of nature to determine its own course. Adelaide Hills Riesling at its finest, left to its own as it slowly vinifies over the course of weeks, without the distractions of a clock.

Greg Trott, the man who nursed Wirra Wirra back to health and re-introduced the estate's noble wines to the world, was a wanderer. A simple run to the local shops might evolve into an interstate luncheon. He would return a day or so later, bemused by the fuss. It seemed to all, that Trott was in training to become Olympic Hiding Champion and it became part of the folklore at Wirra Wirra. Sauvignon Blanc is sourced from Jeff and Ann Gower's spectacular Yandra Vineyard at Lenswood in Adelaide Hills and vinified into a rejuvenating, stylish young wine.

Wirra Wirra patriarch Greg Trott venerated cricket as the most noble of pursuits. He even built his very own concrete pitch at the family farm to emulate his heroes. Trotty aspired to wearing the famous baggy green cap of the national team, even if only to carry the drinks as twelfth man. It's a certainty that if the drinks tray offered Wirra Wirra, Trott would have been warmly welcomed as an essential member of the team. A sensation in Adelaide Hills Chardonnay, richly barrel fermented, a match to the freshest seafood or seared white meat recipes.

The Adelaide Hills make elegant yet solidly structured Shiraz. A number of individual parcels and rows on the Wicks estate vineyard are separately picked according to ripeness, treated to the rigors of hand plunging and pumpover, followed by a gentle press into a selection of seasoned and new French oak barriques for a term of age before the final, artful assemblage. A beautifully proportioned style of Shiraz, fleshy of red currants and dark indigo plum, juicy and plump yet chiselled and refined, wrapped around a framework of nimble brambleberry tannins and lithely spiced, nutmeg cedar oak.

Wicks Estate take Sauvignon Blanc very previously. Heading up the winemaking team is long time family friend Tim Knappstein. After many years experience with Sauvignon Blanc, Knappstein made a move to the Adelaide Hills where he played a major role in pioneering it as a premiere cool climate region. Knappstein's efforts are set to further Wicks Estate's reputation as one of the icon producers of Sauvignon Blanc in the Adelaide Hills. A charmingly perfumed effort maintaining the punch and lifted varietal character of the finest Sauvignon Blanc.

A stellar achiever around the national wine show circuit, Wicks have claimed significant trophy triumphs for the excellence of their Pinot Noir. After a long family history of orchard farming and viticulture in the Adelaide Hills, priority was given to the establishment of choice clones Pinot Noir along the scenic slopes at Woodside. Treated to the traditional old world regimens of hand plunging and open ferment, its fine, soft tannins in support of sweet rhubarb and lifted cherry, pastoral savouryness and sasafras spice, all the way to a brightly lit, apple cranberry peacock's tail in full bloom.

The gently undulating terroirs of Adelaide Hills provide a magnificent mesoclime for the full development of luscious white varietal grapes. It is here amongst the ancient red gums of Woodside, that the viticultural team can prune and manage vines to yield small berries of ripe and juicy Pinot Gris, bursting with succulent flavours and the most delicious fruit esters. An intriguing blend of characters ranging from green pear to white peach, a subtle layering of texture that delivers all the aromaticness and complexity which make Pinot Gris such an engaging and topical style of food friendly white.

Whole bunches and oak barrel ferments, the costly extravagance of three years tirage on sedimentery yeast lees, each bottle individually riddled by hand, disgorged and sent to cellar for the ultimate indulgence of extra age before release, Pamela is the zenith of the sparkling winemaker's art. Her luxurious effervescence exudes brioche, tarte tatin and French boulangere, her creamy textural mousse unravelling ribbons of rich yeasty autolysis, crème caramel and baked fruits. The prowess and perfection of true Methode Traditionnelle meets the sublime excellence of Adelaide Hills most outstanding harvest.

An estate harvest of Burgundian clones Chardonnay, finished to a style of the most sophisticated balance between bold varietal fruit and subtle savoury complexities. Grapes are destemmed and gently pressed, the slightly cloudy juices are racked directly to seasoned and new French oak barriques for a traditional, old world ferment. Batches are stirred weekly over the course of nine months maturation before assemblage. Truly a magnificent wine made in small batches for those who delight in the richness and exquisite balance of judiciously oaked Adelaide Hills Chardonnay.

From a splendid site in the northern alpines of Adelaide Hills, planted to closely husbanded Nero d'Avola vines, on an auspicious block of quartz clay alluvial soils at Kersbrook. Yields are very low, precious parcels of fully ripened grapes, redolent with freshness of fruit character, defined by their discerning regional eloquence. Unico Zelo take a great interest in the viticulture of Italian varietals, essentially dry grown and ecofriendly to native Australian fauna. A profuse, spicy food friendly style, judiciously dry, supported by toothsome licorice tannins.

Unico Zelo take delight from recycling and breathing life into wayward old sites. Exocarpos is crafted from the fruit of a long neglected Nebbiolo vineyard in the scrublands of Gumeracha, one of the first ever planted to Adelaide Hills. A dozen different clones have been treated to a traditionalist old world style of vinification, extended macerations and eighteen months in a selection of well seasoned larger format oak fudres. Defined by its fleshyness and black cherry olive savouryness, supported by supple yet structured, long elegant tannins.

An assemblage of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from three superior estate vineyards in Piccadilly Valley. Terre a Terre take a decidedly artisanal approach to Rosé, setting aside parcels of fruit, which exhibit the interest and complexity for an engagingly blush coloured wine, as influenced by the old world techniques of Sancerre and Bandol. Batches are whole bunch pressed into seasoned oak barriques for vinification and a course of maturation on gross sedimentery lees. Its comely Rosé de Provence hues presage an exquisite palate of fragrant summer berry characters and mouth wateringly, crisp saline minerality.

A matrimony between two illustrious winemaking families, Croser and Bizot, a pact between people of passion who know their Pinot Noir and take an artisanal, no expense spared approach. The east facing slope of Heysen Vineyard in Piccadilly Valley, populated with the meticulously husbanded Pommard clone, is closely cropped and rigorously thinned to optimize excellence of the harvest while reducing yields. Parcels of hand picked fruit are pressed into traditional one tonnes open top fermenters, followed by a course of age in an extravagantly high proportion of new French oak barrels.

The post modern style of Australian Sauvignon Blanc, effusive with aromatic herbaceousness, freshness and piquant tropical fruit on the bouquet, a generous palate and revitalizingly clean finish. Taylors have collated the ripest, most well endowed parcels of fruit from splendid Adelaide Hills vineyards. Components are treated to the most exacting vinification techiques, preserving the crisp expression of grapes in the vineyard for a wine that sings of spirited Sauvignon Blanc.

Tiers is a mere three hectares of intensively managed, closely planted, historically significant Chardonnay vines. The growing seasons at Piccadilly are uncannily similar to the microclimes of Burgundy and Dijon. Tiers Vineyard was the first site planted in the region since the nineteenth century and is at the centre of the Piccadilly Valley, at 450 metres, near the Petaluma wineworks and Brian Croser's home. The Chardonnay vines on Tiers Vineyard were derived from an old Davis California clone, originally imported from Mersault during the 1880s. A mere 300 dozen are produced.

Tapanappa are a joint venture of elite peerage, a vinous concord between Petaluma's Brian Croser, Champagne Bollinger and Chateau Lynch Bages. Brian Croser selected the Piccadilly Valley at the centre of the Adelaide Hills in 1978 because it provided the best terroirs in which to grow Chardonnay for Petaluma and for Croser sparkling. Grapes are all hand picked and destemmed into a high proportion of new French Vosges oak barriques for ferment through the action of home yeasts over the course of a cool Piccadilly Valley autumn. Ripe peaches, quince and fig, marzipan and vanilla oak complement the fresh fruit.

From superb vineyard sites in the slightly warmer sub regions of Adelaide Hills, specifically Hahndorf and Kuitpo. Each vintage, Starvedog Lane strive to produce intensely flavoured and finely structured wines that profile the best of the Adelaide Hills cool climate, it's great aspects and free draining soils.

Back to back Max Schubert Trophies Winner, Gold & Trophy Royal Melbourne for Best Other Varieties Red. It seems the 2006 Shiraz Viognier can't go anywhere these days without bringing a trophy home! Starvedog Lane knows from good grapes, it's the combination of styles that gives Starvedog Lane it's characteristics, offering plenty of the kind of flavours that make a really good wine. A hero of the Adelaide Hills, proving yet again what a great champion the Starvedog Lane wines are in the area of innovative wine styles.

A very complex blend, skillfully handled through a combination of old and new world winemaking techniques to ensure that the distinct aromas and flavours of the individual varietals were preserved. Following a meticulous selection of fruit from unique sites, the winemakers at Starvedog Lane were inspired to release a wine that defines the hallmarks of emerging varieties in Australia. With access to premium Tempranillo, Nebbiolo, Barbera and Sangiovese fruit from good vineyards in McLaren Vale, the 2005 Starvedog Lane Ibrido was created.

What constituted a lane, I suppose, was a large encampment of German emigrants who had pitched their tents in a parallel line on the opposite side of the row. They were recent arrivals from Germany by the ships Zebra and Prince George, and were the pioneers and founders of the little rural hamlet of Hahndorf.

Shiraz grapes in the Adelaide Hills ripen slowly and evenly resulting in spicey, intense expressions in the fruit. Shaw + Smith is a star performer, sourced from the carefully managed warmer sub-area of Macclesfield which provides structure and richness. The cooler climes of Balhannah yield a truly exciting new wave Shiraz with loads of clean pepper, spiceyness, concentration and palate weight to match. A brilliantly structured wine with great concentration of fruit flavours, a modern Australian expression with less reliance on oak, vibrant and bright.

The wine which launched Sauvignon Blanc, Shaw + Smith and Adelaide Hills as a unique and distinctive genre of wine, defined by its moreish pink grapefruit lustre, lavender perfumery, concentration of clean fruits and vegetable crispness, its gorgeous mineral texture. The enduring excellence of Shaw + Smith begins in the vineyard, the pick of crop from estate parcels at Lenswood and Balhannah, fruit must be immaculate, hand sorted to retain nothing but the cleanest grapes. With each new vintage, Shaw and Smith set a higher benchmark in new world Sauvignon Blanc.

Pinot Noir is the most temperamental of wine grape varieties and remains the ultimate challenge for many makers. Shaw + Smith have accepted the challenge, albeit in a highly exacting, small batch way. Site selection, the right clonal mix, miniscule yields and fastidious vineyard management are essential to success. A single vineyard wine from vines planted at a density of 2780 per hectare, to a select mixture of Burgundy's highly regarded 777 clone, as well as MV6, the backbone to many of Australia's finest editions of Pinot Noir.

M3 Chardonnay is sourced exclusively from a single site, the Shaw+Smith M3 property at Woodside, named after the three partners in the vineyard, brothers Michael and Matthew Hill Smith, along with cousin Martin Shaw. M3 is a major refinement in styling, a serious attempt to produce an exceptional Chardonnay with the capacity to age gracefully. A sophisticated, barrel fermented wine with pure fruit character and restrained oak, exhibiting great elegance and exquisite length. A must for all enthusiasts of stately white wine.

Sourced exclusively from Shaw + Smith's picturesque Lenswood property on Adelaide Hills, established 1999, a great amount of work on the ground has significantly enhanced the virtues of a truly amazing Chardonnay vineyard. Hand picked grapes are whole bunch pressed into a high proportion of new 500 Litres French oak puncheons for a rich course of barrel ferments and term of maturation on gross sedimentery lees. An exquisite, fine boned Chardonnay in new world Burgundian styling, so highly articulate of an exceptional vineyard site.

Shaw & Smith make nothing but the best, exemplars exhibiting the finest balance and most exquisite elegance, always offering greater palate weight, character and charm. A low yielding vineyard at Balhannah is at the heart of Shaw & Smith, yielding the most exceptional harvest, year in and year out. Inimitably Adelaide Hills, enhanced by the rich flavours and luxuriant tannins of pampered vines. An intensely currant flavoured rendition of Shiraz, supported by pliant, licorice tannins and seasoned by curls of fragrant tradewind spice.

Norm Doole and Drew Dowie were growers who took the plunge into vinifying their own fruit and who met with immediate success. Enlisting the help of marketer Leigh Gilligan, legendary winemaker Brian Light and renowned designer Barrie Tucker, the fledgling Dowie Doole brand was established in the 1990s. Essentially a McLaren Vale operation, the Dowie Doole team have spared no expense in retaining the finest of the Adelaide Hills harvest, for an exquisite Sauvignon Blance of crispness, juicy fruit flavours and cleansing mineral finish.

John Marshall forged his mother’s signature to enlist in the RAAF, he flew Tiger Moths and gained notoriety for his acumen at loop de loops. He is best remembered in vintages of Adelaide Hills Montipulciano, left to the influence of wild yeasts and a course of cold soak, hand plunged until sugar dry on the sixth day of ferment. Batches are pressed off skins to oak barrel for completion of malolactic and a judicious term of age. Unfiltered to bottle, evocative of black cherries, mulberry and redolence of cassis, bursting with the savouryness of sage leaf, olives and delish vinosity.