Long before it was wine country, the Adelaide Hills was orchard country. That heritage lives on in a modern cider scene pressing dry, complex drinks from genuine local fruit.
Long before the Adelaide Hills was famous for cool-climate wine, it was famous for apples. The deep volcanic soils and cold winters of districts like Lenswood and Forest Range made this one of Australia's great apple-growing regions, and the old packing sheds and cool stores still dot the landscape. Some now make wine; others have turned full circle and gone back to fruit.
A return to the orchard
The modern Hills cider movement is built on a simple idea: real cider from real apples. The Hills Cider Company near Oakbank helped lead the charge, pressing dry, food-friendly cider from local fruit rather than the sweet commercial stuff. Across the region, makers like Lobethal Road Cidery work the same seam, fermenting apple and pear into something closer to wine than soft drink.
How to taste it
Good cider rewards the same attention as wine. Look for genuine fruit character, a dry finish and the variety of the apple coming through. Many cideries pour tasting paddles that run from a classic apple through pear and small-batch experiments, often alongside food trucks and lawns made for a lazy afternoon.
Make a day of it
Cider pairs naturally with the Hills' other drinks. String a cidery or two together with a craft brewery and a distillery — the precinct at Oakbank lets you do all three within a short walk — and you have a full day that has nothing to do with grapes and everything to do with the region's orchard soul.
