During your stay at Sequoia Lodge, there are endless experiences awaiting you, not only from our immersion packages but also in the surrounding Adelaide Hills region.
When you visit this part of Australia, one of the unmissable experiences is discovering the treasured wines of the region. The Adelaide Hills is a world-famous wine region that offers visitors the opportunity to learn about the rich cultural history, smell the fresh aroma of the vineyard, bask in the stunning settings, and of course, taste the incredible varieties of wine available.
If you can tear yourself away from the premium suites and divine setting of the Sequoia Lodge, we recommend visiting any of the following wineries of the region.
Artwine
Possessing a strong passion for Mediterranean wines, this family-run winery offers the largest range of emerging varieties in the Adelaide Hills. Ever since its establishment, Artwine has steadily maintained its dedication to expressive and exciting styles. So, if you’re a risk-taker looking to expand your palate or just simply a wine connoisseur trying to find the perfect food and wine combination, its cellar doors are open daily.
Over seventeen different wines are produced in their vineyards, with every single one planted in its best possible climatic condition. Each wine is grown with the utmost care and sustainable processes in place. After all, with great fruit comes great responsibility.
This is the perfect excursion to take before (or after if you fancy) joining our complimentary welcome tour at Sequoia Lodge.
Nepenthe
Tucked away in the heart of Adelaide Hills, Nepenthe observes a minimalistic mentality; they are firm believers in the veracious concept that good wine is made in the vineyard. Constantly experimenting with new techniques to capture the very essence of wine, the team at Nepenthe observe microclimates and even work with different vineyards to do so.
Crafted by the hands of wine masters, Nepenthe specializes in cool climate, fruit-driven wines, best known for their aromatic and textured palates. For a more immersive experience, you may also enjoy local charcuterie and cheese boards on their deck or on the lawns – a perfect place to enjoy the scenery.
Speaking of charcuterie, Sequoia also offers premium tasting plates put together by local artisan producers. After a day of sipping wine, there’s no better way to cleanse your palate than by trying our variety of meat, cheese, chocolate, and bread.
Deviation Road
Combine exciting wines and mature vineyards and you have the spectacular Deviation Road. With a specialty in sparkling and aromatic white wines, this picturesque winery is surrounded by protected bushland where you can enjoy your wine and regional platters in complete peace.
Deviation Road’s signature style embodies a perfect mixture of elegant and contemporary, driven by their zealous passion in creating premium bottle-fermented and aged Australian wines. It’s also worth mentioning that all of their wines are hand-crafted using only traditional, vegan-friendly techniques.
After your trip to this winery, end your evening right with a dinner under the stars, beside the glow of a comforting campfire. Sequoia also offers exclusive stargazing packages for you to indulge in.
Bremerton
Enjoy the atmosphere of a beautifully restored 1866 stone barn, tucked away in the vines at Langhorne Creek. Technically just outside of the Adelaide Hills region, guests are always welcome and encouraged to sample the range of Bremerton wines, which you can pair with a regionally inspired food platter.
With a communal dining and tasting area, as well as an upstairs gallery on the mezzanine level, this is a place made specifically for you to sit back, relax, and sip on fine wine. The warm and inviting atmosphere of the stone barn will have you never wanting to leave.
Before your relaxing trip to Bremerton, why not start your morning off with another enlightening, calming activity? You can sign up for a sunrise yoga session at Sequoia for a proper start to a stress-free day.
Mt. Lofty Ranges
Home to 19,000 vines planted in white quartz and sandstone soil, Mt. Lofty Ranges famously produces premium cool climate wines, all hand-pruned and hand-picked. Among their luxurious range includes Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Shiraz. This vineyard sits at one of the highest points of Adelaide Hills, boasting an opulent five-star cellar door and chef-hatted restaurant.
During warmer seasons, bask in the rustic atmosphere while sitting cozily out on the deck or in a corner private room, accentuated with large timber windows and bi-fold doors that let the fresh mountain breeze in. Come chillier seasons, there’s a 360 degree open indoor fireplace, plus three split-level decks that have lots of spots where you can soak up some much-needed sun.
Mt. Lofty Ranges is open every day for lunch and wine tastings. Their philosophy observes a strong emphasis on ethical local farming, which you can experience firsthand in their in-house restaurant that serves dishes abundant with seasonal and locally grown produce. There are options available for vegetarians and vegans as well.
But make sure to still save some room for the fine cuisine at Hardy’s Verandah, located at the Mount Lofty Estate and fully accessible for Sequoia Lodge guests. Besides ranking among the top 10 restaurants in Australia, this award-winning fine dining restaurant has received numerous accolades from the Good Food Guide, Gourmet Traveller, Gault Millau, and more.
K1 by Geoff Hardy
Sip on some of the best single estate wines in Australia whilst sitting on Geoff Hardy’s handcrafted wooden tasting bench centrepiece, created masterfully from 400-year-old red gum. Famous for its magnificent lakeside location, your experience at the K1 vineyard will certainly be every bit as spectacular as their award-winning wine.
Geoff purchased and developed the Pertaringa Vineyard in McLaren Vale after studying viticulture and wine. But because McLaren Vale proved too warm to be able to grow elite varieties such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, he started looking around the southern Adelaide Hills for the perfect terroir to produce cool climate grapes in.
It was in 1986 when he finally found the ideal site in Kuitpo, a historic geological area that’s 15 kilometres inland from McLaren Vale. This vineyard that Geoff grew here soon became known as ‘K1 by Geoff Hardy’ in which the first substantial planting of vines in the Kuitpo region can be found.
Today, the K1 has been recognised as one of Australia’s Top 10 Cellar Door Experiences in leading wine industry publications. James Halliday, also known as the most prominent wine writer of Australia, has even rated it as a 5 red star winery, a rare top rating that is only bestowed upon 10% of the wineries included in his Wine Companion.
You can discover these and many other incredible wineries of the Adelaide Hills when you stay at Sequoia.