Wine & Food

In South Australia, the Adelaide Hills are also called the city's pantry. That reputation doesn't come from the vineyards, but from the orchards in between. Between mid-November and mid-January, so many cherries ripen here that half of Adelaide comes out to pick their own, and in autumn apples follow, straight from the tree.

Add to that a Prussian heritage. In Hahndorf, bakeries still bake German bread and cakes from old recipes to this day. In the cold rooms of the Udder Delights cheesery, fresh and semi-hard cheeses ripen, made from milk from the surrounding pastures. A plate of bratwurst, sauerkraut, and a hearty loaf from there is the most honest food the region has to offer.

A delicate Sauvignon Blanc no longer suits such hearty food. A Pinot Noir from Lenswood works better: its pale fruit and mild tannin carry the fat and acidity of the sauerkraut without fighting against it. A young, uncomplicated wine is entirely sufficient here, since the sausage should stay front and center.

Fresh goat cheese and a salad with raw asparagus, as it grows everywhere in the Adelaide Hills in spring, call instead for exactly the green, acid-driven side of Sauvignon Blanc. The herbal note in the wine and in the vegetable run in parallel. The acidity cuts through the creaminess of the cheese.

The cherries themselves deserve the finale, best enjoyed plain with a piece of aged cheese and a glass of sparkling wine from the Piccadilly Valley. The fine carbonation lifts the fruit's sweetness rather than overwhelming it. The brioche note from bottle fermentation pairs surprisingly well with aged cheese.