Warm to hot climate/Elevation 400-500m Clare is essentially continental with hot summers and cool/cold winters. However, the vineyards are mostly located at higher elevations. During the growing season moderating cool breezes funnel up the Clare’s corrugation of hills and gullies from the south. The soils are red brown chocolatey loams over shale allowing excellent drainage. Although snow is rare, the chill factor is something to behold. Some of the older vines are planted in the valley floor as rainfall is relatively low. Polish Hill and Watervale are important sub-regions. The Clare Valley has become particularly famous for its fruit-pure Rieslings and tight-knit Shirazes. Cabernet Sauvignon also performs quite well. Andrew Caillard MW, Langton's

Cool climate/Elevation 450m The Eden Valley, a sub region of the Barossa, is situated in the Barossa Range to the east overlooking the Barossa Valley. Because the topography is so varied and the climate neatly balanced, it produces a range of excellent wines. The soils in the Eden Valley are derived from schistic and sedimentary rock. They are mostly red clay soils and sandy silty loams interspersed with schistic gravels. This region is widely known for its Riesling as the high altitude and cool climate of the region produces wines with great complexity and capacity for long-term cellaring. The Eden Valley is also emerging as an important area for Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Water availability is a limiting factor in the spread of vineyards. Andrew Caillard MW, Langton's

<p>Warm climate/Elevation 50-200m There are three distinctive soil types: the sandy loams of Blewitt Springs; the darker soils of McLaren Flat; and the terra rossa over limestone soils further back near Chapel Hill. McLaren Vale is often referred to as Australia&rsquo;s mid-palate because of the mid-palate richness of its Shirazes. Famous for its Shiraz, this region also makes good Cabernet Sauvignons and Chardonnays. Langhorne Creek (a short distance south) is one of Australia&rsquo;s oldest wine regions. Significant plantings during the 1990s now makes it Australia&rsquo;s third largest wine producing region. Located on rich alluvial soils, flood irrigation is still used in some vineyards. The cooling breezes from Lake Alexandrina make this area marginally cooler than McLaren Vale. Andrew Caillard MW, Langton's</p>

<p>Colonel William Light, the South Australian colony&rsquo;s Surveyor-General, named the Barossa in 1837 after the site of an English victory over the French in the Spanish Peninsular War. In the mid-1800&rsquo;s Silesian and English immigrants settled in the area. The Barossa itself comprises two distinct sub-regions: Eden Valley and the warmer Barossa Valley floor at 270m.The Barossa Valley enjoys a warm Mediterranean climate characterised by hot dry summers and relatively low rainfall. Cool sea breezes from the Gulf of St Vincent modify the temperature, however hot northerly winds can occasionally dominate creating considerable vine stress. Many older established vineyards are dry-grown, but supplementary irrigation is also extensively used. The valley is comprised of rich brown soils and alluvial sands. A long history of uninterrupted viticulture in the area means the Barossa valley