The Mount Lofty Ranges is a wine zone in SouthAustralia encompassing the wine regions of Adelaide Hills, Clare Valley and Adelaide Plains. It is named after the range of mountains to the east of the city of Adelaide.
In line with South Australia's other winegrowing areas, conditions within the zone are strongly influenced by variations in topography, including altitude, proximity to the coast and a wide array of soil types. As a result, the three Mount Lofty regions have different climatic and grape-growing conditions.
For example, the Adelaide Hills region has a distinctly cool Climate, which assists in the production of varieties such as Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling. It also specializes in Sparkling wines. By contrast, Adelaide Plains is very Warm, due to a lack of elevation, and mostly produces red wines. Clare Valley's wine production is ruled by its continental climate.
The Mount Lofty Ranges zone borders the Barossa Valley on three sides, but the Barossa and Eden Valleys fall within the Barossa Zone.
It is a crossbreed made in 1855 by Louis and Henri Bouschet from an intraspecific crossing between Grenache noir and Petit Bouschet. The Alicante Henri Bouschet is less and less multiplied, registered however in the Official Catalogue of the varieties of vine of wine grapes list A.
red wines from the region of Mount Lofty Ranges go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, veal or game (deer, venison) such as recipes of beef with mustard, pork shank stew or duck breast with pepper sauce.
On the nose in the region of Mount Lofty Ranges often reveals types of flavors of black fruit, smoke or non oak and sometimes also flavors of earth, oak or cherry. In the mouth in the region of Mount Lofty Ranges is a powerful with a nice freshness.
