Lenswood is a sub-region of Adelaide Hills, within the Mount Lofty Ranges zone of South Australia. It derives its name from the town of the same name. The wine industry here co-exists with other horticultural activities – especially apple growing, for which the area is famous. Lenswood is an up-and-coming region with a special mesoclimate that is ideally suited to quality wine production. This has made it a force to reckon with when compared with South Australia's other premium wine-growing areas.
Lenswood is known for its cool climate, which is mainly due to altitude but also because of the region's misty and somewhat wet conditions. The mean maximum temperature does not generally go beyond 65F (18.4C) while average annual rainfall reaches 40 inches (1016mm). As with wine regions elsewhere in the world with a similar climate, the location of vines on specific sites is important here to ensure maximum utilization of the available sunlight and achieve optimum maturity. Therefore, the best fruits come from vineyards thoughtfully matched to a local terroir.
The region's cool climate is best suited to early maturing varieties, such as Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Merlot. Some local producers have also specialized in sparkling wine production. The high natural acidity retained in the grapes means that wine styles here are crisp, fresh, fruit-forward and with plenty of varietal aromas.
