Balhannah: Wine, History and Craft

Balhannah offers different starting points for a trip that brings together wine, crafts and traces of history. Wine tastings take centre stage at the Shaw + Smith Tasting Room, while a native flower farm and a craft shop appeal to other interests. The town’s history and two road routes through the Adelaide Hills can also give your trip its own direction. When choosing your holiday rental, you can consider which of these themes interests you most.

Wine tastings with different focuses

The Classic Wine Flight at the Shaw + Smith Tasting Room includes five wines from the current releases. The wines can be paired with seasonal small plates. This format puts the wine selection first, with the option of adding suitable small dishes.

Another experience at Shaw + Smith includes an extensive tour of the winery and vineyards. This is followed by an extended tasting with a selection of cheeses from the Cold-Larder range. If you would like to include a tour as well as a tasting, this experience offers a different focus from the Classic Wine Flight. Both options may be worth considering when planning a trip centred on wine.

The Route 9 Distillery in Balhannah also offers tasting experiences, including gin paddles and whisky-and-chocolate pairings. Alongside wine experiences, its offerings include other combinations that bring together different drinks and flavours.

Historic traces and local crafts

The Golden Cross Hotel in Balhannah was first licensed in 1850, and its façade has retained its appealing 19th-century character. St Thomas’s Anglican Church was built in 1865 on the site of an earlier Anglican church dating from the early 1850s. Both places offer a glimpse into the town’s history, while representing different periods and types of buildings.

The former Balhannah Copper, Bismuth and Gold Mine is also part of the historic heritage. The complex includes a boiler house, engine house, crusher house and chimney, and is listed as state heritage on the South Australia Heritage Register. Mining sets this part of the town’s history apart from its religious and architectural heritage.

Kidman Flower Co. and Field Trip offer another perspective on Balhannah. Kidman Flower Co. is a native flower farm; its listed offerings include farm-gate sales and flower-arranging masterclasses. Field Trip is a craft shop with a working studio for jewellery, clothing and homewares. Those looking to connect their trip more with flowers and design than with tastings will find different themes here to shape their plans.

Balhannah on the roads of the Adelaide Hills

The 34-kilometre Onkaparinga Valley Scenic Drive – B34 runs between the German village of Hahndorf and Birdwood, passing through or reaching Balhannah. Along the route are wineries, roadside stalls and several smaller towns. If you are interested in a drive with changing stops along the way, this route offers a different way to explore the area than a stay focused mainly on individual experiences in Balhannah.

Greenhill Road runs through the Adelaide Hills to the town of Balhannah. Along the way, it passes Cleland Conservation Park and goes through Summertown, Uraidla and Carey Gully. Both roads are useful reference points if you would like to make the journey itself part of your trip. Balhannah was connected to Adelaide by rail in 1883; the local station remained an important railway hub for the district for many years afterwards.

Shape your stay around your interests

When choosing a holiday rental, you can consider whether wine tastings, historic places, flowers and crafts, or driving along the roads mentioned will shape your stay. The town’s history and its range of experiences offer different themes, without requiring you to limit your trip to just one. If you would like to include other places in your plans, you can also find Walkerville, Noarlunga Downs, Oaklands Park, Glenelg, Aldgate, North Haven, Crafers and Cherry Gardens here.

For the broader travel overview: Adelaide.