White ornamental pear blossoms lining the entrance to Golding Wines in spring

My Favourite Things to Do in the Adelaide Hills in Spring | Golding Wines

October 13, 2026 Lucy Golding

If there was ever a season to put a pep in your step, it has to be spring! Longer days, sunshine on your skin and gardens bursting with new growth and blossom. It's a tonic for the soul after a long, cold winter and a beautiful time of year in the Adelaide Hills.

Of course, spring can be a fickle thing, so we're always prepared for a bit of everything up here! We never quite pack away the firewood and chair blankets, but we always have the shade umbrellas on hand. Taking each day as it comes is definitely the spring mindset here at Golding Wines.

I might be biased, but I think there's something particularly beautiful about spring in the Adelaide Hills. So here are a few of my favourite things about the season up here.

The Golding Wines garden in bloom

Is it OK to have a favourite tree in the garden? I feel like that's a little like picking your favourite child. Well, I'm going there (even though I love them all).

For me, it has to be our ornamental pear trees. They are just spectacular when covered in their spring blossoms. I look forward to their 'pop' in September each year, as it really does herald the beginning of spring in our gardens.

Sure, their blossom can be a little strong if you catch them on their peak day, but that smell is obviously intoxicating to the bees because they go absolutely crazy for those blooms! They were some of the first trees we planted in our gardens and boy, do they deliver every year.

La Vallata Light Red – straight from the fridge

This is the wine I'm reaching for this spring and it's perfectly on trend. I'm serving it to friends straight from the fridge as a delicious chilled light red, but my personal preference is to enjoy it as a spritz at aperitivo time.

Golding Wines La Vallata Light Red bottle alongside a refreshing red wine spritz with orange, enjoyed in the spring sunshine.

Anyone who knows me well will know that you'll often find a Campari soda or Negroni in my glass, so I've created a lil' something I like to call the Val'groni Spritz. It ticks all the boxes for me when it comes to enjoying our La Vallata light red. Give it a try for yourself -Val'groni Spritz.

This spring I'm serving it with tasty aperitivo snacks. Think chargrilled chorizo and roasted capsicum on crusty bread, homemade spiced hummus and my all-time favourite, potato chips.

I haven't met a crisp that I don't like. Add a glass of chilled red and a group of mates and I'm one happy gal.

Long lunches outside again

Guests are eating a shared lunch sitting at a table in the garden at Golding Wines in the Adelaide Hills.

Nothing makes me happier than seeing our terraces filled with guests chatting over lunch, enjoying the sunshine and fresh Hills air. After months of cosy fireside dining, there's something pretty special about moving outdoors again, settling in under the trees and letting a long lunch unfold at its own pace.

Our Ginkgo Restaurant follows the seasons in so many ways. From the produce we use and the dishes we create to the very spaces where we serve our guests, everything shifts with the time of year. It's also a great time of year to gather with some friends and enjoy one of our picnic experiences.

I think that's what makes dining in the Adelaide Hills such a special experience. Every season brings something different to the table, and spring is certainly one of my favourites.

Walking the Adelaide Hills trails

Connecting with nature is so good for the soul, and we're lucky to have so many amazing walking trails across the Adelaide Hills. Whether you're looking for a long hike or a shorter loop, there's a trail to suit pretty much every occasion. The added bonus in spring is the native wildflowers and plenty of wildlife to spot along the way.

Alfie the black and white border collie, Golding Wines dog, walking on a lead on an Adelaide Hills trail.

My favourite longer trails to hit up as the days lengthen and warm up are the Wine Shanty Trail and the Crafers to Mt Lofty Trail.

For shorter, dog-friendly walks (because Alfie loves to hit the trails too), I head to Woorabinda Reserve in Stirling or the Fairy Garden walk, starting at the Bridgewater Mill and heading as far as the Tiersman Bridge, where the Heysen Trail begins and dogs are not allowed.

Carolyn, the owner of Storison gift sore in Hahndorf is standing out the front of her shop. There are hanging baskets and good out the front.

Local retail therapy in the Adelaide Hills

The season for gifting is almost upon us, and if you're like me and prefer to get ahead of the Christmas rush, here are a few of my favourite Adelaide Hills stores to visit for something special.

Storison | Hahndorf

A Hills mecca for gifting, and Carolyn's gift wrapping is the best!

Peregrine Store | Gumeracha

The perfect store for creative types, lovers of the great outdoors and those who appreciate handcrafted quality. Jessie stocks beautiful items sourced from all around the world.

Fabrik | Lobethal

A beautifully curated selection of local makers' wares. Perfect for those who love something creative and handmade.

Rustic Wren | Lobethal

For lovers of quality handcrafted leather goods, especially journals. Jess has a beautiful workshop and retail space to explore.

Cleveland Nursery | Stirling

For the plant lovers. Sarah has a great range of indoor and outdoor plants, along with a beautiful collection of homewares and gifts.

Supporting local business is a total pleasure when we have such beautiful options to choose from.

Eating fresh food

I love a good salad, and spring is THE perfect time to delve back into the world of crunch and flavour after a winter of delicious soups and richer fare.

Eating lighter and brighter just makes sense at this time of year. The herbs and salad leaves in the garden are flourishing once again, which means salads are firmly back on the menu.

Fresh Vietnamese chicken salad with herbs, lime and crunchy vegetables, paired with Golding Wines Spruiker Pinot Gris from the Adelaide Hills.

(Image credit; recipetineats.com)

This Vietnamese Chicken Salad from RecipeTin Eats has been on high rotation in our house over the last few weeks. Give it a try and pair it with a glass of our Spruiker Pinot Gris for a delicious, flavour-packed alfresco dinner. Just perfect for a spring evening in the Adelaide Hills.

Faffing about at home

Has someone done a PhD on the link between the arrival of spring and the urge to just faff? I guess spring cleaning earned its own genre of cleaning somehow, so I'm running with a quasi-scientific link here to justify my need to just faff about!

Things have been moved around and found new places to sit in the house, punnets of herbs have been planted and overwintered outdoor plants have finally received the TLC they've been needing for months.

Sunlit garden terrace with colourful spring flowers, potted plants and red wicker chairs, alongside Alfie, the Golding Wines dog.

For me, our back deck at home is where much of the faffing happens. Among my plants, coffee in hand, Alfie by my side, snipping leaves, repotting plants and spending time with our family in the sunshine.

Simple spring moments that fill me with happiness.

And really, that's what I love most about spring. All those little things that make you happy to be outside again.

Until next time,

Lucy