The Piccadilly Valley at the centre of the Adelaide Hills lies immediately to the east of the city of Adelaide behind Mt Lofty, the highest peak of the Adelaide Hills at 2,400 feet (732m). The Piccadilly Valley is the home of Petaluma and its famous Chardonnay and Croser sparkling wine.
Petaluma pioneered viticulture in the Piccadilly Valley and indeed the Adelaide Hills in 1978. The Piccadilly Valley is the highest rainfall at 45 inches per annum (1143mm) and coolest viticultural region in South Australia. The heat summation of the Piccadilly Valley is a mere 2117°F (1176°C) days.
The soils of the north-east facing slopes of Petaluma's distinguished vineyards in the Piccadilly Valley are free draining red brown earths. The geology of the valley is complex and most of the distinguished site vineyards are over the 850 million year old Woolshed Flat Shale, except for Tiers, which is over a 1,800 million year old seam of Calcsilicate.
