Situated in the deep south of the Adelaide Hills wine region, Longview's beautifully appointed accommodation suites and homestead offer respite from the humdrum of your home life, and the chance to get away with a group of close friends right now.

Golden vines, drenched in the late Autumn sun, run away from the car in every direction as we pull up at the top of Longview Vineyard’s driveway.

Stepping out of the car, it’s hard to resist doing a complete 360º spin to take in the views across this luxurious wine estate on the edge of the historic town of Macclesfield.

Longview is a family-owned vineyard located in what Peter Saturno – managing director of Longview – dubs the southern Adelaide Hills.

“A couple hundred metres down the road and you’re on the Fleurieu Peninsula,” says Peter, as a way of demonstrating Longview’s unique position with respect to South Australia’s terroir.

Longview produce a dizzying array of wines and is probably most famous for the Piece Project and wines like Devil’s Elbow and Whippet. However, what we didn’t realise until today’s visit is that Longview has a substantial and high-quality accommodation business on site.

“We’re talking four-and-a-half-star accommodation,” says Peter, shocked that we didn’t know about this part of the Longview experience.

One of what Peter Saturno (pictured) has re-named “Longview’s self-isolation suites”

“We haven’t needed to close down, it is available now. It’s open. We’re not a caravan park, but, really, we have self-isolation suites,” he says with a nod to the predicament the world finds itself in right now.

“There’s no corridors, no hallways, no lifts. You check in in open air and you can be completely isolated from anybody. You don’t even need to see anyone from Longview to check in if you don’t want.”

We’re back to doing 360ºs again, spinning on the spot as Peter points over our shoulder at a beautiful old homestead overlooking the vineyards on the eastern side of the property.

Judging our interest has been piqued, Peter takes us across the property to the recently refurbished century-old homestead.

“There was a back sunroom in the homestead that had a sofa bed and a couple of bunks and we thought it wasn’t up to scratch, y’know?

“So we built two more suites with bathrooms attached and now you hire out the whole thing – you don’t have to hire it all – but if you’ve got a few couples looking to get together and get away from the city and just cook and eat and explore the region together, then you can open up the whole thing.”

Peter finishes talking almost on cue as we arrive at the threshold. He casts open the front door to a beautiful, enclosed verandah. Peter tells us they enclosed the verandah, insulated and air-conditioned the room so that groups could all gather and eat together here.

Above: The enclosed verandah of the classic homestead is fully insulated and heated. Also: The tastefully decorated and adorned front room of the homestead sets a good mood

Un-pretentious, yet refined accommodation that feels, of its place

“People can stay out there all day, all year round,” says Peter. “It’s that party room.”

Of course, Longview has been struck by COVID-19 in the same way as every winery in the state. There are no tastings being offered at the cellar door due to restrictions and the estate’s main revenue stream – weddings – have been postponed until further notice.

But Peter doesn’t bemoan the situation, he’s not even keen to spruik a “pivot” in his businses, but instead sees the global restrictions on travel as a massive opportunity for South Australians.

“One thing we want to say – and I think COVID-19, this shutdown, is a great opportunity to say it – is that we do have a lot to see on our doorstep and South Aussies don’t do enough in their own state.

“You do feel a million miles away up here, and you’re only 40 minutes from the city,” says Peter.

Here, on the border of the Adelaide Hills and the Fleurieu Peninsula you can imagine you’re on a grand European estate, but we agree with Peter that we don’t need to imagine we’re somewhere else.

Artwork by Peter Syndicas

Peter Saturno

From the stunning stone sculptures, by South Australian artist Peter Syndicas, of vine parts that resemble the human body and glow pink in the late afternoon sun, through to the beautifully edited and adorned classic Australian homestead that usually sleeps 12 (10 during COVID-19), and the aforementioned stunning array of wines, this place is quintessentially South Australian.

And as we leave, wishing we could stay, and those golden vines once again trace perfectly straight lines away and over the folds of the southern Adelaide Hills’ undulating topography, we are certain this place is as good as anywhere in the world.

Certainly, we’d rather be here than anywhere in Europe right now.

longviewvineyard.com.au