Unico Zelo: Does this Adelaide Hills winemaker have a cellar door?

Unico Zelo in the Adelaide Hills doesn’t yet have a cellar door, but it’s owned by the same people as the Applewood Distillery in Gumeracha, so head there.

Unico Zelo is an Adelaide Hills winemaking operation that has been making considerable waves across Australia and beyond.

Unico Zelo cellar door

Based in the Adelaide Hills town of Gumeracha, Unico Zelo is the handiwork of Brendan and Laura Carter. The wine label doesn’t yet have a cellar door, but its founders are also behind the Applewood Distillery. Drop by the distillery in Gumeracha, and you can try the Unico Zelo wines.

Unico Zelo, Adelaide Hills, South Australia — Unico Zelo is run by the same people as the Applewood Distillery in Gumeracha. Photo courtesy of the Adelaide Hills Wine Region.

Brendan and Laura Carter have a bold mission statement, aiming to showcase Australian products to the rest of the world. There’s a particular focus on native Australian plants, studying the positive effects they can have on the land. Wherever possible, the Carters attempt to pass on stories through colours, flavours and textures.

Unico Zelo signature wines

That’s the high-minded stuff out of the way… So what wines does Unico Zelo make? Well, there’s a definite focus on Italian varietals. Nero d’Avola is the signature red varietal, but they also make a barbera, dolcetta and nebbiolo.

**15 fabulous Adelaide experiences to supercharge your visit**

DOLPHINS 🐬: Swim with wild dolphins, kayak with the resident bottlenose pod or watch them on a dolphin cruise.
FOOD AND WINE 🍷: Indulge on Adelaide food tour including Adelaide Central Market. Or try a wine discovery tour with tastings at the National Wine Centre. Or the ultimate Penfolds Magill Estate experience with full estate tour & Grange tasting.
WILDLIFE 🐨: Spot koalas on a guided Morialta nature hike. Or walk from Waterfall Gully to Mount Lofty with entrance to Cleland Wildlife Park.
CRUISES ⛵: Watch the sun set on a twilight coastal cruise, get to know the city on a Torrens River cruise or take a high tea cruise aboard the Popeye.
SPORT 🏏: Dare to take on the Adelaide Oval Roofclimb or enter the fabled scoreboard on the behind-the-scenes stadium tour.
ACTION 🚵‍♂️: Descend Mount Lofty on a downhill mountain bike tour or kayak along the Torrens River.

For white wines, fiano is Unico Zelo’s signature, but the winery also makes chardonnay, pinot gris and sauvignon blanc. For more information, visit the winery website.

The Adelaide Hills is the closest wine region to South Australian capital Adelaide. Gumeracha is just 37km to the north-east of Adelaide CBD – you can drive there in around 42 minutes.

If doing a self-guided day trip around the Adelaide Hills, other wineries worth visiting include the Lane Vineyard in Hahndorf, Golding Wines in Lobethal and the Howard Vineyard in Nairne. While around Nairne, try drinking Mismatch Brewing beers at Lot 100. There are also some cracking historic Adelaide Hills pubs. The Hahndorf Inn, Uraidla Hotel and Crafers Hotel are particularly notable examples.

Pick your perfect Adelaide day trips

Barossa Valley tours: 1. Wine-tasting with lunch 🍷. 2. Food and wine tour. 3. Small group wine tour with exclusive VIP tastings.
Kangaroo Island in a day – including sea lions 🦭, koalas 🐨and national parks.
Adelaide Hills tours: 1. Sights plus Murray River lunch cruise combo. 2. Small group cheese, chocolate & wine tour with Hahndorf German village.
McLaren Vale tours: 1. Small group wine tour with lunch. 2. Hop-on hop-off wineries tour 🍷. 3. Food and wine indulgence tour, including the gloriously weird d’Arenberg Cube.
Victor Harbor and southern highlights tour – including the Granite Island horse-drawn tram.