At Udder Delights (91 Main Rd, Hahndorf), you can buy Australia’s first raw milk blue cheese, King Saul, at a cool $150 for 500g, as well as enjoy a fondue or high tea. Woodside Cheese Wrights (22 Henry St, Woodside) has won national and international accolades for its cow and goat’s milk products. Owner Kris Lloyd continues to experiment and expand his range, which means you might taste something here before its wider release.

Having put most of the Hills cafes through their paces, Richard asserts that Aldgate Providore and cafe (220 Mount Barker Rd, Aldgate) is top dog for coffee. Its breakfasts are also recommended, whether you’re looking for a traditional fry-up, something sweeter, such as the vanilla-poached peaches with mascarpone on French toast. Both Latino and Spanish flavours take over later in the day and on Sunday afternoons, a giant paella is star of the show. The red-striped frontage stands out in a row of more traditional shops in Aldgate’s centre.

While the region’s wineries get most of the kudos, beer drinkers aren’t forgotten. The fun-lovin’ crew at Prancing Pony brewery have just moved to a larger shed (42 Mount Barker Rd, Totness), where you can find out why their fire-brewed ales are creating such a fuss. Lobethal Bierhaus (3A Main St, Lobethal) combines an award-winning brewery with a big, bustling diner. Order one of the house brews (try the 2014 gold-medallist Red Truck Porter) or a tasting paddle of eight different styles. Chef Jeffery Gebler’s seasonal menu might include pork cutlet with turnip and apple mash, or perhaps try the house-cured pastrami sandwich to help soak it all up. “It’s great in winter,” says Richard. “Casual and friendly, with really hearty food.”

Being airborne is the only way to find a more spectacular view of the Hills than the one from the hilltop cellar door of Pike & Joyce (730 Mawson Rd, Lenswood). Ask someone to point out distant landmarks or, if it’s overcast, relish the feeling of being above the clouds. Open Thursday to Sunday for tastings (don’t miss the gruner veltliner), as well as a short, weekly changing lunch menu that might include Port Lincoln snapper with fennel, bean and preserved lemon salad, and a SA regional platter.

One place fits all at The stirling Hotel (52 Mount Barker Rd, Stirling), which offers something for every taste and budget under the same roof. “The hotel is the busiest eating place in the Hills,” according to Richard. “It’s all things to all people.” So you can splash out with a top-shelf dinner in The Grill, drop into The Bistro for a burger – the salt & pepper chicken burger with bacon, aioli, guacamole and slaw is a winner – or a pizza (the pizzeria section has an atmosphere all its own). There’s also a cafe/bakery that keeps things ticking over during the day. Oh, and there’s an excellent bottle shop, too

The hypnotic beat and fine mist from the slowly turning paddlewheel make lunch on the deck at Bridgewater Mill (Mount Barker Rd, Bridgewater) a magical experience on a sunny afternoon. The new owners created a bigger and more weatherproof outdoor space, now open every day alongside the dining room, where visitors can sit and share platters of regional produce. The good news is that chef Zac Ronayne is staying on – so expect more of his beautiful melding of Asian and Western flavours – and a much broader wine choice, with Petaluma no longer in charge.

Fourth-generation family business Harris smokehouse (37 Main Rd) produces excellent hot- and cold-smoked salmon, classic British-style kippers, smoked English haddock and cod, and all manner of other smoked seafood, including local yellowtail kingfish and Coffin bay oysters. Watch the artisans in action at the shop, then load up on provisions to take away.

Big-name chefs such as David Thompson and Mark McNamara are among the luminaries who’ve taught classes at Sticky rice cooking school (96 Old Mt Barker Rd, Stirling). A superbly equipped kitchen means participants can all get their hands dirty and try to match the pros in the four-hour sessions, before sitting down to taste their handiwork with a glass of wine or beer. Sticky rice also has three luxurious and stylishly themed villas available, whether you have taken part in a class or not.

When there’s a chill in the air, the wood oven of Jimmies (6 Main St, Crafers) draws Hills dwellers like moths to a flame. Richard reckons they make the region’s best pizzas (try the pumpkin and zaatar), but the oven is also used to roast lamb on the bone or bake a cassoulet-style dish of duck confit and beans. “They support local produce and have great staff,” Richard says. “And there’s a good little list of beers. The dining room is relaxed and family-friendly but still intimate enough for a conversation.”

The little’uns will love the cubby house and chooks outside, and the blackboards and toys indoors, but there’s plenty to interest more discerning tastes at Patch Kitchen & Garden (143 Mount Barker Rd, Stirling). Open through the day for coffee and casual meals, Patch ramps things up after hours, serving dishes such as salt and pepper squid with a surprising salsa of cucumber, green olive and dill, or beef short ribs with sweetcorn polenta and a crunchy slaw. Herbs and vegies come from the garden or nearby, and even the brioche burger buns are baked in-house. If you’re visiting during the daytime, don’t forget to pick out a gorgeous arrangement from the Ivy Shed florist in the garden barn before you go.

Ah, that view… the sweeping panorama of vines, paddocks and ancient gums at The Lane vineyard (5 Ravenswood Ln, Hahndorf) makes it hard to focus on acclaimed chef James Brinklow’s menu, designed around whatever’s fresh and best in Hahndorf that morning. “James is one of our most talented chefs,” says Richard. “He doesn’t do completely out-there stuff, but does try different things. It’s a fantastic setting, too.” While a long, carefree lunch here is hard to top, the cellar door also offers tastings and snacks.

Wake up in the stately surrounds of Mount lofty house (74 Mount Lofty Summit Rd, Crafers). Find a sunny spot on the balcony and watch the morning mists curl over Piccadilly valley as you tuck into the Country house hot plate with a glass of bubbles. “They take a lot of pride in their breakfast,” Richard says, “finding the best eggs and making their own sausages.”

The once-dodgy Crafers hotel (4 Main St, Crafers) has undergone a remarkable transformation in the past year. Check out the names (Lafite, Romanee) on the wine-crate installation in the front bar for an idea of the treasures on offer. The new owner is a Burgundy nut, so expect the best of French and Aussie pinots, alongside bistro favourites including free-range chicken cobbler pie and more exotic options such as slipper lobster curry. As we write, renovations are ongoing, but this will be a must-visit on any Hills itinerary by the second half of 2015.