Barossa Valley

Barossa Valley is the South Australia's birthplace, currently into its fifth generation, dating back to 1839 when George Fife Angas’ South Australian Company bought 28,000 acres at a £1/acre & sold them onto landed gentry, mostly German Lutherans & certainly no convicts. 1843 saw the first vines planted in Bethany & by the 1870s, with Europe ravaged by War & phylloxera, Gladstone’s UK government complimented its colonies with preferential duties. Fortified wines, strong enough to survive the 20,000 km journey flooded the UK market. Churchill followed, between the Wars, re-affirming Australia’s position as a leading supplier of ‘Empire wines’. Post WWII mass European immigration saw a move to lighter wines, as confirmed by Grange Hermitage’s creation during the 1950s. Stainless steel vats & refrigeration improved the quality of the dry table wines on offer, with table wine consumption exceeding fortified for the first time in 1970.

Averaging 200-400 metres altitude, the region covers 6500 ha of mainly terra rosa loam over limestone as well as some warmers sandier sites; the Cambrian limestone being far more visible along the eastern boundary - the Barossa Ranges - with Eden Valley. Following a diagonal shape, Lyndoch at the southern end nearest the Gulf St Vincent is the region’s coolest spot benefiting from sea fogs, while Nurioopta further north is warmer. Hot northerlies can be offset by sea breezes. The region is also home to the country’s largest concentration of 100 year old vine Shiraz, Grenache and Mourvedre.

Barossa Valley Shiraz is one of the country’s most identifiable and famous red wine styles, produced to a high quality by the likes of Rockford, Elderton, Torbreck and Dean Hewitson. Grenache and Mourvèdre are two of the region’s hidden gems, often blended with Shiraz, yet occasionally released as single vineyard such as Hewitson’s ‘Old Garden’, whose vines dating back to 1853. Cabernet Sauvignon is a less highly regarded cultivar.

Wines are traditionally vinified in open concrete fermenters before being cleaned up & finished in American & french oak barrels/puncheons of approx 600 litres. Barossa Shiraz should be rich, spicy & suave with hints of leather & pepper.