Wines of the Barossa Valley

« « How Does Wine Software Work? | Choosing Wall Mounted Wine Rack » »

Subscribe To Our Feed

The beautiful Barossa Valley, situated about 1 ¼ hours from of Adelaide, South Australia, and is world famous for its excellent wines. German settlers were the first to establish the Barossa region in 1842, in a quaint town named Bethany. Some of the original settlers from Germany brought some vine clippings with them to Australia and very soon realised the quality grapes that could be grown in the area due to its perfect Continental climate and its deep red clay soils. The Barossa Valley is best known for its production of red wines, and in particular for its quality Shiraz wines. But not only does the region produce bold reds, but also is known for its gentle white wines. The higher elevated hill regions of the Barossa region is where the white grape varieties grow best, and on the lower Barossa floor regions where the red grapes grow best, where the soils are rich deep red clay soils.

The more notable wines produced in the region include Penfolds, Schild Estate, Henschke, Cockatoo Ridge, Grant Burge, Langmeil, Rockford, Saltram, Bethany and Turkey Flat. There continue to be quite a variety of boutique wineries throughout the Barossa area still run as family businesses, as well as some of the larger commercially owned wineries.

Probably the most well known wine produced in the Barossa is the Penfolds “Grange”. Originally made by local winemaker Max Schubert in 1951 as an experimental vintage, the Penfolds “Grange” has, to date, received over 50 elite Gold international awards. The “Grange” is most notable for its quality to age well, and is sought after collectors item. In 2004 one of these 1951 vintage bottles sold at auction for just over AUS$50,000.

The Barossa region celebrates its rich wine growing heritage with a variety of yearly cultural festivals. The bi-annual Vintage Festival is the largest and most recognised celebration of the Barossa Valley’s wine growing industry. This Vintage Festival is held in April and is a celebration of the season’s vintage. One highlight of the Vintage Festival is the Vintage Ball.

The Barossa Valley’s wine making industry is an important aspect of the region, and its close ties with its German heritage is still very evident today.

Get Social, Bookmark Us!!: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.