Location - The Barossa region lies 60km north to north east of Adelaide’s CBD. It is commonly thought of as The Barossa Valley, though Barossa has two main regions. The Barossa Valley and Eden Valley.
Varieties Best Known - The Barossa as a whole is best known for producing Shiraz. Though equally you will often see red blends such as Shiraz Cabernet, Cabernet-Sauvignon and Merlot, and GSM comes from the region (for those still learning about wine, GSM is the combination of three different grapes varieties Grenache, Shiraz and Mourvèdre!).
When it comes to white wine the most common varieties are Chardonnay and dry Resiling’s, though also include Viognier, Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc.
The Barossa Valley and Eden Valley do produce different tasting wines. The Eden Valley set at the base of The Lofty Ranges is a cooler climate to that of Barossa Valley. This can change the nature of their wines from one area to the other. Soil also plays a part.
Wineries - Both areas are famous for their Shiraz, producing globally recognised names, Penfolds Grange and Henschke Hill of Grace.
There are over 150 wineries in the Barossa region and 80 cellar doors. Some names that come to mind are Peter Lehmans, Rockford, Grant Burge, Fernfield and Peter Seppelt Wines.
The Barossa region has vines over 100 years old, so as far as producing wine goes, it’s fair to say there are a lot of old hands making incredible wine. Great wines are certainly not limited to the famous brand names we have mentioned above.
One of our favourite fruit growers is Linke, a provider to some of the Barossa's famous names such as St Halletts and Langmeil. Five generations have continued the family business using two vineyards in the region. They have a vineyard on the western side of the Barossa ("Stonewall Block") and one and one at a lower elevation ("Dorrien") to produce their respective fruits.
Linke is a classic example of life behind the scenes in the Barossa region. Linke has been recognised at Penfolds as a "Top Shelf Grower".
If you love travelling, short stays or particularly Shiraz, then the Barossa region should be on your list of places to visit. Visiting the Barossa, you will unearth some unheard-of wineries that produce world class wine.
Naturally with that comes some incredible restaurants and food. Watch out for our monthly updates on some of the highlights when it comes to visiting the Barossa Valley and Eden Valley areas.
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Next month we’ll be talking about one our favourite places to eat in Victoria’s Yarra Valley!