Barossa Wine

Barossa is one of the six wine-producing zones in South Australia. Barossa Valley, which is a region within the Barossa Zone is synonymously used to describe this zone although to be technically precise and according to the Australian Geographical Indications (GI) it should be considered as a separate entity as the grape-growing conditions within this entire area (which also includes Eden Valley and one of its sub-regions) varies immensely which is appropriately reflected in the marked difference in wine styles produced.

The Barossa zone lies northeast of Adelaide Hills and is a compact geographical unit with a variable landscape of high altitude terrain and flat valley floors. The overall climate is hard to categorize as the conditions vary not only due to the elevation but also the inland locations and the coastal influence. The valley floors are very hot during summer with temperatures often exceeding 95ºF (35ºC). This along with the scant rainfall and limited natural water in the soil makes irrigation essential. On the other hand, the higher areas are cool with distinctly high diurnal temperature variability which helps to bring out the best from both the aromatic varieties as well as assisting in achieving a high degree of phenolic ripeness in the grapes.

Shiraz and Riesling are the most notable grape varieties of the entire zone producing some of the best wines, not only in Australia but throughout the world. Please have a look at the Barossa and Eden Valley pages to know more about the style of wines based on these two classic varieties. Other very high quality wines are produced from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Semillon and Viognier. GSM style blends have also earned a high acclaim as the Grenache and Mourvèdre (also known as Mataro here) perform extremely well in the warm and dry climate. The zone is also a hotbed of experimentation with new vine varieties and interesting examples of wines made from grapes like Tempranillo and Zinfandel are also making their mark on the local and international markets.