The Secret Behind Barossa Shiraz
The hallowed grounds of winemaking, The Barossa, is internationally renown for its great red wines and primarily its Shiraz. Large proportions of Barossa Shiraz is used in Penfolds Grange (Australia’s most famous wine). Henschke Hill of Grace also uses Barossa Shiraz for their wine.
The Barossa is situated about an hours drive north of Adelaide. Something that surprises many people is that the Barossa actually encompasses two regions – the Barossa Valley and Eden Valley.
Stretching all the way from Williamstown in the South all the way up to Kapunda in the north, the Barossa Vally covers quite a sizable area of land. The rainfall here can be up to 50% less than in Eden Valley however The Barossa has the advantage of more fertile red-brown soil. Temperatures in these regions are about 2ºC warmer on average.
The Eden Valley region starts from the north at Truro and goes all the way south, down to Mount Pleasant. It ranges between 400 metres and 600 metres above sea-level with most of the winegrowing country located in the higher, cooler, wetter sections of the region. The region receives around 255mm more rainfall than its neighboring region and also has rockier, more acidic soil. The cooler temperatures in this region means that growing seasons are generally longer.
A number of wine aficionados may be wondering what this all means, well to put it bluntly – great growing conditions!
The Barossa has a rich history of growers, some stretching back up to six generations – in total there are about 550 growers in the region. Together, they produce an average of 55,000 tonnes of grapes each vintage, harvested from over 8,000 hectares of vines.
The Barossa has remained phylloxera free since growing first started here. This has allowed most of the wineries in the area to keep their original root stocks and has some of the worlds oldest vines.
Even though the Barossa represents about 5% of Australia’s national crush, the fruit produced is premium quality. Wines produced in the Barossa have a disproportionately high representation in the super-premium category, making it one of Austrlia’s most influential international wines.
Its easy to see why Barossa Shiraz is held in high regard amongst wine connoisseurs.
Follow the link for more information on Barossa Valley Shiraz .
