The Barossa Valley wine region is one of Australia's oldest and most premier wine regions. Located in South Australia, the Barossa Valley is about 56 km northeast of the city of Adelaide. Unlike most of Australia whose wine industry was heavily influenced by the British, the wine industry of the Barossa Valley was founded by German settlers fleeing persecution from the Prussian province of Silesia. The warm continental climate of the region promoted the production of very ripe grapes that was the linchpin of the early Australian fortified wine industry. As the modern Australian wine industry shifted towards red table wines in the mid-20th century, the Barossa Valley fell out of favor due to its reputation for being largely a Syrah from producers whose grapes were destined for blending. During this period the name "Barossa Valley" rarely appeared on wine labels. In the 1980s, the emergence of several boutique families specializing in old vine Shiraz wines began to capture international attention for the distinctive style of Barossa Shiraz, a full bodied red wine with rich chocolate and spice notes. This led to a renaissance in the Barossa Valley which catapulted the region to the forefront of the Australian wine industry.
Aerial view of the Barossa Valley
George Angas and the South Australian Company promised Sileasian refugees safe passage and land in the Barossa Valley, ushering in the Germanic influence that would shape the Barossa wine industry.
The foothills of the Barossa Ranges offers macroclimates that are quite distinct from the flatter valley floor vineyards featured in lead picture above.
Grapes in the Barossa Valley can get very ripe with high sugar and low acid levels.
The Australian wine industry is one of the world's largest exporters of wine, with approximately 800 million out of the 1.2 to 1.3 billion litres produced annually exported to overseas markets. The wine industry is a significant contributor to the Australian economy through production, employment, export, and tourism.
The wine shelf at Saltbox
Audrey Wilkinson vineyard in the Hunter Valley.
A vineyard in Tasmania
Grapevines at Russet Ridge Winery near Naracoorte in the Wrattonbully region