Eden Valley wine region is a wine region located in South Australia immediately north of the capital city of Adelaide which covers an area in the Mount Lofty Ranges extending from Truro in the north to just south of Springton in the south. The region received appellation as an Australian Geographical Indication in 1997 and as of 2014, it is represented by at least 36 wineries.
Vineyards in the Eden Valley, South Australia
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.