Barossa is one of the six wine-producing zones of SouthAustralia, and arguably the most recognized name in the Australian wine industry. Barossa wines have attracted more international awards than any other region in the country.
It is divided into two sections: the western Barossa Valley (effectively the Warmer valley floor) and on the eastern side the cooler, higher altitude Eden Valley, both of which have a distinct Geographical Indication (GI) formalized in 1997. Grapegrowing conditions vary immensely across the wider Barossa zone and this is reflected in the markedly different wine styles produced here.
Shiraz accounted for 56 percent of all plantings in the Barossa zone in 2017, focused on the Barossa Valley floor. Barossa Shiraz has traditionally been made in an intense, Powerful, expression, and is arguably Australia's most famous wine style. Riesling is particularly prominent in the Eden Valley, and can also reach quality levels comparable to any other global region.
Other very high quality Barossa wines are produced from Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Chardonnay, Semillon and Viognier.
Additionally, GSM-style blends have earned high acclaim, as Grenache and Mourvedre (also known as Mataro in the region) perform extremely well in Barossa's warm and DryClimate. Recently the zone has also been a hotbed of experimentation, with NewVine varieties such as Tempranillo and Zinfandel making their mark on local and international markets.
The Barossa zone lies northeast of Adelaide Hills and is a compact geographical unit with a variable landscape of gently elevated terrain and flat valley floors. The overall climate is hard to categorize as conditions vary – not only due to the elevation but also because of the inland locations and the coastal influence.
Cinsaut noir is a grape variety that originated in France (Provence). It produces a variety of grape specially used for wine making. It is rare to find this grape to eat on our tables. This variety of grape is characterized by large bunches and large grapes. Cinsaut noir can be found in several vineyards: South-West, Cognac, Bordeaux, Provence & Corsica, Rhône valley, Languedoc & Roussillon, Loire valley, Savoie & Bugey, Beaujolais, Armagnac.
red wines from the region of Barossa go well with generally quite well with dishes of beef, pasta or lamb such as recipes of millet with gruyere cheese, pasta with mussels or marielle's lamb and eggplant parmentier.
On the nose in the region of Barossa often reveals types of flavors of cherry, peach or cocoa and sometimes also flavors of apricot, cranberry or red cherry. In the mouth in the region of Barossa is a powerful with a nice balance between acidity and tannins.
Following a tradition established by pioneer Barossa winemaker Benno Seppelt – who laid down a barrel of vintage fortified with instructions not to issue it for 100 years – the 1923 Para Centenary Tawny was released on 16 February 2023 to coincide with the day the Seppelt family moved into its western Barossa homestead on the Seppeltsfield property in 1851. While honouring and respecting history, Seppeltsfield has also broken with tradition this year by introducing new packaging it hopes is attu ...
Tina Gellie, Content Manager and Regional Editor (Australia, South Africa, New Zealand & Canada) It was a big year of Decanter travel for me, heading to Napa and New York in June, South Africa in October and most recently a week each in Margaret River and South Australia. These trips have formed the basis of my festive selections. Christmas lunch on North Stradbroke Island (reunited with my family after four years, no thanks to Covid) always starts with oysters, followed by a bucket of prawn ...
Robert Mondavi Winery is the latest winery to join the NFT craze and its upcoming launch could be pivotal in determining if and how the rest of the wine industry will adopt cryptocurrency in the future. Consisting of a unique generative art piece that’s also attached to future experiences at the winery, Mondavi’s NFTs will accompany 1,966 1.5-litre porcelain wine bottles created in partnership with Bernardaud, the renowned French porcelain house that dates back to 1863. The porcelain bottles are ...
