page_title: Barossa Valley (wine)
section_title: Grapes and wine
hierarchical_section_title: Barossa Valley (wine) / Grapes and wine
caption_attribution_description: English: Barossa Valley vineyards
context_page_description: 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.
context_section_description: While the Barossa Valley is most commonly associated with its signature grape variety of Shiraz, the region does grow a number of grape varieties. Among these other varieties are Riesling, Semillon, Chardonnay, Grenache, Mourvedre and Cabernet Sauvignon. The popularity of Syrah has sparked interest in the development of other Rhone varieties, with increase production of Grenache and Mourvedre (also known as Mataro in Australia) for both blending and varietal bottlings. Many of these vines are remnants of the Barossa's fortified wine history and such have substantial age themselves.
  Despite its reputation as a red wine region, the Barossa Valley does produce a large amount of white wine. Riesling has been historically important in the region but has gradually shifted eastward to higher elevations and cooler climates of the Barossa Ranges. Many Rieslings labelled with simply "Barossa" will often include more grapes from the cooler Eden Valley wine region than the Barossa Valley.  This is permitted as the geographical indication of the Barossa Zone also includes the Eden Valley wine region that borders the Barossa Valley wine region to the east and which has developed an international reputation for the quality of its Riesling.
  The plantings of Semillon in the Barossa Valley have evolved to develop its own unique pink-skinned clone that is distinctive from the Semillon found in its French homeland of Bordeaux or the internationally known Semillon from the Hunter Valley in New South Wales. Barossa Semillon is characterized by its full body, golden color and low acidity. Traditionally the wine was fermented in oak but in recent years has been produced more with stainless steel. Barossa Chardonnay is often oaked and subjected to malolactic fermentation which produces a big, full body creamy wine.
caption: Vineyards in the Barossa Valley at dusk
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