OzFest: The Barossa Valley
Shiraz from Oz: easy to remember, easy to find, usually easy on the pocketbook. You might have to be native to appreciate Marmite, but not so wines from the Barossa Valley. They probably hail from rugby fields where some sweet-natured blokes spit out some grape seeds, right? Voilà…wine!
Simply because they’re eminently drinkable doesn’t mean wines from Barossa aren’t a special breed.
Big and bold, wines from South Australia’s Barossa Valley have burst onto the world’s wine lists. Their unabashed confidence may make them seem youthful and perhaps naïve, but these wines have a proud lineage.
The Barossa is Australia’s Napa, producing nearly half its wine and attracting a flood of tourists to over 50 cellar doors set within a gilded landscape of festivals, food and stunning vistas. An hour’s drive north of Adelaide, it was first settled by sturdy Germanic immigrants, and is still home to many hearty 19th Century “bush” vines planted there.
Reds are the focus: Shiraz (also called Syrah; same grape), Grenache and Cabernet developing fast in the heat, harvested at full ripeness for bottles which are full-bodied yet soft, earthy and spicy. Balance is the key here.
While Barossa wines run the gamut in terms of price, one of the undeniable classics is 2005 Jacob’s Creek Shiraz Reserve. No fictional marketing, the label is named after the first vineyard of one Johan Grammp, a Barossa pioneer. His vision will bring a silky palate of coffee, berries and spice to your glass.