Barossa Viticulture

The Barossa has been proclaimed a viticultural zone by the Australian Geographic Indications Committee. It consists of two regions: the Barossa Valley, which extends from Lyndoch in the south to Kalimna, Moppa and Ebenezer in the northwest at an elevation of 200 to 300 metres above sea level; and Eden Valley which is slightly to the east at a higher elevation of 500 to 600 metres. The Barossa's vineyard area is approximately 17,000 acres, with an annual production approaching 85,000 tonnes.

The Barossa has a Mediterranean climate characterized by cool, wet winters, with temperatures between 8ºC and 20ºC and warm, dry summers where temperatures are generally between 30ºC and 35ºC. It is a reliable grape growing area with none of the disastrous extremes of climate experienced by many other wine regions around the world. For over 150 years the Barossa has traditionally been a dry grown (no irrigation) viticultural region, which has ensured maximum quality and flavour. While modern growers have resorted to some supplementary irrigation to maintain quality during drought, there is still a commitment to minimal use of water; as a result yields can be low.

Barossa soils vary: alluvial sands, the rich, fertile black soil of the Barossa Valley Floor, the infertile slopes overlying limestone in the Eden Valley, sandy loam over clay in the western Barossa. Such a wide range provides the basis for the Barossa's breadth of wine styles and characteristics and helps to produce high quality wines with great complexity and depth of flavour.