Just a couple of leisurely hours by car from Adelaide, the Barossa Valley was discovered a century and a half ago as having the most appropriate soil and climate for growing winegrapes.
Silesian and English pioneers who had migrated to the Australian valley found winemaking fruitful, and in the 150 years or so since that time, the Barossa has grown as famous as its wines.
There’s hardly a good drop of Shiraz, Grenache or Riesling which hasn’t had its source in Barossa Valley soil – or so the Barossa people say.
The Barossa wineries now number more than 50 in the area between Mt. Pleasant and the Sturt Highway in the north. You come across such well-known names as Wolf Blass, Seppelts at Seppeltsfield, Penfolds, Kaiser-Stuhl, Saltram, Hardy’s, Leo Buring, Yalumba, St. Hallett, Bethany, Krondorf, Orlando and Chateau Yaldarra.
One of the best times to visit the Barossa wineries is during the Vintage Festival, which takes place during the Easter season. It is held every other year in the odd-numbered year.
