Our family vineyard in the Barossa foothills is part of a project looking at the effect of ‘terroir’ on wine.
In 2014, Wine Innovation Cluster (WIC) winemakers made nine wines using Shiraz grapes from nine different Barossa vineyards. The wines were blind-tasted to look at the similarities and differences in flavours and textures.
This is part of the Barossa Grounds Project, which seeks to understand and communicate regional differences in the Barossa. Differences include soil, elevation and climate and how they affect the sensory profile of wine.
Our Schlinke’s Gully Vineyard represents the Barossa Foothills. Our estate Shiraz is a classic wine boasting intense cherry aromas and flavours and soft, fine-grained tannins.
The other eight ‘parishes’ or sub-regions included in the project are:
Gomersal, Lyndoch, Rowland Flat, Vine Vale, Northern Barossa, Stonewell/Marananga, Greenock/Seppeltsfield, Eden Valley South
The project encourages discussion and promotion of Barossa sub-regionality. It helps wine producers and consumers better understand the hallmark of place and origin.
The wines are analysed for sensory descriptors, then showcased to important audiences. These include consumers, trade, media, wine experts and people studying wine in Australia and overseas.
Bethany Wines has a longstanding commitment to the Barossa wine industry. Geoff Schrapel was chairman of the Barossa Winemakers Association when the geographical indications of Barossa, Eden Valley and Barossa Valley were finalised in 1996.
This was a ground-breaking move in Australian wine history. It highlighted the influence of ‘terroir’ on the sensory properties of wine produced in different parts of a region.
The Barossa Foothills covers Bethany, Krondorf and Vine Vale. Its black cracking clays (Biscay soils) are a key influence on the area’s wines. These vineyards are alluvial and fertile, which produces wines with intense red berry aromas and earthy undertones. These wines also have soft and inviting round middle palates and rarely display firm tannins.
