This region is known nationally and internationally for it's big, opulent reds, especially Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignons, but it also produces some well known Semillons and Chardonnays. The Barossa's wine growing traditions date back to the 1840's when German and Lutheran immigrants planted vine cutting they had brought from Europe, most notably Syrah from France's Rhone Valley. These same vines may now be some of the world's oldest having survived the diseases which decimated large swathes of Europe's vineyards in the late 19th Century. These gnarled and ancient vines now only produce tiny bunches of fruit, but it's their age that gives these Syrah (Shiraz) wines their famous highly concentrated, palate drenching flavours.

Grenache grapes from vines of a similar period are also grown with the other red grapes on the dry, clay valley floor, while in the cooler regions at the foothills of the surrounding mountains some of Australia's best Rieslings develop.

Some of the biggest names in Australian wine have their major wineries here including Penfolds (and the most famous of Australian wines, the Penfolds Grange.), Yalumba, Peter Lehman, Orlando (Jacobs Creek) and Wolf Blass along with more than 70 other smaller wine producers; but many of these wineries now ship in grapes from other parts of the country as the vineyards here are prized for their low but quality yields.

The region itself has retained the look of it's early German and Lutheran settlers and as well as the vine lined plains there are pretty European looking villages with Lutheran many spired churches.

There are over 60 cellar doors popping up amongst the vines which line the valley floor offering tastings to visitors, most which are free or quite cheap.

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Written by  Kat Mackintosh.

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