The famous Barossa wine region is home to some of the world's oldest-producing vines. The region is best known for producing iconic examples of shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, grenache, riesling and semillon.
These six wineries – Schubert Estate, Pine Drive Vineyards, Murray Street Vineyards, Kurtz Family Vineyards, Calabria Family Wines, and Artisans of Barossa – will get your itinerary started. Add them to your list.
Schubert Estate
Schubert Estate’s cellar door was transformed into a bespoke wine room earlier this year. Located on Roennfeldt Road, the freshly renovated residence represents a new chapter for Schubert Estate, and is an exciting wine destination in the Barossa. Guests of the wine room will be guided through a premium tasting of Schubert Estate wines, the winemaking approach, and the landscape of the Barossa and the subregion of Marananga.The wine room overlooks the estate vineyard – an estate that is 12ha that are separated into five vineyard blocks that are a patchwork of various soil profiles (from a friable black-grey clay topsoil over a slowly permeable clay with the coarse weathered rock below to loamy topsoil above red clay atop a carbonate layer and weathered rock), elevation and topography.
Chief winemaker Matthew Reynolds says: The people make the Barossa such an incredible place to make wine. The dedication to growing and making wine within the valley is shared by industry peers. Knowledge and experiences are shared openly, which brings commonality and richness to the community.
The Goose Yard Shiraz is our flagship wine – it comes from the finest single block within our estate vineyard. This wine speaks loudly of the site and the growing season, and captures the essence of the brand.
Local favourite spot: The Valley Hotel for the best Coopers Pale Ale, Apex Bakery, Barossa Smokehouse Butchers, Browns Donuts, The Farm Eatery at Maggie Beer, FermentAsian, and then the Heysen Trail for spectacular scenery.
Find out more | 61 Roennfeldt Raod, Marananga | (08) 8431 1457
Pine Drive Vineyards
Pine Drive Vineyards is located directly between the Moppa and Kalimna sub-districts, along Pine Drive, in the Barossa Valley. An area, owners Matthew Grayson and Bernadette Stewart call the Moppa Dunes. "We call this area Moppa Dunes as it is extremely rare and the only area in the Barossa that has extensive sand drift dunes which were deposited over 18,000 years ago during particularly fierce winds that blew during the colder period when more of the coastline was exposed."Each Pine Drive wine is crafted from grapes on the ancient Moppa Dunes or from other boutique, quality vineyards throughout the Ebenezer, Moppa and Eden Valley in South Australia. Using biodynamic viticulture and small-scale winemaking and Pine Drive create unique micro-terroir wines.
Across the 8.5ha of shiraz vineyards there is 1.66ha planted in 1964, 3.07ha planted in '90, 1.58ha in '93 and 2.14ha planted in 2017 – all vines are pruned and picked by hand.
Owners Matthew Grayson and Bernadette Stewart say: The landscape and location of our vineyard plays a leading role in determining the special character of our shiraz. While each vintage release of Pine Drive Shiraz expresses the unique character stamp of our vineyard, variations in climatic conditions each year do play a secondary role in determining subtle nuances in flavour and texture.
Local favourite spot: The Greenock Pub with our mates for a Friday lunch (that sometimes turns into dinner), The Stockwell Pub, Vintners Bar and Grill, and FermentAsian.
Find out more | 233 Pine Drive, Nuriootpa | 0404 029 412
Kurtz Family Vineyards
A visit to Kurtz Family Vineyards is an opportunity to see where it all happens. Meet with the grape grower, winemaker, cellarhand in the barrel shed of the winery, and discuss the winemaking process from pruning in the vineyard and plunging ferments in the winery to bottling – all while tasting a few wines.You'll quickly discover winemaker Steve Kurtz's passion for the land, and passion for creating wine from the Light Pass subregion of the Barossa Valley. Steve says what he loves about making wine in the Barossa is the region's consistency.
"We're located in the heart of the beautiful Barossa Valley, just minutes from the Barossa’s best restaurants. At Kurtz Family we produce value for money red wines that reflect the region.
"I produce wines at several different quality and pricing levels – the Seven Sleepers range is an ideal entry level wine, the Boundary Row range offers typical Barossan reds at an affordable price, and the Lunar Block and Schmick Shiraz are our flagship wines."
The vineyards sit on the gentle slope of the Penrice hills, and soils are brown loam over orange – red clay, free draining, frost free, prone to gully breezes, ensuring mostly disease-free production of high quality shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, grenache and mataro.
Tastings are by appointment only – please email Steve via steve@kurtzfamilyvineyards.com.au for more information or to organise your visit.
Local favourite spot: The Angas Park Hotel in Nuriootpa, Vintners Bar and Grill in Angaston and Char Barossa in Tanunda.
Find out more | 731 Light Pass Road, Angaston | 0418 810 982
Murray Street Vineyards
Murray Street’s Greenock winery is dedicated to small-batch artisan winemaking that utilises state-of-the-art equipment to harvest, destem, ferment, press, and operate the winery. The architecture pays homage to the golden age with its hilltop five-peaked silhouette.The tasting room is where guests can savour some of the fine, full-bodied red wines the Barossa is known for. Murray Street was founded two decades ago, and have since become a destination in the region.
The purpose-built winery boasts modern technology, enabling the team to deliver artisan winemaking that embodies a rare harmony of new technology and traditional methods. The winery overlooks eye-catching views of the winery courtyard, and the Barossa Valley’s northern skyline.
Murray Street has two estate vineyards located on the Western Ridge. A narrow strip of hills separates the Barossa Valley from Gulf St. Vincent. The flagship Greenock Vineyard hosts 80ha of Rhône and Bordeaux varieties, with some plantings of shiraz and grenache dating back over 70 years. Down the road is, perched on a hillside, is the Gomersal Vineyard – 40ha of shiraz and cabernet – planted in 15 individually managed blocks.
Head winemaker Ben Perkins says: The most popular grapes varietals dominating the Barossa Valley are shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, and grenache – all three are heroes planted at our Greenock Estate vineyard. When it comes to white wine, semillon is the heritage white varietal of the Barossa. Our Greenock vineyard has several acres of old vine semillon planted along Murray Street on the east side of cellar door.
Local favourite spot: The Greenock Tavern is a local favourite for a hearty pub meal that never disappoints. For South American cuisine, El Estanco is an absolute must-try. Vintners Bar and Grill offers an unforgettable dining experience. And if you're looking for something truly unique, be sure to check out Otherness Wines – a collaborative effort from local winemakers.
Find out more | 37 Murray Street, Greenock | (08) 8562 8373
Calabria Family Wines
Home to Italian hospitality, award-winning wines and rich history, Calabria Family Wines pride itself on creating a welcoming atmosphere. The family's Italian heritage and influence is embodied throughout the winery and cellar door.The Calabria Family Wines cellar door is a beautiful blend of historic charm and modern elegance. The building dates back to the 1800s and is crafted of gorgeous bluestone, which brings a unique and timeless character.
Calabria Family Wines is in a prime position for visitors looking to spend the afternoon exploring the surrounding area. A family friendly venue, there's a large lawn area where kids can take part in garden games (including cricket and bocce) and enjoy the beautiful Barossa Valley weather. Enjoy a wine flight tasting paddle, participate in private curated tastings, cuvée chocolate wine parings or the signature Barossa premium wine tastings.
Chief winemaker Emma Norbiato says: One of the things that makes our winery truly special is that we are home to some of the oldest vineyards in the Barossa, which were planted in 1914 and have been nurtured to craft our award-winning Calabria Iconic Shiraz. A wine that showcases the unique terroir of the Barossa Valley.
The Calabria family are custodians of three Barossa Valley vineyards. The jewel in the crown is the historic William vineyard. The vineyard comprises of nine rows of 100-year-old shiraz vines (centenarian vines) originally planted in 1914. This is the fruit that goes into the family's pinnacle: Calabria Iconic Grand Reserve Shiraz.
Local favourite spot: It would have to be FermentAsian and the Barossa Valley Chocolate Company.
Find out more | 284 Magnolia Road, Vine Vale | 0428 690 888
Artisans of Barossa
Nestled in the heart of the Barossa Valley, the Artisans of Barossa cellar door is home to more than 100 wines from eight independent family-owned winemakers all in one place.The Artisans of Barossa are John Duval Wines, Spinifex Wines, Sons of Eden, Lienert Vineyards, Schwarz Wine Co., Purple Hands Wines, Hobbs of Barossa Ranges and Chaffey Bros. Wine Co. Each independent winery sources grapes from subregions across the Barossa and Eden Valleys to create wines that speak of their sites.
The cellar door brings together boutique winemakers who are connected by their shared commitment to protect and promote the art of small-batch Barossa winemaking.
A must-visit destination for wine lovers and foodies – start your day at 10am in the Delikatessen and Providore (where the coffee is as good as the wine). Take part in a tasting at the wine lounge, before a contemporary lunch at Essen – where the focus is on local, seasonal produce.
Take in the stunning views of the Barossa Valley from the terrace and relax outdoors with a cheese board and bottle of your favourite Artisans of Barossa wine.
Wine to try: The Artisans of Barossa Grenache Project 2021 is a collaborative effort, bringing our winemakers together to explore the possibilities of Barossa wine expression from a single varietal.
Local favourite spot: We love the drive up the Northern Expressway and then along Gomersal Road into Tanunda for beautiful and seeping views of Barossa farmland. After visiting us, we recommend a glass of vino at Otherness in Angaston or a cocktail at Bar:Musque in Tanunda.
Find out more | 24 Vine Vale Road, Barossa Valley | (08) 8563 3935
