More about Barossa

fatloong

I first thinking of reply to the thread, but then realise there is quite a lot I want to say, and Barossa is so popular among HK people, so decided to open a separate thread.

First, one must know the difference between "Barossa" and "Barossa Valley".  Barossa is the larger area that include both Barossa Valley and Eden Valley.  As said in that article, Barossa Valley is in the lower altitude area and is thus hot climate.  Eden Valley is on the hill and is much cooler due to the altitude and the wind.

About 10 years ago, the market like powerful, full bodied red wines.  Shiraz from Barossa Valley, typically aged in American barrels, were very popular.  Wines from Barossa Valley was considered better quality than wines from Barossa (which may include grapes from Eden Valley).  However, the trend has changed and people now prefer more elegant red wines.  Producers has changed from Barossa Valley to Barossa, to raise elegance by adding shiraz grown in the cold climate in Eden Valley.  Also 50% American barrel and 50% French barrel is now the norm.  A good example is John DuVal who worked in Penfold since 1974, appointed as Chief Wine Maker in 1986 until he left in 2002 to make his own wine.  His own shiraz was originally Barossa Valley, but in 2007 changed to Barossa because he want more Eden Valley grapes for elegance.




The real treasure in Barossa Valley are those 100+ (some are even 150+) year old Shiraz and Grenache trees, which even extremely rare in France.  The trunks are like 1 foot in diameter.  It is very unfortunate that because of the very success of the Shiraz about 20 years ago, a lot of those old Grenache trees were cut off to give way to newly planted Shiraz.

And never though that Eden Valley is only good for giving some elegance in the Barossa Valley Shiraz.  Even before the popularity of cool climate shiraz in recent years, Eden Valley is already home to one of the most expensive wine in Australia: Hill of Grace.



Barossa is now very well developed in wine tourism with most wineries offering visits and tastings, most offer snacks and some even full restaurant.  The tourist centre there has a sheet that include all these details for you.  It is just about 2.5hour drive from Adelaide so is a good one day trip if you happened to be there.

祖C

地方好, 環境也好唷

pigpig007

fatloong 發表於 2014-9-27 22:08

                               
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I first thinking of reply to the thread, but then realise there is quite a lot I want to say, and Ba ...

J係巧嘢啦

irene58

有機會都要去下Adelaide玩先得!!

edmondcu

有機會都要試下

directcom

fatloong 發表於 2014-9-27 22:08

                               
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I first thinking of reply to the thread, but then realise there is quite a lot I want to say, and Ba ...

肥龍兄對紅酒真係有深入研究，佩服。

my9394

可以去遊覽下兼品酒

Captainhui

捉我入黎...唔通比人知我住左南澳好耐?

fatloong

directcom 發表於 2014-9-28 04:04

                               
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肥龍兄對紅酒真係有深入研究，佩服。

That's why I never had wine in East Spa/Castle because I know how much profit they are making.

It will be great if can arrange private deal with 8098 and I can bring my own bottles.

heroyu

fatloong 發表於 2014-9-27 22:08

                               
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I first thinking of reply to the thread, but then realise there is quite a lot I want to say, and Ba ...

好想試一試  

車呀文

變了旅遊区…

fatloong

車呀文 發表於 2014-9-28 08:27

                               
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變了旅遊区…

Very correct.  So are places like Napa Valley, Margaret River, Finger Lakes (in NY state)....  It is very good profit for the winery because they sell the wine direct without middle man.

In the restaurant, typically the price of wine is same as retail (still good profit).  People who visit winery should be wine lovers and thus whey find these wine good value and will spend a lot on wine.  The food is typically more expensive than restaurant of same quality, but with the incentive from "cheap wine" most people do not care.

The biggest problem is that you need to find a designated driver

fokker

When I graduated from Uni in1987, the first thing I did after I got my salary check from my first job was to buy a bottle of Hill of Grace and a bottle of Grange, and later bottles of Rosemount Roxburgh Chardonnay and Tyrell' s Vat 47 (more on these whites in the future, suffix to say they were the most expensive whites in Oz at the time and Leeuwin was nowhere insight). The Hensckhe was around AUS$25 at the time and the Grange $45. As a student I never had the means to be able to afford these, but I sworn to myself that when I started making money on my own, I would drink these with a whole roasted leg of lamb-in high school the landlady from England I was boarding with was a good cook and she would give us roast lamb for dinner on Friday nights; the lamb was roasted to perfection, but the pity was there were only 4-5 thick slices. She was not stingy or anything and that was just a normal serving size. But I always have a huge appetite and that was simply not enough.

Back to the Hill of Grace. This is made from pre-phylloxera vines and a limited production from a specified site on a plateau next to a small church ( that's why it is called Hill of Grace). Grange used to be made from grapes sourced only from the Coonawarra region before, but now they brought in grapes just from about anywhere--so they can make as many as they like. It is pointless to compare these 2, as it is like comparing Ferrari with Porsche, or a Szechuan girl to Haibin girl. They are just different animals. But on the few occasions I opened the 82 Hill of Grace, I had an almost religious experience to taste a wine that was ruby in colour, raspberry in aroma, and pure red fruit/jubejube in taste. Amazing!! I will be happy to open a Grange/first growths/DRC for friends anytime, but the few remaining bottles of H of G are untouchables.

kkpant

好耐都冇行酒铺咯，得闲去逛逛先得

dingpong

fatloong 發表於 2014-9-27 22:08

                               
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I first thinking of reply to the thread, but then realise there is quite a lot I want to say, and Ba ...

有得品嚐就好囉.

paikboss

了解下先。。多謝分享啦...

parma

好介紹

xing零

這個酒標籤看起來很帶感，我喜歡這種感覺

fatloong

fokker 發表於 2014-9-28 09:28

                               
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When I graduated from Uni in1987, the first thing I did after I got my salary check from my first jo ...

So happened I have drink twice 82 Grange, and is also amazingly good.  I bought those in HK about 10 years ago, and still not too expensive at that time.  If remember correctly, around HK$3,000 each.

directcom

fatloong 發表於 2014-9-28 08:08

                               
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That's why I never had wine in East Spa/Castle because I know how much profit they are making.

It ...

'That will be so fantastic.  I once had a bottle of Lafite with a girl but she couldn't really appreciate it.  Honestly, I don't really know how to appreciate it properly myself.