wine varieties of the Barossa Valley

What are the best wine varieties of the Barossa Valley?

Spanning across nearly 12,000 hectares of picturesque vineyards, the Barossa Valley is globally recognised as one of the 11 Great Wine Capitals of the world, boasting more than 150 wineries and 80 cellar doors.

Famous for producing Cabernet Sauvignon, GSM, Riesling and Shiraz, the Valley’s Mediterranean climate and complex system of varying terrain provide ideal conditions for full-bodied red wines, quality fortified wines and strong rich white wines.

With 175 years of grape growing history, it’s no wonder wine lovers from all over flock to the region just to experience the unparalleled quality the Barossa Valley produces.

GSM, a popular blend

GSM is short-hand reference for a blended red wine made from Grenache, Shiraz, and Mataro (also known as the French Mourvèdre) grapes. GSM wines are known for their bright fruit, aromas of ripe fruit, herbs, and a pepper-and-herb finish.

Winemakers create their own distinctive GSMs by varying the percentage of each of the grape varieties in their blend. If, for example, more Grenache is included, the resultant wine will be a lighter variation because Grenache is the lightest of the three. If they lean towards more Shiraz, the wine will be bolder.

For most winemakers of GSM, grenache will be the predominant grape, but some favour Shiraz. Generally, the boldest of the three, Mataro represents the smallest percentage in the blend.

Grenache is thought to have originated in Spain and is one of the most planted wine varieties in the world. Typically, Grenache is famous for releasing strong but pleasant red fruit aromas. The balanced palette and dryness of this wine make it a versatile wine to pair with a range of foods like cured meats, stews, casseroles and antipasto for example.

If you are looking for an alcohol-free version of this Barossa Valley favourite, our Edenvale Premium Reserve Selection Grenache Shiraz Mataro is a Rhone-style blend of the best wine grapes from the South Australian Fleurieu Peninsula and the Barossa Valley. This generous wine displays heady aromas of violet, pastille raspberry and vanilla, with subtle hints of orange zest, charcuterie, and sweet spice.

What to eat with GSMs

GSMs are robust wines so pair well with fattier steaks such as ribeye, as well as roast chicken, pork, mushrooms, charcuterie or moussaka.

Edenvale’s Grenache Shiraz Mataro is a rich blend with a balanced palate and dry finish, making it a versatile wine to pair with food. It’s especially good with BBQ, rich stews and casseroles, and antipasto, particularly cured meats, olives and roast peppers.

Other popular Barossa reds

The Barossa Valley is also well known for its Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon red wines.

Classic Barossa Shiraz tends to be very full-bodied flavours of blackberry, black olive, blueberry, black cherry and baked fruit. Alongside the fruit are spicy notes of vanilla, tobacco, allspice and baking spices like clove.

Cabernet Sauvignon is the most widely planted wine variety on the planet and is known both in the Barossa Valley and beyond for its deep colour, firm structure, rich fruit and herbal notes.

Our Edenvale Classic collection includes an alcohol-removed version of both Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon varietals. And our Premium Reserve Collection has a gold award winning Sparkling Shiraz which is a real crowd pleaser!

Select Edenvale wines are available at major supermarkets such as Woolworths, bottle shops including Dan Murphy’s, as well as independent retailers across Australia and retailers around the world.

Alternatively, you can order the full range of Edenvale alcohol-removed wines directly via our online shop.

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