Wine: Happy valley

It has taken a while, but Barossa's venerable old vines have fired the region into world-class territory

BAROSSA, the winemaking valley that sits around an hour's drive north of Adelaide, will always be regarded as the heart of Australia's wine industry. It is here, amid the hot, arid plains, that companies such as Penfolds Grange, Jacob's Creek, Charles Melton, Peter Lehmann and Henschke caught the world's attention with their bold, voluptuous, spicy interpretation of shiraz. For many, it was a long time coming, as Barossa lays claim to some of the country's oldest planted vineyards. Cuttings were first brought to South Australia in the 1840s, when Lutheran settlers arrived with samples from France's Rhône valley. They bore that region's most famous variety: syrah, which the locals renamed shiraz. Fortunately, Australia has never been affected by the desperately destructive phylloxera louse which wiped out most of Europe's vineyards in the late 19th century. Yet for decades the production of table wine was nothing more than a cottage industry.

Given that the region's climate is well suited to producing wines similar in character to sherry and port, it is not surprising that Barossa established a large domestic market for fortified wine. It wasn't until the late 1960s, pioneered by Max Schubert at Penfolds, that a new generation of winemakers decided to increase production of table wines. Even then, it was a further 20 or so years before the likes of Grant Burge made their name on the British high street.

Burge's story is quintessentially Australian. In 1855 his ancestors emigrated from Wiltshire to South Australia. By the time young Grant was born, his parents were running a successful fortified wine business. Back then, though, Australian wine's popularity was a fraction of what it is today, and his mother didn't encourage him to go into the industry. It wasn't until 1978 that he paired up with Ian Wilson and the two set up their own company. A string of awards followed and, within eight years, Burge and Wilson had a 10 million business, producing more than 200,000 cases a year.

The pair's success caught the attention of the Mildara Group and, in January 1986, Burge sold up. But the story doesn't end there. As Barossa struggled in the shadow of its more famous cousins Clare Valley, Coonawarra and the Southern Vales, Burge busied himself buying up some of the best properties in the region – "estates with old vines with the smell of vineyards", as he puts it.

For a New World wine producer, Burge has a distinctly Old World approach. His wines are made in the vineyard, not from trickery in the winery. "In my opinion, winemakers are forever messing up wine," he says. "Top wine comes from the vineyard and the only way to make better wine is to grow better berries."

His range is testament to this laudable philosophy, reflecting the characteristics of the region. The star of the portfolio is undoubtedly Meshach, a stylish old-vine shiraz matured in American oak very much in the same league as Penfolds Grange's Hill of Grace. The Holy Trinity, more affordable, is developing into a real star. These are all wines benefiting from decanting and a few years' cellar age.

2005 Thorn, Eden Valley Riesling, Grant Burge, Barossa Valley, South Australia, £10.50, 12%

The Eden Valley lies 500m above sea level, enabling Burge to extract cooler notes such as lime, sherbet and citrus from his riesling variety. I'm a huge convert to rieslings from this part of the world, which combine the region's concentrated power with delightful acidity and poise.

2003 The Holy Trinity, Grant Burge, Barossa Valley, South Australia, £16.75, 14.5%

This is a legendary Rhône blend of grenache, shiraz and mourvèdre – the type of dense, spicy wine that is fabulous with a bowl of piping hot stew after a day in the field. With warming notes of wild thyme, cedar and the earthy character of the forest floor, its finish is dry, masculine and full. This will go on drinking for at least 15 years.

2001 Meshach, Grant Burge, Barossa Valley, South Australia, £41, 13.5%

An example of the sort of eye-catching wines that really put Barossa on the map. A deep plum colour, its concentration is astonishing. In the glass it doesn't so much sing as bellow a soft, creamy tone reminiscent of dark plums, mocha and maple-cured bacon with a burring, exquisite length.

Stockists: L'Art du Vin, Edinburgh (0131 555 6009, www.aduv.co.uk); Margiotta, Edinburgh (0131 476 7050); Oddbins; Tesco

Taste of Edinburgh

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