Clare Valley, South Australia is home to world class Riesling and the iconic Jim Barry Wines. The late Jim Barry, first qualified winemaker in Clare Valley and his wife, Nancy established Jim Barry Wines in 1959. The winery is a founding member of Australia's First Families of Wine (AFFW). The family winery is known for its Riesling, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz wines. When Spaswinefood visited the Clare Valley it was indeed a treat to taste at Jim Barry Wines.
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| Jim Barry Wines, Clare Valley © Spaswinefood |
Tasting at Jim Barry Wines
Jim Barry Wines are produced from grapes grown in family owned vineyards in the Clare Valley. This enables the winery to have complete control from vine to wine. During an Autumn visit to Jim Barry Wines I tasted a number of excellent Riesling wines.
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| Jim Barry Wines Riesling © Spaswinefood |
I Particularly enjoyed the Lavender Hill Riesling 2014.
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| Jim Barry Wines, Lavender Hill Riesling 2014 © Spaswinefood |
I tasted the following red wines from their entry level series.
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| Tasting Jim Barry's Red Wines © Spaswinefood |
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| Jim Barry Wines, The Barry Bros 2013 © Spaswinefood |
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| Jim Barry Wines, The Lodge Hill © Spaswinefood |
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| Jim Barry Wines, The Cover Drive © Spaswinefood |
I also tasted some of their premium red wines. I particularly enjoyed my overall tasting experience at Jim Barry.
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| Jim Barry Wines, Clare Valley © Spaswinefood |
After tasting at Jim Barry's Cellar Door I can see why the Gourmet Traveler described it as the best tasting experience. Today both second and third generation family members are carrying on the family business. It is important to note that winemaker, Tom Barry won the Gourmet Traveller's Winemaker of the Year in 2013.
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| Tom Barry, Winemaker © Spaswinefood |
It was indeed a great experience to taste at Jim Barry Wines. Jim Barry wines are available in the US from Negociants USA.
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| Clare Valley's Jim Barry Wines © Spaswinefood |
Clare Valley Wine Region
Visitors to the Clare Valley will find charming towns to explore. Wine has had a long history in Clare Valley towns. A recent article by Saveur describes Australia as the wine destination of the year. In that article he referenced a trip to the Clare Valley. For Spaswinefood Australia in 2015 it is indeed that. I certainly would include Clare Valley as an important part of the amazing happenings in the Australian wine world.
Clare Valley is known for its stunning scenery, historic townships and of course its wines. The climate is Mediterranean, with warm to hot summers and cool to cold winters. The first grapes were planted in the valley in 1851. There are now over 40 cellar doors between Auburn and Clare, a distance of 40 kilometers. What is so special about the Clare Valley wine region is its dry Rieslings. While Shiraz is the most widely planted grape variety in the area it is followed by Riesling and Cabernet Sauvignon. Other white grape varieties include Chardonnay, Semillon, and Pinot Grigio; with other significant red grape varieties including Merlot, Grenache, Mourvedre, Tempranillo and Malbec. Time in the valley will not only give you a sense of its long wine history but the exciting new developments that are happening.
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| Clare, Clare Valley © Spaswinefood |
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| Exploring Clare © Spaswinefood |
Clare Valley is just an hours drive from the Barossa Valley and 90 minutes drive from Adelaide. Our visit to Clare Valley not only took us by autumn vineyards but led to beautiful drives down country roads.
Jim Barry Wines, one of the wineries that we visited was indeed a great introduction to Clare Valley Riesling and other Clare Valley wines. I invite you to join me in my travel experiences in South Australia and elsewhere in Australia at Spaswinefood.
Sharon
April 2015
Clare Valley, Australia
© Spaswinefood
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Clare Valley Rocks, Barry Wines Carpark © Spaswinefood
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