A Wine History from 1842

A short summary of the wine history of the Barossa through the decades, written by Peter Fuller.

For further reading and specific vintage information visit www.barossavintages.com

The First Century 1840 to 1940

The Barossa is founded by a wealthy, philanthropic English shipping merchant, George Fife Angas, soon after South Australia is settled in 1836...

Post-War Reconstruction – 1940

World War II has devastated the globe, with more than 60 million lives lost. In the Barossa there is suspicion and distrust between fourth generation English descendants...

Optimism and Innovation – 1950

Australia’s most famous winemaker, a pipe-smoking Penfolds blender Max Schubert packs his suitcase and travels to Bordeaux...

Cool and Elegant – 1960

Barossa’s winemakers are leading a new – high altitude-fine wine revolution...

Aggressive promotion by the Australian Wine Bureau and its director Len Evans has at last stimulated consumer demand and it is red wine from the Barossa that the newly urbane trendsetters of the 1970s want...

Out of the Dark – 1980

In a knee-jerk bureaucratic response to the grape oversupply, the South Australian Government introduces a Vine Pull Scheme, paying growers to remove unproductive vines and exit the industry...