In recent years we have seen an explosion of Australian wines vying for shelf space in our wine shops. Some of these wines high quality and easily recommended while others are quite the opposite. With such a dilemma how is the discerning wine lover to choose purely from the information on the label?
One way to guarantee a safe bet is to choose a winery known to have a reputation for consistent quality, in order to make those wine dollars stretch as far as possible. One such winery is Grant Burge.
Grant Burge Wines
Grant Burge is a son of the Barossa Valley and since opening his winery in the heart of this renowned region in 1988, has produced wines that represent and showcase the individuality of the area. A fifth generation winemaker, Burge grew up surrounded by a passion for excellence on every level, from the vineyard to the cellar. This year Grant and his wife, Helen, celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the winery and are proud to be among the top ten privately owned wine companies in Australia.
Burge easily understands that certain grapes prosper under precise conditions and thus has taken the greatest of care in selecting the vineyards in which his grapes are planted, ensuring that the varietal matches the terroir for the best expression of the Barossa. So close are the relationships between winemaker and winegrower that many of the Grant Burge wines are named after the families that run the vineyards as in the case of the ‘Thorn’ Riesling and ‘Zerk’ Semillon/Viognier.
In 1982, six years before he opened his own winery, Burge was the first to plant Merlot grapes in the Barossa at his Hillcot Vineyard. When he made his first single varietal Merlot wine, there were only two others available in the region, but the Hillcot Merlot is as popular today as it was then, when it acted as an introduction to the stunning wines this grape can produce in the region, and has won the awards to prove it.
The Range of Wines
Many different types of wine consumer will find an ideal choice among the series offered by Grant Burge as it encompasses everything from easy-drinking wines for the ‘barbie’ to top-flight, highly acclaimed selections such as the Meshach Shiraz, named after Burge’s great-grandfather, which was awarded 93 points by the Wine Spectator for the 2002 vintage.
No matter whether economical or expensive, each of the Grant Burge Wines is made with care and precision and brings to every glass enjoyed around the world, a small taste of the Barossa Valley.
Visit Grant Burge Wines for more information including where to find his wines.
