Jim Barry Wines is one of South Australia’s best-known wine producers and has become famous for its premium Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Riesling wines. Jim Barry Wines produces all of its own fruit from 17 sites in the Clare Valley, which account for more than 320 hectares and a 14-hectare property in Coonawarra. This access to high quality fruit grown in-house played an important role in the development of the wine brands.
FAMILY HERITAGE
Jim Barry graduated from the prestigious Roseworthy Agricultural College in 1947 with the 17th Degree in Oenology . He was the first qualified winemaker in the Clare Valley and his 22 years of experience as a winemaker made him a pioneer of Australian table wine.
In 1959, Jim and his wife Nancy established their first winery on the edge of the Clare Valley. The Barrys then continued to purchase land throughout the Clare Valley and today own three vineyards in this region: Armagh, Florita and Lodge Hill.
Jim Barry’s drive and community spirit helped make South Australia’s Clare Valley a leading producer of world-class Riesling and solidified its position as one of Australia’s best wine regions. Meanwhile, his wife also played an active role in the development of Jim Barry Wines and the formation of their sons, and later one of the sons, Peter, became managing director of the company. Today, Peter’s children, Tom, Sam and Olivia, work for Jim Barry Wines, making the company family-owned with three generations of Roseworthy graduates.
BEST POSSIBLE FRUIT FLAVOURS
Over the past 60 years, the family has worked to create a mosaic of sites, each unique in terms of soil profile, climate, exposure and elevation. The Barrys own their vineyards, which allows them to control the best possible fruit flavours and preserve them during winemaking. Jim Barry also produces Australia’s only Assyrtiko, a Greek grape variety native to the island of Santorini.
BOOKABLE EXPERIENCES
Over time, three outstanding vineyards stretched along the Clare Valley. The Barry family offers an exclusive opportunity to visit Australia’s most famous vineyards and enjoy their magnificent views. Guests will have the opportunity to understand the origins of the grapes, participate in the tasting of the vines and the current vintage, and enjoy locally produced platters.
The Armagh Vineyard contains the oldest rocks in the region, dating back more than 800 million years, and is characterised by a light brown sandy loam soil with a pebbly alluvial layer overlying a clay subsoil. This vineyard produces small-berried grapes of rare quality and intense flavour, necessary for the production of exceptional wines with ageing potential.
The Florita Vineyard is the famous Riesling vineyard is located in a gently rolling landscape and its best fruits come from vines planted in the shallow clay soils. The vineyard is characterised by a medium brown, loamy topsoil over a khaki-grey, calcareous siltstone of the Mintaro Shale Formation and dominated by 50-year-old Riesling vines.The
Old Penola Cricket Ground Vineyard is planted on an old cricket ground. The soil is a fertile red clay overlaid by a thin calcrete layer and chalky limestone. The cold water on the coast leads to slowly ripening fruit with intense flavours, preserved acidity and a unique tannic structure ideal for Cabernet Sauvignon.
