The Barossa Valley is well known as Australia’s oldest wine region offering notable wineries and vineyards. The region is primarily known for its red wine, in particular Shiraz. For more than 150 years Saltram Wines has crafted flagship red wines of great taste and style that celebrate Barossa Valley’s tradition and heritage. Established in 1859 by William Salter and his son, the winery holds a history that proudly speaks of Barossa’s wine culture. The duo began with clearing and planting 10 acres of Shiraz at the eastern end of the property. A shed was erected for making wine and a cellar was carved out of a nearby hill. Their first vintage in 1862 produced 1800 gallons (8000 litres) of wine.
The Region
Based on Nuriootpa Road, the winery draws its fruit from its own vineyard, as well as from other vineyards located across the region. The winery has predominantly Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon varieties, and some smaller plantings of other varieties such as Tempranillo and Sangiovese. The Barossa Valley region receives moderate rainfall, mostly falling during the winter months, and has high summer evaporation and low relative humidity. This climate produces relatively low disease pressure, which limits the need for chemicals in the vineyard and maintains the natural environment. The soils of the region are predominantly red brown loams, which are non-cracking, well-structured and relatively free draining, making them ideal for growing grapevines.
The vines are supported by a variety of trellising and irrigated via drip irrigation – the latter developed in the 1950s to allow viticulturists to grow grapevines in climates with low rainfall. Today, the vineyards within a range of climatic conditions use drip irrigation to better control the amount of water each vine receives. By stressing the vine at certain times, and irrigating it at others, we can optimise crop levels and improve grape quality.
Current Winemaker
In 2017, Alex MacKenzie joined Saltram Wines as 10th Winemaker after working alongside the 8th maker, Nigel Dolan. Today, he is keen to bring new ideas to the portfolio and is particularly interested in exploring Single Vineyard Wines within the Barossa.
Alex remains heavily involved in all facets of the vineyard and its influence on winemaking styles.
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