Bethany East Grounds Shiraz - the making of an icon

The birth of an icon wine at Bethany, East Grounds Shiraz.

Bethany Wines’ family vineyard located on the eastern ridge of the Barossa Foothills continues to be an active participant in a project exploring the effect of ‘terroir’ on wine.

The Barossa Grounds Project was established in 2008 to evaluate the variations in wine style across the Barossa Zone. This collaborative undertaking, led by the Barossa Grape & Wine Association and including the participation of South Australia’s leading soil scientists and viticulturists, wine critics, PIRSA and many of the Barossa’s most experienced winemakers, involved the collection of climatic data, analysis of soil profiles across the Barossa and Eden Valleys, controlled winemaking studies and annual tasting reviews.

In the intial project in 2014, winemakers from the Wine Innovation Cluster (WIC) made nine Shiraz wines using grapes from nine anecdotally recognised areas of the Barossa. The wines were later blind-tasted to assess similarities and differences in flavours and textures.

This is all part of the Barossa Grounds Project – an initiative which seeks to better understand and communicate the regional differences (such as soil, elevation and climate) in the Barossa and how they affect the sensory profile of wine.

The Schrapel Family vineyard was been chosen to represent the Barossa Foothills – a ‘parish’ of the Barossa that is home to Bethany Wines' Shiraz, a classic wine boasting intense cherry aromas and flavours and soft, fine-grained tannins.

The Barossa Grounds Project seeks to encourage the discussion and promotion of Barossa sub-regionality to help wine producers and consumers better understand the hallmark of place and origin.

Geoff Schrapel has a longstanding commitment to the Barossa wine industry. In 1996, as chairman of the Barossa Winemakers Association, he was instrumental in finalising the geographical indications (GIs) of Barossa, Eden Valley and Barossa Valley.

This was a ground-breaking move in Australian wine history, as it highlighted the influence of ‘terroir’ on the sensory properties of wine produced in different parts of a major wine region. The Australian Geographical Indications defines the official boundaries of the Barossa Zone, its Regions Barossa Valley and Eden Valley, and the Sub-region of High Eden.

The Project identified three distinctive Grounds within the Barossa Valley Region – Northern Grounds, Central Grounds and Southern Grounds. Two smaller grounds, Eastern Edge and Western Ridge, are also acknowledged.

The Eastern Ridge encompasses Bethany, Krondorf and Vine Vale. It is made distinct with its black cracking clays (Biscay soils) which are the key to the wines of this area. Alluvial and quite fertile, these vineyards produce wines of intense red berry aromas and flavours with earthy undertones. The other defining note is the round middle palates, which are very soft and inviting and generally don’t display firm tannins.