Elderton Wines is an Australian winery in Nuriootpa, in the

Barossa Valley The Barossa Valley ( Barossa German: ''Barossa Tal'') is a valley in South Australia located northeast of Adelaide city centre. The valley is formed by the North Para River. It is notable as a major wine-producing region and tourist destinati ...

. The company was founded by Neil and Lorraine Ashmead in 1979. The Elderton wines are made from

grape varieties This list of grape varieties includes cultivated grapes, whether used for wine, or eating as a table grape, fresh or dried (raisin, currant, sultana). For a complete list of all grape species including those unimportant to agriculture, see Viti ...

including red grapes

Shiraz Shiraz (; fa, شیراز, Širâz ) is the List of largest cities of Iran, fifth-most-populous city of Iran and the capital of Fars province, Fars Province, which has been historically known as Pars (Sasanian province), Pars () and Persis. As o ...

Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Sauvignon () is one of the world's most widely recognized red wine grape varieties. It is grown in nearly every major wine producing country among a diverse spectrum of climates from Australia and British Columbia, Canada to Lebanon' ...

Merlot Merlot is a dark blue–colored wine grape variety, that is used as both a blending grape and for varietal wines. The name ''Merlot'' is thought to be a diminutive of ''merle'', the French name for the blackbird, probably a reference to the ...

as well as white grapes

Riesling Riesling (, ; ) is a white grape variety that originated in the Rhine region. Riesling is an aromatic grape variety displaying flowery, almost perfumed, aromas as well as high acidity. It is used to make dry, semi-sweet, sweet, and sparkling wh ...

and

Chardonnay Chardonnay (, , ) is a green-skinned grape variety used in the production of white wine. The variety originated in the Burgundy wine region of eastern French wine, France, but is now grown wherever wine is produced, from English wine, Englan ...

History

In the late 1970s Neil and Lorraine Ashmead returned from the Middle East, settling on the Barossa Valley as the place to raise their sons. In 1979 the Ashmeads purchased the Estate vineyard, which was planted in 1894 by Samuel Elderton Tolley. The family restored the derelict vineyard and the first vintage of wine was produced in 1982. In 1993, Elderton won the Jimmy Watson Trophy. Elderton also won the World’s Best Shiraz Trophy at the 2000 London International Wine & Spirits Competition. Neil and Lorraine Ashmead's sons Cameron and Allister took control of the business in 2003. They run the business with a focus on sustainability. In 2017, the cellar door tasting rooms and sales outlet were moved into the old homestead surrounded by vineyards.

Wines

Elderton produces around 30,000 cases of wine per year, depending on vintage conditions. The majority of the production is red wine. The wines are made to show varietal character, regional definition and to show the unique personalities of the Elderton team . Command Shiraz is Elderton's flagship wine, produced from a single vineyard of Shiraz vines that were planted around 1894.

References

{{Langton's Classification of Australian Wine VI - Producers Wineries in South Australia Australian companies established in 1979 Food and drink companies established in 1979

History

Wines

See also

References