Situated approximately 3 hours south of Perth, Mount Barker is one of the five wine producing sub regions within the Great Southern. Renowned both nationally and internationally for Riesling, Shiraz, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon, Mount Barker offers wine lovers the chance to taste many expertly produced classic wine varieties.
History
The history of the region as a distinct wine destination dates back to 1859 when original settler George Egerton-Warburton planted vines and bottled his first vintage a couple of years later. Commercial foundations were laid later in the 1930’s by horticulturalist Bill Jamieson whose extensive knowledge of the area’s soils and climate was provided by the research of Californian Professor Harold Olmo. Olmo believed Mount Barker and the Frankland area of Western Australia showed great promise for making table wines in the light traditional European style. This was later back up by Agricultural and viticultural scientist Dr John Gladstones in 1963 which was then endorsed by the WA Grape Industry Committee in 1964. The following year celebrated winemaker Jack Mann planted his first experimental cuttings at Forest Hill.Climate
During the growing season the Mount Barker region offers warm sunny days and cool nights, providing excellent fruit ripening and acidity retaining conditions. The average rainfall of 600-700mm per annum is ideal for grapevine requirements therefore most vineyards within the region require minimum irrigation at key time of the growing season, with a few established vineyards regarding themselves as entirely dry grown. These conditions enable the production of concentrated, intense wines that drink well young and offer fantastic bottle age development potential.Image credit: Shutterstock
