Glug calls the Barossa Valley varieties Mataro and Grenache the heritage varieties as plantings are believed to date back to the 1850s. Both varieties have their origin in Europe. Grenache is the base grape for the southern, warm French region of the Cotes du Rhone with many interesting vineyard towns specialising in the variety.
The Australian wine awakening from the 1950s changed every aspect of the previous Australian wine industry with the shift from fortified and brandy production to the new world of wine varieties. Thus, it is odd that the two heritage varieties found no favour with consumers and while used in dry red blends were seldom mentioned on labels.
The Barossa awakening to do something about this began in the late 1980s and by the early 1990s a few significant Grenache bases blends were being made. Consumer acceptance has grown since that time as the Australian palate has matured. The Barossa Valley may well be the finest place to grow Grenache and Glug have been supporters since 2004.The best we make can be found in our Stockwell Creek range.
