Eden Valley adjoins the Barossa Valley to the East and Southeast at a much higher elevation. The country varies in altitude with the high points at 600 metres. Being higher than the Barossa Valley the heat is tempered, particularly in the evenings so the wines move from heavy weight to more mid weight yet are not cool climate, such as found in vineyards near the Southern Ocean.
The Eden Valley is an extension of the Adelaide Hills to the east and is generally lower and drier. I would call it an upland dry plateau. The valley part of Eden Valley comes from the main drainage stream the North Para River which flows North and then turns west and flows down the Barossa Valley.
Vineyards date back to the 1850s yet lack of water meant production was always small. With the rise of table wines interest returned and new vineyards date to the 1980s as wine makers wanted to capture the modified notes of the wines for general blending, often with Barossa Valley wines.
For 40 years high quality wines have been made though the appreciation by drinkers has been subdued. Rieslings are highly regarded and of the other white varieties the best is Chardonnay as Barossa Valley Chardonnay can become overwhelming. This wine was purchased from the surplus stock of a noted boutique maker of high-quality wines.
