T H E B AROSSA MAG | 31
Eden Valley
is putting
Riesling on
the map
WORDS BY HEIDI HELBIG
PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN KRÜGER
A minnow of Barossa wine varieties – Riesling – is taking
on some major heavyweights in the quest for profile and
market share.
Waging the David-and-Goliath battle is a small but
determined group of Eden Valley producers who are
seeking to reposition Riesling as a wine of choice.
At the helm of ‘Riesling Eden Valley’ are John Hughes, of
the now-famous Rieslingfreak label, and Henschke’s Justine
Henschke.
“Riesling is known in the industry as a winemaker’s drink,
so our challenge is getting out there to consumers,” says
John.
“Riesling can be drunk anytime – breakfast, lunch or
dinner!”
John is the perfect ambassador for the variety, fresh from
a stellar 2017 which included a “Young Gun of Wine” title
at the age of 44 and five trophies at the Sydney Wine Show,
including Wine of Show.
“Apparently trophies sell wines – who knew?” laughed John.
“For me, there was never any question about Riesling. I’m
a big believer in following your passion – your passion and
your dreams – and Riesling has been a big part of that for
me. I just embrace the variety.”
John is quite literally “obsessed” by Riesling’s remarkable
versatility, cultivated in the cool climate and elevation of
Eden Valley.
“Eden Valley’s climate and soil – the terroir, as the French
would say – is perfect for growing Riesling,” says John.
“The cooler conditions allow us to hang the fruit on
the vine for longer, which can only be an advantage for
Riesling.
“We do a sparkling, a fortified, heaps of dry Rieslings and
various sweetness levels – not many grapes can make that
collection of wines!”