Barossa has a 170-year-old tradition for producing Australia’s finest Shiraz. The early settlers in Australia planted Shiraz because it had been among the first vines brought to the country. Shiraz from France came out with Dr. Penfold, while James Busby and John MacArthur imported Shiraz, among many other cuttings, from South Africa and Europe. From the mid-1840s, German and English settlers in Barossa found that Shiraz flourished in the region. It set big crops of large, fleshy grapes, was economical to grow and produced excellent quality wine. One of the original vineyards planted in 1843 still produces fruit today and is thought to be the oldest continuously producing Shiraz vineyard in the world. Barossa Shiraz became world-famous in the 1990s thanks to a series of positive reviews including several “100 point wines” awarded by Robert Parker Jr of the Wine Advocate. Shiraz is an adaptable variety and is now made into a diverse range of styles – from perfumed and elegant to rich and full-bodied – as well as being used to make fortified wines, rosé and even sparkling red wines.