foodwineclick

World Wine Travel Writers Highlight South Australia Whites
Our World Wine Travel writers are continuing our virtual tour of Australia, this month our focus is on white wines from South Australia. Curious to learn more? Scroll down further in this post for links to posts from all our writers.

(click on photos in this post for a full size slideshow)

Eden Valley
South Australia typically brings big Barossa Valley Shiraz to mind, but there is more to South Australia than Big Reds! Eden Valley sits right next door to Barossa Valley, but the climate is a bit different. Eden Valley has some vineyards located at 500 meters altitude, significantly higher than those over in Barossa Valley. This means daytime highs are typically 5 F cooler and nighttime temperatures are 10-15 F cooler than the Barossa Valley floor. This slows ripening for these vineyards which also means harvest is later and subsequently cooler still. All this adds up to higher elevation Eden Valley vineyards being suitable for white wines. The soils are also poor, which means smaller, more concentrated grapes resulting in potentially high quality wines.

Pewsey Vale Eden Valley Riesling ($19 locally at France 44) 12.5% abv
If bone dry Riesling appeals to you, Australian Riesling is sure to be a favorite. This Pewsey Vale wine exemplifies the typical Australian Riesling style, being dry with high acidity and showing bright aromas and flavors of lime.
Eye: Pale lemon
Nose: Medium intensity aromas of super fresh, vibrant limes, lemons, orange peel, light petrol, garden hose, wet gravel.
Mouth: Dry, high acidity, medium body, medium alcohol, pronounced intensity, medium plus finish. The very fresh citrus palate is the leading flavor set with limes, lemon, orange peel.
Observations: Very refreshing with vibrant acidity, this wine has a nice medium body to give a little volume to the wine.

Yalumba Eden Valley Viognier 2018 ($14 locally at France 44) 13.5% abv
Eye: Pale gold with a trace of CO2 tiny bubbles
Nose: Medium plus intensity aromas of butter, toasted nuts, smoke, baked pear tart, apple pie,
Mouth: Dry, medium acidity, rich full body with a creamy texture, medium alcohol, medium plus intensity, medium plus finish. Pleasantly baked fruit (pear, apple) is in front on the palate with the toasted nuts and smoke in the background.
Observations: Rich body and creamy texture as expected with Viognier, with aromas and flavors unique to Eden Valley. A very nice, rich wine capable of pairing with richer dishes. Not shown, the wine was perfect with our St. Patrick’s Day corned beef dinner.

Eden Valley Whites with Take-Out!
Our household has been turned upside down over the last few months. We’re leaving the suburbs, getting our house of 14 years ready for sale and we’ve moved into a 2 bedroom apartment in Minneapolis’ North Loop. Nerve wracking, yes, but we’re excited to open ourselves up to new adventures. Still knee-deep in boxes, we’re taking advantage of lots of restaurant and take-out choices within walking distance. The Pewsey Vale Riesling was the better pairing with the Crisp & Green Fiesta Bowl, but fear not, the Viognier was perfect the next day with our St. Patrick’s Corned Beef dinner!

World Wine Travel Writers Exploration of South Australia White Wines
Curious about South Australia white wines? Take a look below at all the great ideas from fellow World Wine Travel writers. After you’ve taken a look, please join our conversation about the region and the wines! We meet on Twitter at the tag #WorldWineTravel, and our chat is on Saturday 26 March 10-11am CDT. We’d love to hear what you think.

• Crushed Grape Chronicles (Robin) discusses “Jim Barry Wines – 3 Generations making Clare Valley Riesling”
• A Day In The Life On The Farm (Wendy) pairs “South Australian Chardonnay with Pesto Bruschetta Chicken
• ”Culinary Adventures with Camilla (Camilla) shares “Asparagus-Leek Velouté + Naturalis Sauvignon Blanc 2020”
• Enofylz Wine Blog (Martin) digs into “Pewsey Vale – Eden Valley’s Original Riesling Monopole”
• AdVINEtures (Chris & Allison) is exploring “South Australia Riesling”
• My Full Wine Glass (Linda) discusses “Eden Valley Dry Riesling? Cool!”
• Wine Predator ….. Gwendolyn Alley shares “Eight at the Gate: Sustainable Chardonnay In Wrattonbully, South Australia”Savor the Harvest 
• Savor the Harvest (Lynn) discusses “Paxton Wines – Biodynamic Pioneer in South Australia”
• Food Wine Click! (Jeff) shares “Eden Valley Shines Among South Australia Whites“
• Wineivore (Deanna) shares “Brash Higgins Zibbibo Nautral Wine + Sashimi Plate”
• Our Good Life (Terri) tells us about “Tait Family Wines and a Family Tradition Meal”

More Resources on Eden Valley

• Barossa Wine Zone website with information on both Barossa Valley and Eden Valley
• Wine Australia information on Eden Valley