In terms of international recognition, the Barossa is to Australia what the Napa Valley is to the United States. Nestled about a two-hour drive north-east of Adelaide, the Barossa Valley is one section of a larger “Barossa Zone” which includes the more altitudinous Eden Valley. Ample sunshine, low relative humidity and rainfall make it a little warmer than Bordeaux. Big Barossa Shiraz is often the frontline of Aussie exports – the Australian wines that Robert Parker prefers tend to come from here. But this style is not universal and there are plenty of restrained, velvety Shirazes and blends (often with Mataro and Grenache).

Tim chose God’s-Own-Barossa as his home, on account of its dream combination of the right region and the right varieties. Within this region, old vine Mataro, Grenache, Shiraz and Riesling are found in small pockets, and Tim turns these ‘gardens’ into something special. A combination of age old varieties and clones, plus the myriad of soil structures and elevations within this famous region, makes it a winemakers’ playground.

All Tim Smith wines are made with small select parcels of high quality fruit and are made in small batches of 250-700 cases. Grapes are handpicked, wild fermented and mostly old (French) oak is used. The mantra for the brand is that if it does not bear the Tim Smith ‘Thumbprint’ then it is does not meet the quality standard.