Gomersal Wines

How Barossa Reserve Discovered Gomersal

I first experienced Gomersal Wines when I hosted a 25-year service dinner for Adelaide Brighton Cement, now Adbri, employees from Angaston, Birkenhead and Klein Point. Although the wines we provided were from Gomersal’s entry-level range, they were all fantastic.

I decided to return one weekend and taste the full range, and I was blown away by the quality.

The 2010 Reserve Shiraz, which received a gold medal at the prestigious 2014 International Wine Challenge in London, the 2008 GSM and the 2015 Eden Valley Riesling were particular standouts. They became some of the first wines I listed on the Barossa Reserve website. The owner, Barry White, was very generous with his time, taking me through the range and allowing me to list some of Gomersal’s finest wines.

Reviving an Old Barossa Winery

Gomersal Wines began its modern chapter in 2000, when a group of characters who shared a passion for both producing and enjoying wine joined forces to breathe new life into an old, run-down Barossa winery in the small western district of Gomersal.

Led by Barry, known as “Baz” to those who know him, and Gabriela White, the property was resurrected through the establishment of a new vineyard in 2001, the opening of a new cellar door in 2005 and the addition of a function room in 2006. Most importantly, the renewed winery began producing a broad range of quality Barossa wines.

The vineyard directly across the road from the cellar door, which produced the fruit for the GSM, includes approximately 42 acres of Shiraz and eight acres of Grenache and Mataro. These plantings provide the winery with rich, high-quality fruit from which to craft its wines.

A Distinctly Australian Cellar Door

Gomersal’s cellar door offers a distinctly Australian experience, with eucalyptus trees and native plants throughout the grounds, magnificent red gum tables, a pink gum bar and Australian artwork covering the walls.

The function space, known as The Barrel Room, provides a versatile setting for weddings, birthdays, conferences, launches, art exhibitions and other celebrations.

Vineyards and Ancient Soils

Gomersal’s vineyards are largely situated along Lyndoch Road on the northwestern ridge of the Barossa Valley. The vineyards include east-west slopes with predominantly north-south rows, while the bush vines grow east-west across a south-facing slope.

The soils vary dramatically throughout the vineyard. They begin with clay over calcrete and slate bedrock before moving into more weathered slate at the bottom of an ancient glacial formation. Over the hill, the soils change again to deep sandy loam and black clay.

This variety of soil types, some estimated to be as old as 20 million years, contributes subtle differences in flavour and character to the grapes, which are then reflected in the finished wines.

A Natural Starting Point in the Barossa

Gomersal is the second winery along Gomersal Road when entering the Barossa Valley by that route, making it an excellent first or second stop during a day of wine tasting in the region.