Jim Barry is considered an icon of Australian viticulture. His ambition, expertise and community spirit helped to develop the Clare Valley, around 100 kilometres north of Adelaide, into a top region on the continent.
Bill was one of the first oenologists to study in the Clare Valley, graduating from Roseworthy Agricultural College in 1947. he then worked at the Clarevale Cooperative for 22 years, founding Taylors Wines for the Taylor family in 1969. However, Bill and his wife Nancy had already purchased their own land in 1959.
Today, over 60 years later, the winery is still a family business, with three generations who have all graduated from Roseworthy College. Son Peter took on a lot of responsibility from the very beginning and has been Managing Director since 1985. Fortunately, there will be no succession problems for him either, as his own children, Tom (Winemaking), Sam (Sales) and Olivia (Marketing), are also in leading positions.
In order to maintain complete control and thus guarantee high quality, the Barry family only vinifies grapes from their own soils. Over the past 60 years, the vineyards have been continually expanded. Today there is a mosaic of 17 vineyards totalling 320 hectares in the Clare Valley and two vineyards totalling 35 hectares in the Coonawarra. A wide variety of terroirs can be tapped into here. The soils alone range from sandy-clay to slate formations and a wide variety of loams to limestone and siltstone.
Jim Barry Wines originally made a name for itself with world-class Riesling. However, the single-varietal Shiraz "The Armagh" or "The McRae Wood" are also legendary.
© Photos: JimBarry Wines