Glaetzer Wines

The wines from Glaetzer Wines are among the most famous from the Barossa Valley. Colin and his son Ben have built up the quality of the winery to such an extent that today it enjoys a reputation as a producer of premium wines.

Seven weeks to Australia – Glaetzer Wines

The Glaetzer family emigrated from Brandenburg in 1888 aboard the ship Habsburg to settle in the Barossa Valley and cultivate wine there. This makes them one of the first winemakers in this Australian wine region. Today, under the leadership of Ben Glaetzer, Glaetzer Wines produces high-quality Barossa wines that were first vinified by his father Colin. Colin Glaetzer’s creations include the E & E Black Pepper Shiraz and the Ebenezer range. Glaetzer Wines in its present form was also founded by him in order to have a commercial framework for producing top-quality wines.

His son Ben recently took over the reins and brings fresh ideas and modern approaches to the family business. His specialty is unpretentious, unique wines with as little intervention in the process as possible. For his work he has already been recognized by luminaries such as Robert Parker as "Personality of the Year" or, like his father, as "Baron of the Barossa".

Wines made by the land

The focus of Glaetzer Wines is on a few grape varieties:

• Shiraz
• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Grenache

The conviction at Glaetzer Wines is that a wine is made in the vineyard, as a combination of terroir and knowledge of cultivation. The soils of the Barossa Valley have a “French” touch, with sandy loam over a limestone base, on which, for example, Shiraz thrives very well. The wine culture, in turn, is shaped accordingly by a high proportion of German immigrants at the end of the 19th century.

Standing out here is the "Ebenezer" district, where the grapes for the wines of the same name grow. It is warmer here compared to the surrounding area, and there is less rainfall. The result is elegant, soft, and very approachable wines, which are considered the Glaetzers’ trademark.

The philosophy

In line with their philosophy, the Glaetzers intervene very little in the maturation of the wines. A very neutral yeast is used for fermentation, and the wines macerate somewhat longer on the skins, since in Ben’s experience this gives the wines extra softness and tannin development. After pressing, the wine is filled into hogshead barrels made of American and French oak, where it matures for another 12 to 18 months.