Big new gig for rising culinary star

 

Artisans of Barossa is one of South Australia's standout gourmet destinations - a collaboration between eight of the Barossa's leading wine producers that offers a range of food and wine experiences. 

German-born Robin Wagner has just been unveiled as the new head chef following the departure of Ryan Edwards. 

It is a step up for Wagner, who comes to Artisans of Barossa from Magill Estate Restaurant in Adelaide, where he spent four years as sous chef working under head chef Scott Huggins.

Artisans of Barossa opened an impressive new venue in Tanunda in 2021 offering seated tastings and experiences and a Barossa providore.

“It’s advantageous to work with a seasonal, regional menu," Wagner says. "Each season has a purpose, and cheffing is about making dishes that showcase local produce."

His kitchen philosophy is based on minimal food wastage, and he is passionate about seasonal vegetables. 

Wagner has worked in Michelin-starred restaurants in Germany and hatted restaurants in Australia, which has been his home for the past five years. 

His CV includes a stint at the Lake House in Daylesford and at Sepia in Sydney. 

“It’s a unique experience working with eight winemakers collaborating and producing various wines," he says. "I look forward to working with such a beautiful portfolio of wines - it offers flexibility and diversity.” 

The eight Artisan members are John Duval Wines, Spinifex Wines, Purple Hands Wines, Lienert Vineyards, Chaffey Bros. Wine Co., Schwarz Wine Co., Hobbs of Barossa Ranges and Sons of Eden.

Essen restaurant at Artisans is now open seven days a week and offers an à la carte menu. See www.artisansofbarossa.com. 

Beyond wine tasting: Artisans launch in Barossa Valley

 

My last trip to the Barossa Valley was just before the new Artisans of the Barossa facility opened. Special correspondent Roderick Eime takes on wining and dining duties.

It was on this very spot, some 45 years ago, that my father gave me my first driving lesson.

Menge Road at Tanunda in the heart of the Barossa Valley ran parallel to what was once a busy railway line that ran all the way from Adelaide through the Barossa Valley to Truro, 20 kilometres to the north.

Twenty years ago, the ambitious, privately-run Barossa Wine Train carried wine lovers and picnickers aboard the famous Bluebird railcars from Gawler along the route long after the last scheduled passenger services ceased.

Today the level crossing that once marked this spot at the intersection with Murray Street is a massive roundabout with the 100-year-old railway lines rudely amputated before and after the road junction.

And just as one dream fades another one is realised with the grand opening of The Artisans of Barossa on the eastern perimeter of the new roundabout.

An epic collaboration of eight independent and prominent Barossa Valley winemakers, the Artisans concept has been in the making for more than fifteen years and grew from prior enterprises such as a collaboration with Harvest Kitchen and Vino Lokal.

The contemporary premises were built by local construction superstar, Stefan Ahrens through his family business, structural steel specialists, Ahrens Group.

Stefan is also the owner of the magnificent, recently renovated and extended Kingsford The Barossa boutique accommodation at Sheoak Log. The building grew from an old chook shed, retaining much of the rustic character, but otherwise completely rebuilt to the modern standards. A most unconventional approach, but the result is stunning and perfectly in keeping with the setting, just metres from expansive vineyards.

Local luminaries align for Artisans: (from left) David Basham MP, Daniel Hartwig (Chaffey Bros), Stephan Knoll MP, Howard Duncan COO

“We built our home as a place where we could share everything about the Barossa,” said MD Howard Duncan during an impassioned speech at the opening of Artisans, attended by GOTR, “and what brings us together is a shared commitment to protect and promote the art of small batch winemaking as well as lifting the sometimes bland experience of wine tasting to a fuller, more complete one of wine enjoyment.”

To this extent, The Artisans offers a graduated introduction to the vast array of wines bottled both under individual and house labels with such non-typical varieties as montepulciano, sagrantino, mataro and cinsault.

To emphasise their individual flair and artistry, six of the winemakers launched ‘Grenache Project 20’ where each dedicate a single row of the grape in their vineyards and are then left to their own devices. The result is six delightful wines that each maker is pleased to drink themselves.

“What we’re doing with the Grenache Project is bloody important,” says Peter Schell from Spinifex Wines, “It’s symbolic of the commitment of artisan winemakers and growers to exhibit the best of their craft from the region’s ancient soils and nurture new audiences for these brilliant heritage varieties.”

The exclusive Voyager Club can be approached in any of three levels: Discoveries, Adventures and Rarities, where guests can enjoy a guided tasting of between four to six wines based of their ‘bravery’. The Discoveries introductory tasting selection ranges in price from $28-$35, Adventures $39-$56, while Rarities opens the door to the premium $62 to $189 selection.

Club members will be offered up to four annual shipments with savings of up to 25%.

A premium eatery, Essen, is also part of the concept and offers exceptional locally sourced produce from the surrounding district. You can find the rotating menu here: https://artisansofbarossa.com/pages/restaurant-bookings

A visit to The Artisans is indeed a refreshing and unconventional approach to the sometimes staid experience of wine tasting, making this new venue a perfect one-stop location that showcases some of the best new and adventurous varieties in the venerable Barossa Valley.

Find them at the big new roundabout: 24 Vine Vale Road, Tanunda

Call them to book a session on (08) 8563 3935 or look them up online at
www.artisansofbarossa.com

Report by Roderick Eime

Dissecting the art of winemaking

 

Take a batch of grapes from one Barossa vineyard planted 45 years ago. Share those grapes between six different winemakers and the end result is six different wines.

Artisans of the Barossa shared grenache grapes from the Merv John Vineyard at Light Pass - all picked on the same day in 2020 - between six of their members.

Each produced 480 bottles from their fruit allocation.

Visitors to the new Artisans tasting facility in Tanunda can examine the similarities and differences between the wines. And also enjoy a similar shiraz project. Take your pick.

Corey Ryan and Simon Cowham from Sons of Eden used 50% whole bunch and their fruit spent 19 days on skins in an egg-shaped fermenter, twice being foot plunged. Their wine then spent five months in seasoned oak puncheons - on lees. 

Greg and Alison Hobbs from Hobbs of Barossa Ranges took a different approach: 100% destemmed whole berries, seven days on skins, open fermentation, hand plunging and pumped over twice daily. The oak treatment, however. was similar. 

John and Tim Duval opted for seven months in four-year-old oak puncheons. And so on. 

The Grenache Project 2020 also features wine made stylistically differently from Craig Schell, Craig Stansborough and Mark Slade from Purple Hands and Jason Schwarz. 

The suggested tasting order from lightest to heaviest is: Schwarz, Schell, Stansborough/ Slade, Duval, Ryan/Cowham, Hobbs.

The Grenache Project was launched in 2017 and is aimed at improving understanding of grenache as a table wine in the Barossa. 

After a single row of Barossa grenache is allocated to each of the Artisan winemakers they are left entirely to their own devices when it comes to what happens next. 

The story of the 2020 Barossa vintage was very much of quality over quantity, with yields across the region down by up to 70% on the long-term average. 

That means quality is high - and a tasting of this nature is certainly a conversation starter. 

For details and bookings for a tasting visit https://artisansofbarossa.com/

    

Artisan winemakers cook up a new Barossa experience

The Barossa - Australia's premier wine tourism region - is set to get a new wine and food destination from next month. 

Eight family-owned wine producers - part of the Artisans of Barossa group - will open a new $3 million venue with a 200-person capacity in October. 

Artisans of Barossa is a group that has been working together since 2005 to promote its wines and raise awareness of the region’s small-batch winemaking scene.

The members comprise John Duval Wines, Spinifex Wines, Purple Hands Winery, Lienert Vineyards, - The Chaffey Bros, Schwarz Wine Co, Hobbs of Barossa Ranges and Sons of Eden. 

The group has already collaborated on two successful venues in the Barossa - their original cellar door to the east of Tanunda which operated for seven years until late 2018, and Vino Lokal Wine Bar & Wine Room in Tanunda, which opened in early 2019.

Artisans' new home, which is being constructed at Kroemer's Crossing in Tanunda, will host wine tastings along with a seven-day-a-week dining program and a store featuring Barossa and South Australian produce.

The menu will be inspired by the culinary traditions of the Barossa, with chef Ryan Edwards working closely with Artisans' winemakers to develop dishes matched to the wines using seasonal produce that is sourced locally. 

Artisans of Barossa spokesperson Howard Duncan said the group had been searching for the right location for some time and were excited with the possibilities that now lay ahead.

“Our purpose has to protect and promote the art of small batch Barossa winemaking, which has become an integral feature of Barossa’s wine identity over the past 20 years,” he said.

“Being able to showcase our wines in our own home, alongside exceptional food in a beautiful setting, is something we’ve been working on for nearly five years. Our aim was always to bring something new to the experience of enjoying Barossa wine, and we’re excited about what we’re about to deliver. 

"We are moving beyond the tasting bar as the central focus of the wine experience and want to present Barossa wine any way you like – the range and depth of experience visitors will enjoy at Artisans’ new home will be unmatched.

"Key experiences will include wine tastings, a range of dining options, space for special occasions such as weddings and a Barossa store called DelikatESSEN opening later in the year, which will be stocked with fresh produce from our own kitchen and local and South Australian producers. We also promise great coffee." 

The Artisans of Barossa wine tasting program will be delivered in three areas.

# The Tasting Room will offer sit down tastings from $10 and $15 a person,

#  The wine lounge offers views over the vineyards to the Barossa ranges with tastings priced at $30 per person.

# The Artisans Room which is a private space where visitors will explore more deeply the world of Barossa wine through hosted tastings beginning at $95 a head.

Restaurant Essen will be open for lunch from Thursday through to Sunday. There will be 40 wines on tasting, five from each winery plus a selection of Artisans of Barossa collaborative wines.

Artisans of Barossa will open on Friday, October 1 with construction well underway on site. See https://www.artisansofbarossa.com/