Our people are our region.
Their personal stories are woven into the fabric of Barossa, shaping it into the rich and diverse community it is today.
Wherever you look in Barossa there is another story waiting to be told. Here are just a few.
It began at home in the foothills of Barossa in the 1970s. Wayne Ahren’s respect for the soil born over a lovely view west over the valley floor, where clouds of dust would regularly rise vertically in the air. Neighbours working their soils with rotary hoes, the dust clouds their topsoil blowing away.
“My father pointed this out to me as part of his explanation of why he had moved to zero tillage in the mid-70s” recalls Wayne. Drawing from the teachings of the generations of Barossa farmers in his lineage “look after your soils”, Wayne’s business ethos is built around the integrity of their vineyards.
Today, Smallfry Wines, owned and operated by Wayne and his partner in business and life, Suzi Hilder, is certified organic and biodynamic. “Healthy soils make healthy wines” Wayne comments, going on to describe himself as a “viticulturist bitten by the winemaking bug.”
Acknowledgement of Country —
The Barossa is located on the traditional lands of the Ngadjuri, Peramangk and Kaurna people