Jacob's Creek Wine
The Australian wine brand, that lays claim to starting the international Aussie wine craze, is one of the most recognised in the world. Launched in the late 80s, it paved the way for a myriad of different brands and put Australian wine on the map, with the result that Australian wines now sell over a billion litres each year, particularly to their largest export market, the UK.
There has been a lot of criticism of wine brands by wine experts and writers, but Jacob's Creek, is recognised, and applauded as one of the leading brands, who manage to combine volume, wide appeal, and yet stay true to their roots and deliver good quality wines.
The origins of Jacob's Creek date back to 1847, when a young Bavarian immigrant, Johann Gramp, decided to plant some vines to try to grow grapes and make wine to remind him of his homeland. What he did not realise was that he planted vines in one of the best regions in South Australia, the Barossa Valley, near a waterway called Jacob's Creek. And so the story began. He purchased 2 hectares of land and the rest is history!
A long tradition of winemaking then began, as Gramp planted the first commercial vineyard in the Barossa, and over the next 100 years, the business grew, under the careful eye of the children and grandchildren of the founder. More land was purchased, in key wine producing regions of South Australia.
It was only until 1976 that the Jacob's Creek brand was really born, with the release of a 1973 blend of Shiraz and Cabernet from the Barossa and McLaren Vale, and a touch of Malbec from Padthaway. Then, it was labelled as Claret of all things. It first hit UK stores in 1984, and that's when the love affair of the wine drinking public with Australian wines began!
Ever since the brand has kept its loyalty to Australia and only sources grapes from one of its wine regions, unlike several other brands have done. It has focused on improving quality year after year, and trying out new styles, with the launch of a sparkling Jacobs Creek, thier double barrel series and now a range of lower alcohol wines.
What wines do Jacob's Creek make?
The Jacob's Creek style is all about producing high quality wines at affordable prices, which manage to capture the true essence of the modern Australian style. There are a few ranges in the brand portfolio, but the focus is always on the delivery of pure, quality fruit flavours, which make a statement about the quality of the brand, and deliver, a fresh, appealing, high quality style of Australian wine to the millions of consumers.
The Classic range – this is the cornerstone and heartbeat of the Jacob's Creek range that offers fresh, tasty wines with some blends, but primarily single varietals. The most popular are the Jacobs Creek Shiraz and Jacobs Creek Chardonnay, but there's also a soft, fruity Merlot, Pinot Grigio and Sauvignon Blanc to look out for.
The Reserve range – this range demonstrate the focus that Jacobs Creek have on quality winemaking, and the desire to get the very best wines, from the very best soils. Currently, they have found success with the Jacob's Creek Reserve Chardonnay, which is a fresh citrusy wine complemented by toasty oak notes and a creamy palate.
Sparkling – perhaps the most exciting range available as affordable sparkling Aussie wine is not often seen outside the country. The Jacobs Creek Sparkling, made by the traditional Champagne method, uses the classic Champagne grape varieties, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, resulting in a very good wine. One particularly worthy of note though, especially for those in the know, is the Jacobs Creek Sparkling Shiraz. A red sparkling that is definitely more of an Australian thing, this will really open your eyes to how good these styles of wine are.
Double Barrel – the newest wine and ever-growing in popularity, is from their Double Barrel series. The Jacobs Creek Double Barrel Shiraz is aged in traditional oak before being finished in whisky barrels, hence Double Barrel. The result is complexity, richness and depth with a wine that offers cedar, vanilla, toast, pecan and dark fruits. It's also worth keeping an eye out for the others in the range, including a Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Shiraz-Cabernet and a Shiraz-Cabernet rum barrel.