Blue Rock Wines

In 1998 three brothers purchased a 104Ha property in the Barossa Ranges for the purpose of establishing a vineyard. The property is on the corner of Abbaston Road and Springton Road, Mt Crawford. The area has an average annual rainfall of 700mm and the second coldest average winter temperature in South Australia. The average elevation is 450m above sea level and most of the vineyard has a northerly aspect. The soils are rich in minerals and organics, which enables us to grow some of the best quality wine grapes in Australia. Our name Blue Rock Wines comes from Bluerock corner which borders our vineyard and was the site of a large bluestone mine which supplied stone for many of Adelaide’s older buildings.

One philosophy we strongly adhere to as grape growers is to always put back to the land what you take out by replacing the nutrients to the soil that were used to grow that years crop.   Biodiversity is encouraged by the planting of native species of trees indigenous to this area.

In 2001 Zissis, one of the brothers commenced a viticultural degree at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga via distance education. Also in that year, one of the Barossa’s oldest and most respected family operated wineries offered us a contract

to purchase all the grapes produced from the property. In 2004 the viticulture degree undertaken by Zissis was drawing to a close when the university offered for the first time a double degree (Viticulture & Winesciences), which he promptly enrolled in. He graduated in 2008 with both degrees, the first to do so in Australia.