The Barossa Valley is approximately one hour’s drive from Adelaide and is the largest premium wine producer in Australia. Small stone Lutheran churches dot the valley, which was settled in the 1840s by German Lutherans fleeing from religious persecution: by 1847 over 2500 German immigrants had arrived and after the 1848 revolution more poured in giving the Barossa its unique ambiance. The first vines were also planted in 1847 at Rowland Flat.

Our vineyard property on Samuel Rd in Maranange was owned by one of the earliest settler families in the Barossa Valley and remained with this same family for some 150 years until its acquisition by Robert and Iwona Patynowski – the current owners of Grono Ancient Method Wines.

The sub-region of Marananga is regarded as one of the prettiest corners of the Barossa Valley, however, the vines were planted here for another reason – the soils. Here you will find some of the most floral and perfumed whites, as well as, powerful but elegant reds. Red clay and ironstone under “Kalimna Sand” give a great balance between perfume and structure in Shiraz and finesse to Semillon. The rare alluvial soil deposited every few years on the flood plain of the North Para River gives the white varieties planted here (especially Semillon) an exceptional bouquet when young and a timeless complexity with age.

Grono Ancient Method Wines is entirely run from vineyard to bottle by Robert and Iwona. Winemaker, Robert, is a Roseworthy Oenology graduate, being in the final group of students to make wine at the world-wide recognized Roseworthy Campus before the move to the Waite Campus in Adelaide. As well as, graduating with First Class Honours for his research on lees aging of white wine and yeast-bacteria interactions in wine, Robert has twenty plus vintages experience at senior winemaking level in both large and small wineries on four continents.