Jason Schwarz
Australia
Jason's Wines
- Australia
- 6 wines
- 2 styles
Barossa champion with his pick of the Valley's grapes
Jason has built Schwarz Wine Co into a 5 star winery, but he didn’t start out as a winemaker. Growing up on his father’s vineyard, he thought he was better suited to selling wine than making it. But working holidays in famous far off wine regions quickly changed all that. As the grape juice stained his skin, he realised his calling was making, not marketing.
Back in his Barossa backyard, Jason worked in local wineries to soak up skills from the region's finest winemakers. It solidified his passion for small-batch, hand-crafted wines from old Barossa vines — and a deep respect for the families who tend them.
“My small-batch wines are not mainstream, they’re new-age expressions of Barossa classics, designed to allow the fruit to speak for itself and tell a story through the glass. I hope you’ll agree,” says Jason. And thanks to the Angels, you can now try this special wine for yourself!
Jason Schwarz's Story
Jason Schwarz was born and bred in the Barossa, surrounded by vines.
“My parents are second-generation Barossa Valley vignerons,” he told us. “My family first planted Grenache vines in the valley at the end of World War II. My father and grandfather were both state pruning champions and I learned to prune vines at the age of 12.”
But as the years passed, Jason felt he was better suited to selling wine than making it. Hoping to avoid a life out in all weathers in the vineyard, or cooped up in the sheds, he took off to study wine marketing at Roseworthy Agricultural College.
Happily for us, working holidays in famous far off wine regions quickly changed his mind...
As the grape juice stained his skin, he realised winemaking was his true calling.
Back in his Barossa backyard, Jason worked in local wineries to soak up skills from the region's finest winemakers. Before long, he’d snaffled grapes from his dad and created his first solo wine. It was the beginning of a passion for small-batch, hand-made wines from the best Barossa vines — and a deep respect for the families who tend them.
“Without the encouragement and support from my parents and their decision to sacrifice some of the Barossa's greatest Shiraz and Grenache fruit to me back in the early 2000s, I could never have realised my dream of producing distinctive, handcrafted Barossa wines. I am forever grateful.”
And since those first wines made their way into eager glasses, he’s built a 4.5-star winery and gathered a ‘who’s-who’ of growers to work with.
His address book bulges with 18 different growers from the Barossa and Eden Valley — each specifically chosen for the quality of their grapes. “My primary aim has always been to showcase the variation in the region's vineyards and allow natural characteristics to shine through,” he explained.
A few of them are very familiar to him. “Three of my cousins have vineyards. I think my family is planning a Barossa takeover!” he quipped.
For Jason, getting Naked means he can take on more growers and support his Barossa community.
“We really pride ourselves on backing local businesses and our community as much as possible,” he told me. “The Angels will help me help more growers, who are all hard-working family businesses.”
