Grandma Raethel – a traditional Barossa family name to pay homage to the Valley with Betty on her motor bike a fitting image for Barossa red.
The Barossa Valley does not forget the inspiration of the German settlers that arrived in the new colony of South Australia in increasing numbers from 1838 and began settling in the Barossa Valley from 1842.
Many descendants of these original families are tending these same vines and farms today. They provide a direct link to those that came. Devout and hardworking, many were Altlutheraner (old Lutherans), a German minority who refused to violate their conscience and disobeyed their ruler and became exiles.
We pay homage to this heritage but it did not seem appropriate to just use a German name.
We looked for a much smaller symbol, a moment not a book, and stumbled across the story of Betty Lorraine Raethel.
Grandma Raethel’s family left Bremen in 1846 on the ship ‘Heerjeebhoy Rustomjee Patel’ and settled in the town of Klemzig, north east of Adelaide Town. Later they moved to the Barossa Valley, initially to Siegersdorf. They finally settled at Light Pass. Betty was born in the Barossa town of Moculta on the 13th April, 1919. That town, incidentally, was the birthplace of the great Barossa hero Max Schubert, creator of Grange.
Betty married Charlie Blenkiron, an old school friend in 1941. They were both 23 years old:
“She made a pretty picture in heaven pink ensemble, the coat being finished with handmade plaiting, and the frock trimmed with marquisette appliqué. She had a black velvet Lady Hamilton hat, with black accessories, and wore three pale pink orchids.”
The continuing releases of the Grandma Raethel Shiraz confirms why the Barossa Valley is a world class wine region.
Full list of Grandma Rathael vintages
Details of other Glug brands are at Glug Wines.
