Grandfathers of Gruner list iconic Adelaide Hills winery
An award-winning Adelaide Hills winery, home to Australia’s only plantings of a rare Pinot Noir-style grape, has been listed for sale, with ill-health forcing its current owners to concede it’s time to retire.
Hahndorf Hill Wines, a 6.1ha vineyard and spectacular cellar door, is internationally recognised for its Austrian wines, winning gold at last year’s AWC Vienna International Wine Challenge and the International Cool Climate Wine Show.
It is the only Australian vineyard to grow Saint Laurent, an Austrian red grape variety similar to the highly-prized Pinot Noir, and is also the nation’s leading producer of the white Gruner Veltliner, considered to be Austria’s flagship grape.
Other vines include Blaufrankisch, a red variety planted by the original founder of Hahndorf Hill Wines in the 1980s, whose fruit produced the first Australian-made Austrian varietal wine, and Zweigelt, another red variety used by the winery to create Australia’s first Zweigelt wine.
MORE NEWS
Newest Block judge’s bold move into SA
Iconic Fleurieu Peninsula holiday spot listed for sale
‘Massive potential’: Historic Port Augusta railway station listed for sale
Capitalising on its Adelaide Hills ‘Golden Triangle’ location, Hahndorf Hill has carved out a successful business that is internationally recognised as Australia’s leading Gruner Veltliner producer.
A superb cellar door which has seen Hahndorf Hill inducted into the South Australian Great Tourism Hall of Fame.
The 9.06ha property encompasses 6.1ha of vineyard and ample water.
Co-owner Larry Jacobs, who operates the boutique winery with partner Marc Dobson, said Austrian grape varieties were well-suited to the cooler Adelaide Hills climate and rich soils, producing wines that were lighter in style to those from South Australia’s warmer regions.
“I’m known as the Grandfather of Gruner,’’ he said.
“When we got the Gruner Veltliner into South Australia, I was determined to get as many people involved (in growing the variety) as possible, so when we imported some clones (cuttings) we got all the local growers to plant them and there’s now 30 different labels (producing Gruner Veltliner wines) in the hills.
“In the southern hemisphere, the Adelaide Hills has now become the epicentre for the Gruner Veltliner, which is quite exciting.’’
Hahndorf Hill Wines co-owners Marc Dobson and Larry Jacobs.
The cellar door is popular among local, interstate and international visitors.
The sale includes an experienced and professional management team committed to the business’ ongoing success.
Since purchasing the winery about 25 years ago, Mr Jacobs, a former intensive care doctor and founder of South Africa’s iconic Mulderbosch Vineyards, and Mr Dobson, a former journalist, have expanded the vineyard plantings, acquiring two hectares of neighbouring property to take the total landholding to 9.06ha.
More than 7000 cases of wine, which carry a 5 Red Star Halliday rating, are now sold annually and the cellar door, with a superb glass-enclosed balcony overlooking the vineyard, has been inducted into SA’s Tourism Hall of Fame.
The property also has a substantial four-bedroom stone homestead, built circa 1910.
Mr Jacobs, who turns 73 later this year, said while the winery’s sale was regretful, recent ill-health meant it was time for him to retire.
He said the couple would leave Hahndorf Hill Wines proud of the reputation they had built.
“We’ve been here for a quarter of a century and it’s been a wonderful experience,’’ Mr Jacobs said.
“We’re the oldest people on the block now. I look around and, of the established names and brands, we’re one of four (wineries) that were here originally.
“We’ve made a lot of good friends and the Adelaide Hills is a wonderful community. I’m definitely going to miss it.’’
The sale is being handled by Langley & Co, with expressions of interest closing on Friday, September 6.
