L-R: Robert Hill-Smith, Louisa Rose, Jessica Hill-Smith planting trees at the Yalumba Signature Vineyard, Barossa. Image courtesy Hill-Smith Family Estates

Australia’s oldest family-owned winery, Yalumba, marked its 175th anniversary yesterday, celebrating nearly two centuries of winemaking.

On Friday, the winery’s staff gathered at Yalumba’s ‘Signature vineyard’ for a symbolic tree-planting morning.

“Today has been a meaningful experience for our team to actively contribute to a more sustainable future, said Yalumba’s winemaker and head of sustainability, Louisa Rose. “Our group brings together diverse skills and roles, and it’s special for each of them to give back to the land, especially those not typically involved in our daily viticultural work.”

“Our Signature vineyard, with its view over the Barossa Valley, is still relatively young and planted with Cabernet and Shiraz. We prioritise planting native vegetation around all our vineyards to support biodiversity and enhance vine health. This vineyard is set to play a pivotal role in our future, providing grapes for our most renowned wine, Yalumba The Signature.”

On the anniversary day, Sunday, 17 November, the Hill-Smith family hosted an intimate celebration at Yalumba with fellow Barossa winemaking families to toast 175 years of winemaking excellence.

Reflecting on the journey, Robert Hill-Smith, fifth-generation proprietor and chairman, said that the anniversary was more than simply “a nod to years passed”.

“It is a reflection of our resilience and a commitment to mastering our craft, generation after generation,” said Hill-Smith. “It also acknowledges the many exceptional fine wine people that have come through the gates of Yalumba across three centuries with shared love for our property, our wines, and our industry.”

“Most of all, it is a celebration of an exciting future ahead for our family business and the world of Australian fine wine. While we celebrate our past 175 years, we keep our eyes firmly set on the next 175 as the generations before us have done.”

Yalumba’s 175th year has been punctuated by wine releases and celebrations, bringing together trading partners and wine lovers from around the globe. Earlier in the year, Yalumba debuted a Museum Collection featuring a limited selection of the great vintages of its finest wines, aged up to 20 years, paying homage to its winemaking legacy, and representing over a century of vision and craft.

To honour its anniversary, Yalumba will release a limited-edition anniversary wine, a Shiraz Grenache blend, that reflects the character and heritage of Yalumba and Barossa. The grapes are sourced from some of Barossa’s oldest vineyards ranging in age from 1854 to 1920. This wine will be available in magnum format from 17 November, providing wine lovers with a piece of history to share and enjoy.

The Yalumba 175th Anniversary Shiraz Grenache 2022 magnums are RRP $175, available at the Yalumba Wine Room and Yalumba.com from 17 November.

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