Langhorne Creek Wine Region

 Two of South Australia’s iconic wineries, Langhorne Creek’s Bremerton Wines and Ben Potts Wines, have announced a very special release…and it’s not a new wine.

Lucy Willson from Bremerton Wines and Ben Potts of Ben Potts Wines have created the perfect blend in time for Christmas – a beautiful girl named Peggy Mignonne – who was born at Burnside Hospital late on Wednesday evening.

Arriving two and a half weeks before her due date and weighing a healthy 2.85kg, Peggy represents the seventh generation of the famous wine-making Potts family and the third generation from Bremerton.

“Everyone in Langhorne Creek is already placing bets on her becoming a winemaker,” Lucy Willson says.

“Whatever she decides to be, Langhorne Creek is a great place for kids and we can’t wait to take her home and celebrate our first Christmas as a family of three.”

Ben’s great-great-great grandfather, Frank Potts, planted his first vines in 1858 establishing the now famous Bleasdale Winery while Lucy’s parents, Craig and Mignonne Willson, purchased the historic Bremerton Winery in 1985, whose history dates back to 1866.

Today Ben is Chief Winemaker at Ben Potts Wines while Lucy is Marketing Manager at Bremerton.

The Langhorne Creek wine region recently launched a new regional branding initiative – “Experience our Past. Taste the Future” which celebrates its unique past and future.

Surrounded by ancient red gums and with cooling lake and ocean breezes, Langhorne Creek is less than an hour south east from Adelaide in South Australia. With seven cellar doors and boutique B&Bs, it’s the perfect destination for day trips or longer stays.

Passionate, persevering and proud women are the focus of a
new project to come out of the Langhorne Creek Wine Region. The region is
undertaking a focus on the women in their wine region in a project led by Anne
McLennan with the backing of Langhorne Creek Grape and Wine.

The Women in Wine project, which commenced in May 2011, had
the aim of developing a new promotional tool for the region showing a point of
difference to the region and uncovered the stories behind the wines from a
uniquely female perspective.

Langhorne Creek Grape and Wine funded the photo-shoot and
story development, the first series focusing on the women in the cellar doors
of Langhorne Creek – as each of the Langhorne Creek cellar doors have at least
one woman acting as the driving force behind the outlet.

The photo-shoot was held with the key women from many of the
cellar doors in Langhorne Creek and was photographed by Karen Jericho. Writer
Connie Berg then interviewed the women in wine for a series of biographies – to
be published in the Argus on a monthly basis, commencing with an interview with
Anne Meakins of Rusticana and Newmans Horseradish.

One of the most popular Sunday race days on the South Australian calender, the Langhorne Creek Vigneron’s Day is more than just a horse race. Celebrating the best that the local region has to offer in food and wine, the day is one for all the family to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy the grounds of the picturesque Strathalbyn Racecourse. Get caught up in the thrill of the races, toe tap to live music, keep the kids busy with children’s entertainment and indulge in gourmet food and superb Langhorne Creek branded wines.
Packages and tickets are available at www.strathracing.com.au

 Over 400 visitor’s ventured to Langhorne Creek on the 14 & 15 August to take part in the popular Annual Cellar Treasures weekend.  Eight cellar doors participated. Angas Plains, Bleasdale, Bremerton, Brothers in Arms, Cleggett Wines, Lake Breeze, Rusticana and The Winehouse (Ben Potts Wines & Kimbolton) all raided their cellars to find some museum wines for all to enjoy. This was the 6th year this unique event has been running, with this year the most successful yet.

The 2011 vintage, a roller coaster of highs and lows, will be remembered as one of the most climatically challenging ever experienced in Langhorne Creek.  Harvest began about 3-4 weeks later than the previous vintage.  The first sparkling base and white varieties were taken at the end of February and the first week of March.  Out of the chaos, there are fruit and wine highlights for Langhorne Creek to once again hang its hat on.

The welcome ‘highs’ for the season emerged from the above average rainfall in winter and spring leading to high vigour and a return to average or above average crop levels in the majority of vineyards.  Fruit set was excellent and yield looking high.  A cool summer and autumn led to high natural acidity especially in whites, good perfume, low baume and low alcohol in wines.  Dense canopy growth provided sun protection for fruit when the region was hit by two 44+ degree days in January.  High rainfall replenished soils, flushed salts and reduced irrigation costs for growers.  It has been a great year for young vine establishment with cooler weather and high soil moisture in the top soil.

The untimely ‘lows’ did take their toll – it rained…and rained…and rained.

Humidity was high and the fungal disease pressure escalated across the district.  This compounded with a late start to harvest resulted in a high stress compressed vintage period and end to the season.  Cooler temperatures resulted in low sugar levels in reds which posed some winemaking challenges.  There was a high level of selective picking for most red varieties in the region this year due to the high disease pressure from Downy and Powdery mildew, Botrytis and other bunch rots.  The overall district yield was severely impacted with an expectation of approximately 20% lower total tonnage from Langhorne Creek compared to 2010.  Vintage concluded for most by the Easter break in late April.

The ‘silver lining’ from the Langhorne Creek 2011 vintage will certainly be the anticipated excellent white wines.  Verdelho, Sauvignon Blanc and early picked Chardonnay will be sure to please consumers and showcase Langhorne Creek whites.  For those liking reds, some stand out parcels of Cabernet Sauvignon and early picked Shiraz will produce gems this year but total yield was down so consumers would be advised to buy early when these wines are released.  It has also been a fantastic year for alternative varieties with good parcels of Petit Verdot, Malbec, Merlot and Tempranillo reported.

The 2011 Langhorne Creek wine grape harvest has been one of low production (particularly for red grape varieties) with excellent whites and some highlights in the reds to look out for.  A look at the ‘alternative’ side of Langhorne Creek is also recommended from this vintage.

Lake Breeze Winemaker Greg Follett accepts the "Geek IT" Champion Trophy for 2011 from sponsor representative Adam Basedow.

It was again time to celebrate at Langhorne Creek on the 6th of May, when a crowd of nearly 300 winemakers, grape growers, media, politicians and industry partners marked the end of vintage 2011 and unveiled the winners of the 2011 Langhorne Creek Winemakers Showcase at the 11th annual Langhorne Creek Winemakers Luncheon. Having had huge success in the 2010 Showcase, the family-owned boutique winery Lake Breeze retained the perpetual Champion Trophy with their 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon.

The Langhorne Creek Winemakers Showcase awards the top wines coming from the Langhorne Creek wine region as judged by an independent panel of  judges. Once again this year’s judging panel was led by Mike Farmilo from Boars Rock Winery, who was joined by fellow judges wine writer Peter Forrestal and consultant winemaker and Master of Wine Kym Milne.  Winemaker Rebecca Kidd from Bremerton Vintners took part as an Associate Judge.

 Trophies were presented in 7 categories reflecting the wines of Langhorne Creek:

• Best Sparkling, White or Rosé
• Best Red Blend
• Best Cabernet Sauvignon
• Best Shiraz
• Best Alternative or Other Wine
• Best Pre-Release
• And the Champion Trophy for best wine

Lake Breeze took out the best pre-release award and Geek IT Champion trophy  with their 2009 Lake Breeze Cabernet Sauvignon.  Winemaker Greg Follett was thrilled to be able to return the coveted Champion Trophy to its place at the winery for another twelve months.

Bremerton Vintners claimed the Best Sparkling/White/Rose category with their 2010 Bremerton Verdelho (winemaker Rebecca Willson).

Ben Potts (current Langhorne Creek Winemaker Committee Chair) carried home the award for Best Shiraz with his Ben Potts wines Fiddles Block 2009 Shiraz.

Boutique label Kimbolton received the Best Cabernet Sauvignon trophy for their current release 2009 Kimbolton Fig Tree Cabernet Sauvignon.

The Best Red Blend trophy was accepted by winemaker Paul Hotker for the 2008 Bleasdale Frank Potts.  This wine is a luscious blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Petit Verdot.

Renowned winemaker John Glaetzer took home the Best Alternative/Other award with the Gipsie Jack 2006 Malbec.  It seems Malbec wines are turning into a bit of a star for Langhorne Creek.

A charity wine auction was also held during the day, with eight special format wines auctioned off to the attendees which raised over $5000.  Part proceeds from the auction are to be donated to the Langhorne Creek Friends of the Old School.

The winning wines from the Winemakers Showcase and all of the other entered wines will be available for tasting at the 2011 Langhorne Creek Winemakers Showcase Tasting (generously sponsored by Geek IT) to be held on the 15th of May from 11am at the Langhorne Creek Memorial Hall. Entry is $15 per person which includes a complimentary wine glass.

Effective from the 20^th of September 2010, the Langhorne Creek Wine Industry Council, Langhorne Creek Wine Grapegrowers Association and Langhorne Creek Winemakers Association have amalgamated to form Langhorne Creek Grape and Wine Incorporated to represent the growers and winemakers of the Langhorne Creek wine region.

This amalgamation will ensure a streamlined management structure and an efficient approach to administration and resource access throughout the region, ensuring that Langhorne Creek Grape and Wine is able to more strongly represent its member base.

This is an exciting and timely evolution for representation of the Langhorne Creek wine industry.

Further information: contact Lian Jaensch, Executive Officer, ph (08) 85373362.

A $75,000 grant from the South Australian Government’s Regional Project Fund will create a “wine regionalisation model” to develop and test marketing and advertising campaigns that will brand Langhorne Creek as a South Australian wine region.

The project funds will be supported by in-kind assistance from Regional Development Australia – Adelaide Hills, Fleurieu and Kangaroo Island, Primary Industry and Resources SA (PIRSA) and the Langhorne Creek Wine Region and will define the regional identity of the Langhorne Creek Wine Region.

Characteristics that distinguish the wine and region will be identified through consumer research to shape a unifying theme appealing to consumers, and form the basis of an industry model for wine regionalization.

Langhorne Creek Wine Industry Council Chair, Heather Webster said “This funding gives the Langhorne Creek Wine Region the opportunity to define market segments and trends for our regional wine products.

“The information that we get from undertaking this project will be used to underpin a unified identity for the Langhorne Creek Wine Region. Additionally the information may be able to be used as a model for other regions.”

The fund is managed by the Department of Trade and Economic Development’s Office of Small

Business and Regional Development.