Henschke

The Henschke family, now in its 6th generation as vine-growers, is one of the most established and respected not just in South Australia but also the entire global Wine Industry. Their wines are among the most highly sought-after in Australia, consistently featuring atop the rarest and most highly rated wines. In an industry where over the past 30 years very many big Australian names have been swallowed-up by some of the most powerful global wine groups, Henschke has remained family-owned and run, focussed and perfectionist. Their reputation has no equal in Australia in terms of viticulture and their most famous wine is Australia’s most prestigious Estate Wine. Indeed, in Langton’s Classification of Australian Wine (the reference Australian classification system), Henschke is the only Estate Producer to have 2 wines in the leading ‘Exceptional’ category (out of 22 wines so categorised currently), with the Hill of Grace coming-in second only to the legendary Penfold’s Grange. The Hill of Grace mirrors the history of the Barossa Valley and remains at the height of its reputation. The Henscke family emmigrated to South Australia from Silesia in the 1840’s, settling in the Barossa Valley, where in 1847 Christian Henschke, having become a naturalised citizen, bought 70 acres of Land in Krondorf. In 1858 his son August donated a corner of his land from the hills up in Eden Valley to the Gnadenberg (Hill of Grace) Lutheran Church, who built a Church there in 1860. The same year the first vines were planted. The first recorded sale of Henschke’s wine was in 1868 and, since then, they have remained at the pinnacle of the Australian wine industry, having helped elevate Australia’s international reputation, as its wines have found fame around the world. The family remains very humble, down-to-earth and hard-working, with the 5th and 6th generations working together today, each with their own responsibility within the family business; from viticulture, to winemaking to management. The mere name Henschke resonates pure quality and total excellence. 5th generation owners Prue and Stephen Henschke teamed up several decades ago with 5th generation owner of Yalumba, Robert Hill-Smith, the latter who’s Company exclusively distributes Henschke wines around the globe. This allows the family to invest its entire focus on its vines and its wines. That relationship continues under both families’ 6th generation. This extraordinary generational relationship brings together two of the great family names of the Australian wine industry and underpins the fabric of the Barossa, where families, folklore, traditional values and winemaking run especially deep.