Nestled in the Barossa Valley township of Angaston is Australia’s oldest family owned winery Yalumba. The winery is a hive of activity with an average of 200 workers on site at any day, assisting with the long production line that is wine making.
Having celebrated its 175th birthday in late 2024, Yalumba is headed by the seventh generation descendant of its founder, Samuel Smith. Now the Hill-Smiths, due to the headstrong wife Ida a few generations ago, Robert leads Yalumba with two of his three daughters, also heavily involved in the business.
Walking around the ground is a sight to behold. With three full-time gardeners, each hedge and tree is exceptionally manicured. Some of the trees on site were brought over in the 19th century from England and are some of the oldest still standing varieties. Alongside the years of flora are the original buildings.
Lovingly named the Clocktower, the main building was erected as a gravity-flow winery. Although this aspect of the winery was decommissioned roughly 25 years ago, the large concrete tanks originally used for fermenting wine have been renovated into function rooms and an inimitable wine museum including not only an extensive back collection of their own varieties, but wines from across the world.
The wines created by Yalumba are steeped in both tradition and innovation
Yalumba also houses a functioning cooperage – the only winery in the southern hemisphere to do so. The current cooper Kym Venning explains the journey of living tree to wine barrel. At a minimum of 150 years, the trees are felled – often in France. They are left to dry out in the sustainable forest in which they have resided for their 150+ years, before being cut into the distinct stave shape for barrel making. After lying outside in the elements in France for a number of months, the pieces are shipped to Venning where he begins the process of binding, bending and welding the barrels shut.
The forests in France where barrel oak is produced are tightly maintained and sustained by the French government. A number of years ago, celebrating years of working together, Yalumba were invited to view the felling of a 350 year old oak. They were able to purchase enough wood from the tree to make ten 100L barrels which they use for their single-vineyard Steeple Shiraz. Each year they receive new wood of the same age for their new vintage of the shiraz.
Tracy Taylor is an ambassador who has been with Yalumba for a decade. She is an engaging host, filled to the brim with stories of the vines, the family and countless employees. An endearing common thread within the Yalumba stories was one of community. Most employees stay with the winery for decades and are acknowledged and celebrated by the Hill-Smith family at their annual events. Taylor even tells the story of three generations of workers spanning over 120 years of service.
A short drive away from the homestead is the Yalumba nursery. During the cooler months, a team of expert grafters are hired to assist in exporting Yalumba’s vines across Australia and the world. An experienced grafter can make up to 2,000 seedlings each a day, resulting in 1.2 million in the 2024 season. These seedlings are planted near Waikerie in the Riverland to grow in larger plants suitable for export. In addition to vines, they also graft table grapes and currently grow around 60 distinct varieties.
The wines created by Yalumba are steeped in both tradition and innovation. Alongside tried and tested red blends that have scarcely changed in the duration of Yalumba’s existence, you find wine varieties never previously grown in Australia. The use of both warm and cool climate vineyards allows for such great diversity in their wine portfolio.
Visiting Yalumba and hearing the many stories of community, sustainability and transformation is inspiring. To partake in Australia’s oldest family owned winery, and one which respects its employees so genuinely, is nothing short of a privilege.
Yalumba Wine, 40 Eden Valley Road, Angaston SA 5353