Yesterday, Australia’s oldest family-owned winery celebrated its 175th b'day

Yesterday on Sunday 17 November, Yalumba celebrated its 175th anniversary at an intimate event attended by the Hill-Smith family and fellow Barossa winemaking families.

Additionally, Yalumba has also announced a limited-edition anniversary wine, The Yalumba 175th Anniversary Shiraz Grenache 2022 magnum, which has been sourced from some of Barossa’s oldest vineyards ranging in age from 1854 to 1920.

Reflecting on Yalumba’s 175th anniversary milestone, fifth-generation proprietor and Chairman Robert Hill-Smith said “this anniversary is not only a nod to years passed, it is a reflection of our resilience and a commitment to mastering our craft, generation after generation. 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.”

Drinks Trade recently asked Jessica Hill-Smith, sixth generation descendant of Samuel Smith, about the importance of the anniversary.

“Yalumba’s story started back in 1849: 175 years ago, my great, great, great grandfather, Samuel Smith sailed over from the small town of Wareham in Dorset in the UK in search of a new adventure and a new life for his family,” she said.

“He arrived in 1847, worked as a gardener and eventually travelled over to Victoria during the gold rush and got very lucky finding a small nugget of gold that enabled him to buy his first plot of land.

“I think Samuel Smith would be very proud of the business and the legacy he created back then and to see how much of what he believed in and what he valued has remained.”

Last Friday in the lead up to yesterday’s birthday, Yalumba’s winery staff participated in a symbolic tree-planting morning at Yalumba’s Signature Vineyard, reinforcing Yalumba’s long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship and its vision for the future.

“Our Signature Vineyard, with its view over the Barossa Valley, is still relatively young and planted with Cabernet and Shiraz,” said Louisa Rose, Yalumba’s Winemaker and Head of Sustainability.

“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.”

In addition to being Yalumba’s 175th anniversary, 2024 also marks the 50th vintage release of Yalumba The Signature.

“This year, we're celebrating the 50th vintage releases of The Signature,” said Jessica Hill-Smith.

“So the first vintage was 1962, and we haven't released one every single year. Where the vintage is not up to a signature standard, we won't release it, and there's been a number (probably at least 10 over the years) that we haven't released.”

“It is one of the most celebrated wines within our business. And I think across the industry, because of its longevity, it's one of the wines that Yalumba is most recognised for.”

To commemorate the milestone, Yalumba’s inaugural Museum Collection includes The Signature releases from 2009, 2012, and 2014. Additionally, 2014 vintages of The Caley, The Octavius, The Signature, and The Menzies are also featured.

The Yalumba 175th Anniversary Shiraz Grenache 2022 anniversary magnums are available now at a price of $175.