I’ve met lots of people from Australia over the years, and every one of them has been genial, jovial, and jocular (pardon the alliteration).  I don’t mean to cast any cultural stereotypes, here, and I’ve never met the folks from Peter Lehmann winery, but you can tell just by looking that they seem to embody the optimism and cheer of the general Australian culture.  (If my family made wine like they do, I’d be happy all the time, too).

Margaret, Doug, and Peter Lehmann

I’ve always maintained that wine is a cultural artifact, and its style embodies character of the culture that makes it, which is certainly true of the juice from Down Under.  Unlike wines from other regions I could name, it’s easy to get to know Australian wines.  Not only are they approachable, but they come right up to you, yell “G’day, Mate,” and give you a slap on the back that just about knocks the wind out of you.

Which is why we’re all so delighted that the wines of Peter Lehmann will be served at one of our Friday night dinners, and at the Saturday Grand Tasting.  Consistently rated better than 90 points by Wine Spectator, Lehmann’s Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Semillon, and Chardonnay offer big, satisfying, mouthfilling flavors that I’ve thoroughly enjoyed over the years.

The Lehmann selection

You’d get plenty of argument (and maybe a fistfight or two) if you asked the Aussies to decide which region of Australia produces the best wines, but you can be sure that Barossa Valley will always be in the forefront of the conversation.  In Barossa, the soil, the climate, the rainfall, all the elements wine grapes love, have come together, one of those happy accidents.  It makes the wine industry the major economic engine of the area.

Since the first vines were planted in the 1840s, Barossa has grown into a major center of the country’s wine industry.  Even wineries not based in the region have a significant presence there, either cultivating their own vineyards or contracting with small growers.

The Barossa Landscape

Better yet, the area is a mere kangaroo hop away from the city of Adelaide, which makes it a major destination for wine tourists.  In fact, it’s closer to the city than Napa is to San Francisco.  The vineyards start right at the edge of the suburbs.

Now, about Peter Lehmann.  It’s said that he is to Barossa what Robert Mondavi was to Napa.  A pioneer who, when the government was pressuring grape growers to rip up their vines, pledged to buy what they grew so they could stay in business.  The family continues that practice to this day, sourcing grapes from almost 200 small family growers who cultivate 900 individual vineyards.  I’m told that many of the farmers are direct descendants of families who planted the first vines over 100 years ago, and at least some of the business is still done on a handshake basis.

Peter Lehmann

And speaking of those vineyards, they are among the oldest in the world, still flourishing on their original rootstock because the area was spared the ravages of the phylloxera epidemic that just about wiped out the world’s wine industry years ago.  That means the roots go deep, and the vines yield big, concentrated wines. The Lehmanns take that big fruit and fashion 12 reds and whites that put all kinds of power, finesse, and elegance in your glass.

Ancient vines in Barossa

And I do mean in your glass, because your opportunity to sniff, swirl, and sip the Lehmann family’s finest is right around the corner.

No worries, mate.

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