Wigan handed another key role

Yalumba has named Head Winemaker Sam Wigan as the new custodian of its most celebrated wines, continuing the 50-year Rare & Fine tradition.

Wigan, son of former Peter Lehmann chief winemaker Andrew Wigan, has played a role in the fine wine collection at Yalumba since joining the family winery in 2001, and has led Hill-Smith Family Estates’ winemaking
team since 2023.

A Barossa-born winemaker with a career spanning 25 years, Wigan stated he was honoured to take
custodianship of Yalumba’s iconic collection.

“Yalumba’s Rare & Fine wines are the ultimate expression of our heritage and craftsmanship,” says
Wigan.

“They are a true reflection of our long-standing commitment to regionality and authenticity in wine. I
feel incredibly fortunate to build on that tradition while pushing the boundaries of elegance and character for the future.”

Wigan began his winemaking career in 2000 with his father at Peter Lehmann, followed by a vintage in California before joining Yalumba in 2001.

He worked closely with long-time winemaker Kevin Glastonbury, who crafted Yalumba’s Rare & Fine wines until his retirement in June.  

The collection includes The Signature, FDR1A, and most recently The Caley. 

When wine and art combine

Hill-Smith Family Estates in the Barossa and Chapel Hill in McLaren Vale are among a growing number of wine brands linking with art and artists.

Winesmiths, the family-owned wine-on-tap (cask) brand produced by Hill-Smith Family Estates, this week announced its latest artist collaboration - this time partnering with South Australian artist Claire Ishino to launch a new collection of limited edition 2-litre packs, to be available across Australia and New Zealand from September through December.

Following last year’s New Zealand-inspired designs by Ross Murray, this year’s release brings the
spotlight back to South Australia, where Winesmiths and Ishino share connections to the flora and
fauna which call the state home.

Known for her artworks inspired by Australian native flora, Ishino has created a series of pack designs that reflect the biodiversity of Winesmiths’ sustainably farmed vineyards.

“When I’m walking through native bushland, I’m constantly noticing patterns, shapes and colours in the plants and how they interact with light," said Ishino. "That’s what I wanted to capture in this series.

"Collaborating with Winesmiths has been such a joy. It’s about celebrating the beauty of our environment and encouraging people to tread lightly.”

The collection includes designs for five Winesmiths varietals: shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, dry rosé, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc.

Winesmiths is also donating $25,000 to Greenfleet, a leading environmental not-for-profit that plants biodiverse forests to capture carbon emissions and restore critical ecosystems across Australia and New Zealand.

The Claire Ishino x Winesmiths Limited Edition 2-litre packs will be available in major liquor retailers and independent stores throughout Australia and New Zealand from September until December. RRP $16. See winesmiths.com.au



Chapel Hill, meanwhile, has unveiled the winning art and artist for its inaugural Horizons Art Prize.

The $5,000 acquisitive prize has been awarded to Stephanie Radok for her work It’s Morning! (above) which will now hang in the winery’s iconic 1865 tasting chapel as part of its permanent collection.

All finalist artwork will be exhibited at the Chapel Hill Tasting Room for the duration of the South Australian Living Arts Festival.

The judging panel included respected local arts figures Adele Sliuzas, visual arts curator at The Mill Adelaide, and Maria Zagala, curator of prints, drawings and photographs at the Art Gallery of South Australia.

They were joined by Chapel Hill’s chief winemaker, Michael Fragos, whose long-standing passion for visual arts helped guide the selection.

Together, the panel reviewed more than 120 submissions from 86 entrants spanning painting, drawing, photography, and multimedia.

“When we launched this inaugural award we had no idea that it would be embraced with such enthusiasm and provocative creativity,” says Fragos.

“The level of passion, flair and skill exhibited in the submissions has been truly humbling. We are so proud to be able to showcase these amazing artists and their intimate creations, we now look forward with excitement as to the direction this competition will lead us in the future.”

Farewell to Yalumba; hello Hill-Smith Family Estates

It is goodbye to Yalumba, one of the biggest names in the Australian wine industry, and welcome to Hill-Smith Family Estates, the new official umbrella name of the family business.

The Hill-Smith family believes the new name better represents the growing family of brands under its umbrella, although the Yalumba name will remain as a wine brand only.

Chairman and fifth-generation proprietor Robert Hill-Smith said: “We have come a long way since 1849, when my great-great-grandfather purchased a modest 10-acre plot of land near Angaston, in what is now Eden Valley.

“We have evolved from a single brand at Yalumba to a family of wine brands and businesses; made of many parts all linked to our commitment to and enjoyment of wine. Hill-Smith Family Estates represents us as a proud wine family, reflecting the generations of innovation and pioneering spirit of our forebears that have led us to where we sit in the wine universe today.”

The Hill-Smith family operates wine wine brands and vineyard estates including Yalumba, Jansz Tasmania, Pewsey Vale Vineyard, Heggies Vineyard, Oxford Landing, Dalrymple Vineyards, Winesmiths, and Nautilus Estate of Marlborough.

It started the fine wine distribution business Samuel Smith & Son in 1923 and also operates Negociants Australia and Negociants International.

“We have our sights set on the next 170 years with determination to continue a legacy and secure our family’s future in the wine world, whilst excited by the possibilities for our future generations at Hill-Smith Family Estates,” said Hill-Smith.

Meanwhile, the Yalumba name lives on as a wine brand, and this month launches a new collection of organic wines under a new name and label, Yalumba GEN (below), which will have an RRP of $22.

 

The new label features a collection of five certified organic wines, sustainably made at the Yalumba winery at Angaston in the Barossa. The family says "it embodies the brand’s sustainable journey and commitment to the next generation, with a fierce determination for the future".

The new range comprises Yalumba GEN Organic Shiraz 2020, Yalumba GEN Organic Pinot Grigio 2022, Yalumba GEN Organic Chardonnay 2022, Yalumba GEN Organic Viognier 2022 and Yalumba GEN Organic Sauvignon Blanc 2022. 

Yalumba first released an organic collection of wines in 2005 and now also has an organic range in its Winesmiths casks offering.

“For 172 years our family has followed sustainable practices, and GEN conveys our commitment to a sustainable future, organic certification and our minimal intervention winemaking approach,” says marketing manager Jessica Hill-Smith, pictured top with father Robert Hill-Smith.