Yalumba Family Vignerons

The Yalumba story began in 1847 when 35-year-old brewer Samuel Smith, his wife Mary and their children set sail from Dorset, England to begin a new life. Five generations and over 165 years on, the formidable culture upon which this company was founded, has not only been preserved, but serves as the corner stone for future generations.

Committed to remaining fiercely independent, the Yalumba of today is an extremely progressive organisation. Ongoing winemaking and viticultural trials continue to build on Yalumba’s reputation for innovation. The winery’s pioneering work with the rare grape variety, Viognier, is a success story that originated in the Yalumba Nursery. Having first planted Viognier in 1980, Yalumba is now recognised as the world’s most influential producer of Viognier, with their flagship Viognier, ‘The Virgilius’, leading the way.

With the experience of 166 years comes the confidence to dare to be different and challenge the status quo, in pursuit of the extra dimensions that set Yalumba wines apart. Yalumba draws on the Barossa’s limited and unique old vine resource to create ‘The Octavius’, widely acknowledged as one of Australia’s great Shiraz wines. The Yalumba Old Bush Vine Grenache is a great example of a wine that declares itself Barossa born and bred. Yalumba is fortunate to have a resource of old gnarly Bush Vines, some of which were planted in 1889, producing low yields of Grenache that are classic in style, with depth and concentrated flavour.

Remaining steadfast in its commitment to a truly Australian wine style, the Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz blend, are four Yalumba wines – ‘The Reserve’, ‘The Signature’ FDR1A and ‘The Scribbler’ - each are acknowledged as international benchmarks for the style.

With success intrinsically linked to the land, Yalumba is acutely aware of how its presence impacts the environment. Looking to the future, Yalumba is creating a sustainable business in which responsible environmental practice is integrated into everyday activities.

Yalumba is Australia’s oldest family owned winery and yet we don’t view ourselves as owners. We consider ourselves custodians, whose responsibility it is to nurture and grow Yalumba; leaving it in better shape for future generations, and not just the next generation of owners, but the next generation of wine lovers too.