Adelaide Hills winemakers release special blend to assist with bushfire appeal

Twenty-one winemakers have banded together to create The Hills Appeal Wine to help raise much needed funds for their fire ravaged friends and neighbours.

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Adelaide Hills winemakers have joined forces to create a special drop to raise much-needed funds for the bushfire-ravaged region.

Twenty-one winemakers have donated grapes to create the Hills Appeal wine, a 2019 syrah meunier.

At $28 a bottle, it could raise more than $300,000 through the sale of 10,800 bottles.

Adelaide Hills Wine Region executive officer Kerry Truel said the initiative was a first of its kind and the ultimate labour of love.

“(Winemakers) came up with this idea to donate barrels and blend it so that we had a wine that we could release around the six months anniversary of the Cudlee Creek fire to keep the fundraising going and keep the spotlight on the recovery,” she said.

“The reality is that some of these impacted (winemakers) are going to struggle for the next two to three years as they wait for their vines to regrow. So to see the generosity of primary producers donating multiple barrels to help make this blend really shows the spirit of the local wine industry.”

Amy Hickling from Petaluma, Michael Downer from Murdoch Hill and Greg Clack from Chain of Ponds, pictured at Murdoch Hill Winery. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

Ms Truel said approximately 1100ha of vineyard belonging to more than 60 growers were destroyed as a result of the December 20 blazes.

“This accounts for almost 30 per cent of the entire Adelaide Hills planting,” she said.

“So the money raised will go towards our Hills fire appeal which is already set up and already raised more than $500,000 for it.

“We released the first round of funds last week, which was a quarter of a million all up. Basically, it goes to growers and winemakers affected by the fires who apply to us for funding and want to use the money for recovery purposes, so it’s essentially going out to them in a grant form.” The Hills Appeal wine is available online at adelaidehillswine.com.au and local hills cellar doors and bottle shops.

Participating wine producers include Bird in Hand, Bleasdale, Chain of Ponds, Hahndorf Hill, Honey Moon Vineyard, Howard Vineyard, La Prova, Lodestone Wines, Lobethal Road, Longview Vineyard, Murdoch Hill, Nepenthe Wines, Petaluma, Schoenthal Estate, Second Coming Wines, Shaw + Smith, Shining Rock Vineyards, Sidewood Estate, The Lane Vineyard, Tynan Road Wines and Wicks Estate.