SA Bushfires: Adelaide Hills wine industry left in ruin

The bushfire which roared through the Adelaide Hills severely damaged about a dozen vineyards which are part of the region’s identity.

Barristers Block Winery owner Jan Siemelink-Allen in her burnt out vineyard at Woodside. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

The Adelaide Hills are reeling from Friday’s catastrophic bushfire at Cudlee Creek, which killed a grandfather and destroyed 72 homes and 404 outbuildings as well as affecting about a dozen vineyards that are part of the ­region’s identity.

Two fires are still burning out of control on Kangaroo Island, with at least one home destroyed.

Fire and Rescue deputy chief Andrew Stark said Monday was likely to see a return of high fire conditions across the state, with a severe warning and total fire ban for the Mount Lofty Ranges.

“There’s still lots of pockets of bush burning, there’s lots of trees that are hot and smouldering and it’s a very dangerous place to be,” he said.

“If we see hot and windy conditions (on Monday), unfortunately we may see the fire break out.”

A magpie sits on a fence post in Woodside which was left in ruins from the Cuddle Creek fire. Picture: AAP

Mr Stark said the damage from the Cudlee Creek fire was widespread and the number of houses lost was expected to rise.

“With very high and severe conditions (on Monday), despite the hard work of firefighters right across the state, some of those fires may break their containment lines and threaten lives and property again. We urge communities to listen to the messages of the CFS and other agencies.”

Premier Steven Marshall said the fires had destroyed homes, livestock and vineyards: “It is a very significant damage bill that we will have as a state. This has been a devastating 48 hours for the people of South Australia.”

Adelaide Hills winemakers are urging Australians to buy wine ­directly from their vineyards after the deadly Cudlee Creek blaze devastated vineyards, including Tilbrook Estates, Vinteloper and Simon Tolley.

Barristers Block lost all of its vines but owner Jan Siemelink-Allen has vowed to rebuild.

“The vineyard is decimated but it was very fortunate we didn’t lose the cellar door or any of our wine in storage. In my 38 years in the wine industry, I have never seen or known a vineyard to be wiped out like this,” she said.

She described herself as a rural, agricultural woman who wouldn’t give up.

“Financially, it’s a big blow. The best way of helping anybody is just buy a bottle of wine,” she said.

Simon Tolley said he would be lucky to salvage 20 per cent of his vineyard.

“I don’t know if we will salvage anything,” he said.

Mr Tolley spent the weekend putting out spotfires and checking on his fellow growers.

“The best support we can get is direct sales,” he said.

Vinteloper posted a photo of a charred vine and an emoji of a broken heart on the winery’s ­Instagram page.

“The worst day in our history. I am completely broken,” founder David Bowley wrote.

His sister Monique Bowley said her brother had lost everything, including his house, business and grapevines.

“Years and years of toil on a business that he built from scratch and now it’s all gone,” she said on Instagram.

Ms Bowley asked people to buy wine directly from her brother’s website to help him rebuild.

“And if he can’t, you might just have one of the last bottles of wine that he made,” she said.

Broken wine bottles at Tilbrook Estate Winery. Picture: Supplied

James Tilbrook posted photos on Facebook of the damage to the winery with only one charred, empty barrel left after all the ­bottled wine exploded.

“The heat was that intense it melted empty bottles,” he said.

“All the equipment is fire-­damaged … stuffed.”

Riposte Wines winemaker Tim Knappstein said only about 10 per cent of the vines around his Lenswood property were green after the bushfire.

“Most of this year’s potential crop, which was looking quite good, has been destroyed. There is only about 30 per cent left,” Mr Knappstein said.

“I’m really not sure what ­people can do apart from buy plenty of Adelaide Hills wine.”