Kerry Morrison
Winemaker
As a winemaker, what other winemaking regions have you explored if any?
Sonoma and Napa Valley in the USA, Rhone Valley in France, and in Australia the Hunter Valley, Coonawarra, Rutherglen, Sunraysia and Riverina.
Which wine out of the ones you have made has the most interesting story behind it – and what is the story?
I like the story behind the Mudflat Shiraz. It holds history, tradition and a legacy that Peter Lehmann himself started back in the 1970’s of blending small portions of the aromatic Muscadelle (Tokay as it was called then) with Barossa Shiraz.
Peter Lehmann
Founder
The name of Peter Lehmann, founder of the company, is synonymous with the growth and recognition of the modern Australian wine industry, and the Barossa Valley in particular.
A fifth generation Barossan, he was born at Angaston in 1930, the son of a Lutheran pastor. His winemaking career began in 1947 as a 17 year-old with Yalumba where he worked under the mentorship and tutelage of the great Rudi Kronberger for 13 years until he was appointed Winemaker/Manager of Saltram Wines in Angaston. In that role for 20 years he built a national reputation for his high-quality, innovative Barossa wines.
For his contribution to the Australian wine industry he became an inaugural Member of the Order of Australia, the first Australian wine industry figure to be so recognised, and in 2009 was awarded a Lifetime Acheivement Award at the International Wine Challenge.
The eminent wine writer James Halliday, in an article wrote about Peter “It’s not often a person becomes a legend in their own lifetime.”
And he is indeed a legend of the Australian wine industry and is referred to warmly as ‘The Baron of Barossa’. He has championed the Barossa Valley as Australia’s leading wine producing region for decades and is accepted as one of the industry’s most respected figures.
