One of Australia’s oldest family-owned wineries, established in 1868, has been awarded the prestigious title of 2021 Halliday Wine Companion ‘Winery of the Year’.

These coveted annual awards recognise the best of the best from across the wine industry and celebrate the release of the 2021 edition of the Halliday Wine Companion. The awards were broadcast online for the very first time, showcasing the resilience and strength of Australia’s wine community, in a year plagued with fire, drought and virus. “Henschke is the foremost medium-sized winery in Australia, and its recognition as Winery of the Year is long overdue. Whether you consider the winery’s history, the number and quality of list present wines, or its future, the answer is the same: it has no equal,” said James Halliday AM. Fifth-generation winemaker Stephen and his viticulturist wife Prue are recognised around the world for their exceptional quality wines, innovation and sustainability in the vineyard. Their 2012 Hill of Grace was named ‘Wine of the Year’ in the 2018 Halliday Wine Companion. In recent years Stephen and Prue have welcomed sixth-generation family members Johann, Justine and Andreas into the business. Johann has carried on the family winemaking tradition in his capacity as winemaker and viticulturist since 2013, and Justine joined in the role of marketing and public relations manager in 2015. “It’s a great honour to be named Winery of the Year and we are overjoyed to share this award with our fantastic, loyal and hardworking staff. We celebrated 150 years of family winemaking in 2018 and we couldn’t be prouder to receive this accolade, in a year that our oldest Hill of Grace vines, the ‘Grandfathers’, turn 160 years of age. As we reflect on our own journey as Henschke custodians, we pay tribute to the trailblazers who laid the foundations for our Henschke story,” said Stephen. Each generation has added to the Henschke philosophy of making exceptional quality wines that speak of a true sense of place. Fourth-generation Cyril Henschke pioneered single-variety, single-vineyard wines in the 1950s, with his greatest legacy being the creation of Mount Edelstone and Hill of Grace; old-vine shiraz wines from the Eden Valley region that have become an integral part of Australia’s fine wine history. “There are no tricks of equipment or practice in the winery, just attention to detail. For many years now, they have been using organic/biodynamic practices in the vineyards, though the Henschkes have not sought certification. Quite apart from the application of the bio sprays and compounds, no herbicides or insecticides are used. Prue has added her own signature with a continuous thick layer of straw mulch running along each row, enhancing worm and microbial activity and preventing loss of moisture. Great wine made in the vineyard? Absolutely,” said Halliday.