Set in the heart of Barossa Valley, Hewitson is home to some of the oldest vines in the world. From these vines emerge bold ideas, whole new vineyards and of course, memorable wines – ones highly expressive of the region, with many accolades to show.
Owner and winemaker Dean Hewitson shares the story of the discovery of one of these old vines – and what it came to be.
"Last year we found this very, very old Shiraz vine in the Old Fence Line block of the vineyard. The homesteads on either side of the block were built in the early 1850s, so this vine is around 170 years old. It’s growing against 100-year-old fig trees, entwined amongst the branches, making it the classic ‘vite maritata’ – a vine married to a tree.
With the big rains that followed in winter and spring, the vine absolutely flourished over summer 2022, and we made wine from it this year for the first time! We’re now taking cuttings from the vine to plant and further explore the rich clonal sources we have of these original Barossa Valley varieties…. it’s all part of the fun we’re having with the Old Fence Line!"