About
Set 450m high in the Adelaide Hills in South Australia, this boutique winery was the brainchild of well-known Australian winemaker John Edwards. His long-held dream was to produce wines with true elegance, bringing together expressive Australian fruit with the refined structure he so admired in Old World Classics such as Burgundian Chardonnay and Rhône Syrah. Convinced of the unique qualities of the Adelaide Hills region and its potential for ‘fine wine’, John scoured the area for suitable sites. It was two years before he came upon the land he was looking for – at the end of a small lane in the village of Hahndorf. In 1993, ‘The Lane’ vineyards were born!
The Adelaide Hills is one of Australia’s most distinctive areas for grape-growing. Its relatively cool climate (for Australia at least!) and, crucially, fresher night-time temperatures give the vines a chance to rest, promoting delicate flavours and fine natural acidities in the wines.
The Edwards family have now passed the baton to the Vestey family, with The Lane now headed up by CEO and Vigneron Jared Stringer. Alongside Head Winemaker, Turon White, The Lane boasts one of the most exciting, young winemaking teams in the Adelaide Hills today. A passion for place influences everything at The Lane. Jared and his team analyse the varied soils and slopes within the vineyards, matching grape varieties to the myriad of microclimates and aspects available to them. Meticulous vineyard husbandry, traditional and modern winemaking techniques, experimentation with yeasts, fine lees and use of old and new French oak, all play their part in the quality of the wines.
Not only are The Lane making fine examples of cool climate, new world wines, but they are doing so with sustainability front of mind. Sheep graze the vineyards to reduce the use of herbicides, and trout in their dams provide ecological filtration of unwanted microorganisms. As custodians of this ancient land, leaving the lightest of footprints for future generations to inherit lies at the heart of their philosophy. Their mission is to create memorable, vibrant wines that truly express the land they come from, in the most sustainable way. Read our last brochure here.
