Newcomers to the wine scene, South Australian winery Living Roots has snapped up the coveted ‘Best New Winery’ award in the 2023 Halliday Wine Companion Awards.
The awards celebrate the best within the Australian wine industry, with stiff competition in their category from 50 prospective winners each year.
Sebastian (Seb) and Colleen Hardy, the duo behind Living Roots, secured the win with their eight expert offerings scoring high on the Halliday points scale and coming in at an incredibly reasonable price point under $40.
“It came as a huge surprise,” said Colleen.
“James [Halliday] featured us in a piece for The Australian last August, so we were pumped about that and to hear he enjoyed the wines. We didn’t imagine that would turn into the Best New Winery award and a five-star winery rating.’
What’s in a name? Well, there’s plenty of history in Living Roots, with Seb’s family line tracing back six generations within the iconic Hardy family. Following the immigration of Seb’s great-great-great grandfather in 1850 to newly-colonised Australia, the Hardy family grapes were soon planted…and the rest is history.
While Seb was raised in viticulture royalty, Colleen embarked on a fateful journey which began in Rochester, New York. Setting aside her career in marketing, Colleen sought a change of scenery and eventually landed a position as a cellar hand at Hardy’s Tintara Winery, where she met future husband Sebastian.
Fast-forward to 2016, and Living Roots Wine Co. was born.
The Hardy duo established Living Roots Wine Co. as a unique business model – with bases in both the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York, and our very own Adelaide Hills wine region.
In 2017 Living Roots opened their first tasting room in Rochester – popular with locals and tourists alike, boasting sleek, warm industrial vibes.
Not afraid of a challenge, the duo decided to set up their Australian base in 2021 – mid pandemic mind you – staking their claim on a patch at family winery K1, based in Kuitpo in the Adelaide Hills wine region.
“The pandemic definitely halted any momentum we had… we hosted a family and friends launch last May and opened up bookings after that, but there was an uptick in cases shortly after and we had to cancel any bookings that were made,” said Colleen.
Though it remains a logistical challenge, Seb and Colleen split their time between Rochester and Adelaide vintages and enjoy the balance of seeing their families and building their business.
“Between harvest, blending and bottling across two continents, it doesn’t leave a lot of time for promoting and putting our wines out there, let alone free time or holidays! But as we continue to get more established and build our team, it’ll become easier to manage,” said Colleen.
Colleen says the secret ingredient to their award-winning recipe is the mixed climate growing – with both wine regions in different hemispheres allowing the team to create a versatile range.
“We can make just about any style really well. In the Finger Lakes, we focus on whites and sparklings, and in the Hills, it’s vibrant reds.”
“Our approach is to make high quality wines with varietal and regional expression. Everything is wild ferment and minimal input, but very careful, hands-on winemaking. Balance is key, and we’re all about fruit intensity and fresh acidity, rather than chasing body or relying on oak for character.”
Open by appointment, Living Roots offer a private intimate tasting for parties of up to 10 guests, which gives you a fantastic opportunity to pick their brains and sample some delicious drops.
Living Roots Winery is located at 159 Tynan Road, Kuitpo.
Click here to find out more by visiting the Living Roots Winery website or follow along on Facebook and Instagram.
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