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Hugh Hamilton Wines To Celebrate 180th Anniversary at Adelaide Fashion Festival

The Black Sheep of Australia’s wine industry are set celebrate their milestone 180th anniversary in a world of risqué adventure at the Adelaide Fashion Festival.


The Black Sheep of Australia’s wine industry are set celebrate their milestone 180th anniversary in a world of risqué adventure at the Adelaide Fashion Festival.

The dazzling event will bring together world-class wine, culinary excellence, art, fashion and bewildering entertainment – a befitting nod to the audacious passion and hard-thought business innovation that has seen the country’s oldest wine family, Hugh Hamilton Wines, pioneer many of Australia’s most revered vintages and shape South Australia’s viticulture industry through 180 years of unbroken winemaking tradition.     

As far as it is known, the Hamilton’s are the “oldest surviving wine family” in Australia, having grown grapes and produced wine for six generations. When Richard Hamilton arrived in South Australia from England in October 1837, the colony was in its infancy and no wine was being produced locally.

Identifying wine as the one missing aspect of their diet, Richard sent an urgent SOS message to his friends in South Africa requesting they send grapevines so he could make wine “for the health of the family”. He received three varietals – Grenache, Shiraz and Pedro Ximenez – dipped in wax to preserve their dormancy. In 1838 Richard planted the colony’s first grape vines. Less than four years later in 1842 he produced his first vintage of wine. Since then, the Hamilton family has not missed one vintage.

While Richard was the first person to make wine in South Australia – and certainly the first winemaker to turn a profit in the business – it is Hugh Hamilton, a 5th generation Hamilton, whose ingenuity has given the brand a point of difference. The true Black Sheep of the family, Hugh made a commitment to customers that his wines would always be far from ordinary. 

Together with his daughter Mary, who is 6th generation, Hugh has delivered on his vision to create exceptional wines that stand out from the crowd and provide rich topics of conversation. Today, Hugh Hamilton Wines are the catalyst for innovative and premium experiences – giving consumers the opportunity to learn about the wine industry, taste something beyond the norm and be thrilled by the interaction with the brand. 

Hugh Hamilton explains, “180 years ago my family planted some of the first grape vines in the Colony on their 80 acre farm and began making South Australia’s first wine.”

The 180th Anniversary Bloodline Dinner promises to be a  once in a lifetime moment in South Australian history hosted by Hugh and Mary Hamilton and it will be anything but an ordinary celebration. 

Maverick chef and self-confessed black sheep of the culinary industry Simon Bryant will join the party, cooking a 5-course degustation dinner. Champagne will sparkle, eyes will light up and stories will be told. Anticipate gorgeous drinks, curated courses and a few surprises – an adventure you can’t miss, in a place you’ve never imagined.

Limited tickets available.

 

180th Anniversary Bloodline Dinner
Adelaide Fashion Festival presented by Mercedes-Benz Adelaide

When: Saturday 14 October
Time:  From 6:30pm
Where:  Adelaide Fashion Festival Runway, Torrens Parade Ground
Cost:   $300/head
Dress: Black Tie
To book:  08 323 8689 or email:  [email protected]

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