File:Very Old Vine - Flickr - Jocey K.jpg

Once we arrived in the Barossa Valley we took a walk down the road to the Langmeil Winery. After a tasting at Langmeil winery we took a pathway along a stream to Peter Lehmann Winery, September 3, 2013, Australia. Langmeil have the oldest vines in Australia this is one of them!

The land on which Langmeil Winery now stands was purchased by a 36 year old German blacksmith, Christian Auricht. He and his family arrived in South Australia in 1838 after emigrating from eastern-central Europe (Silesia) to escape religious persecution.

Christian immediately established a smithy, began farming and, in the years that followed, built a bakery, a cobbler's shop, a butcher's shop and the first well, which became the trading centre of the village.

The main roadway to Kapunda and Burra, important copper mining towns, passed by the village and many travellers stopped to water their horses and gather provisions before continuing their journeys.

Christian planted his first acre of vines on the estate. The variety was Shiraz and the vines are still producing fruit today. Auricht's old vineyard is the source of Langmeil Winery's single vineyard Shiraz. This rare wine commemorates the pioneering spirit of the first settlers and, because of their willingness to endure so much hardship for the right to keep their faith, it has been named The Freedo

The first winery on the property was established in 1932 by Theodor Hanisch. Theodor was the youngest son of Eleonore Auricht, the second daughter of Christian Auricht.

The winery operated under the Paradale label. Later it was managed by Theodor's son, Arthur (pictured right). Theodor died in 1968 and Arthur died just a year later in 1969.

After Arthur Hanisch's death in 1969, the family sought to sell the property. In 1972 Bernkastel wines purchased the winery and operated under their own label.

The eighties were hard years for the wine industry. Export sales amounted to less than 20% of total Australian production and the industry was faced with a never-ending over-supply of grapes. The South Australian Government introduced a vine pull programme whereby growers were paid to remove unwanted vines.

Both growers and winery were affected and Bernkastel Wines went into liquidation in 1988. Bought at a liquidation sale, the new owners did not operate the crushing facility but did use the cellar door to sell off stock. The doors closed in August 1993 and the property lay idle until it was purchased by the current owners in 1996.

The property was purchased in 1996 by three local mates whose families have lived in the Barossa Valley for several generations: Richard Lindner, Carl Lindner and Chris Bitter. They restored the remaining old buildings and the village well and beautified the gardens. As a tribute to the early pioneers, the new owners refurbished the old winery and named it Langmeil, after the original village.

In addition, some of Christian Auricht's original vines still remained, a small patch of 1840s Shiraz, albeit neglected. The most important task was to rescue them. After several months of tender loving care, The Freedom vineyard was successfully revived. The vines are dry grown and hand picked. After careful gardening, Langmeil's first vintage was harvested in 1997.