Langhorne Creek ripe for new growth opportunities
A region famous for producing some of South Australia’s best red wines is looking towards new opportunities as it adapts to an increasingly unfavourable climate.
The picturesque Adelaide Hills-adjacent wine region, Langhorne Creek, is hoping to take advantage of its “food bowl” and boost tourist numbers as it adapts to a global wine glut.
It might not be as well-known as the Barossa Valley and McLaren Vale, but Langhorne Creek produces some of South Australia’s best wines, including Bleasdale, Lake Breeze Wines and Bremerton Wines.
Lian Jaensch, who is executive officer of Langhorne Creek Grape & Wine Inc, hopes to capitalise on this stellar reputation to boost tourism numbers to the picturesque region, located about an hour’s drive from Adelaide.
“If most people were asked, ‘What are the main tourism areas in South Australia?’, I don’t think Langhorne Creek would hit the main radar yet. We hope to change that,” she said.
According to Jaensch, Langhorne Creek is historically known for its reds, including Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec, as well as its Cabernet Sauvignon-Shiraz blends, which “are also very popular from the region and done very well”.
“The main characteristic of the red grape varieties is that some of the influence of our region means that we can produce those grapes and wines from them that are very approachable at a young age or they sell off well,” Jaensch said.
Over the past decade, smaller plantings of Mediterranean varietals such as Fiano, Greco, Nero d’Avola, Montepulciano and Sangiovese have become popular too, added Jaensch.
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Jaensch said the region, which has been producing wine for 175 years, historically grows up to 50,000 to 55,000 tonnes of grapes each year, with a farm gate value of about $52 million, but in recent years, that figure has halved due to a downturn in the market.
“Being a large production region of the classic reds like shiraz and cabernet sauvignon, they’re the main varieties that have been impacted by the oversupply,” she said.
“It’s had a big impact on sales of fruit from the region, just the capacity within the region to absorb that shock. So, it’s pretty tough times at the moment to be a grower, but it’s equally tough with the economic climate and sales figures.”
Jaensch likened today’s tough climate for growers and producers to the five stages of grief, going from denial to accepting the reality of having to make “some harsh decisions”.
“You’ve had the downturn and then you go through a bit of a denial period, I suppose, where you think, ‘Oh, it’ll be better off next year’,” she said.
“Then that doesn’t happen, and then you’re hanging on to hope, going, ‘Oh well, we’ll hang in here, we’ve been growers for long, we’ve got some really great product here, someone will want it.’
“Then you get to the point where you just can’t keep surviving on nothing.”
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As such, Langhorne Creek has had to adapt, pivoting to other industries such as food production and tourism.
Jaensch said the region has “been, for a long time, a bit of a food ball”, with a multigenerational family of almond growers, as well as a turf farm and farms growing everything from potatoes to leeks, Brussels sprouts, onions, carrots, pomegranates, flowers and limes.
“I guess we’re trying to promote a sustainable wine industry in the region, whatever that may look like in the future, but it will also be alongside a more diverse mix than it has been in the past, which we see as being a bit more resilient, we hope,” Jaensch said.
Vegetable grower and Eskadale Vineyards owner David Knight said Langhorne Creek’s water security, soil diversity and affordability made it ripe for future growth.
“Langhorne Creek’s uniqueness is having a flexible water supply from multiple sources, which very few regions can match,” he said.
Bleasdale Vineyards vineyard manager Sarah Keough said adaptability had always been one of the region’s strengths.
“I think a real benefit of Langhorne Creek as a region is that it’s very quick to adapt. Whether that’s adapting to oversupply by removing vines, trialling new varieties or exploring new wine styles, we just get on and do it,” she said.
Jaensch also hoped that the number of tourists to Langhorne Creek could be doubled, with Langhorne Creek Grape & Wine Inc currently developing a tourism destination plan alongside the local Alexandrina Council.
New attractions include flower farms, roadside produce stalls, and pick-your-own and cycling experiences.
“At the moment, most are day trippers – we’d love to increase the overnight stay because that’s more lucrative, plus we get a chance to show off much more of our region to people,” Jaensch said.
Jaensch encouraged new visitors to discover the region, saying, “It’s a place where you might feel you’ve found the unexpected”.
“So, you’ll come thinking one thing, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised when you get there, and you discover something that is very grounded, has a heart of community and a bit of an authentic experience. So, that’s what we want people to go away with,” she said.
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