Hill & Smith Family Vineyards

Over five generations, members of the Hill-Smith family have been pioneers in locating exceptional vineyard sites that maximise the personality of their wines.

Since the wine was released in 1980, Hill-Smith Estate Sauvignon Blanc has been recognised as one of Australia’s finest Sauvignon Blancs. Our Chardonnays from the Adelaide Hills and Eden Valley are contemporary wines crafted from fruit cultivated in premium Chardonnay growing regions.

These wines honour the contribution that Wyndham Hill-Smith OBE (1909 - 1989) made to wine, sport and life in Australia. A talented amateur artist, Wyndham painted the front label landscape scenes on all three wines.

Well known as a cricketer, Wyndham Hill-Smith both shared the crease with Bradman and faced Larwood at his peak. He was a keen thoroughbred owner, with more than 500 race wins, and well recognised as a generous host and charming raconteur.

Importantly, Wyndham oversaw in the 1960s and ’70s the innovative return of viticulture from the floor of the Barossa Valley to the cooler climes of the high altitude Barossa ranges, known as Eden Valley. In these conditions, finesse, elegance and understated power replace the robust and earthy style of the lower altitudes.

Over five generations the Hill-Smith family has been a pioneer in locating exceptional vineyard sites that maximise the personality of its wines. These wines celebrate the symmetry of region and variety. From vineyards in the Eden Valley, in the rugged and undulating high country of the Barossa and from the cool, steep slopes of the picturesque Adelaide Hills.

The distinctive label, featuring an original painting of the vineyard by Wyndham Hill-Smith O.B.E., combines the tradition at the heart of the Hill-Smith family with the contemporary styling befitting a modern Australian classic.

Teresa’s working life didn’t begin with making wine. A love of science led her to undertake a Bachelor of Applied Science in Chemistry and Microbiology at the University of South Australia, focussing on food and wine chemistry. Before entering the world of wine Teresa spent four months working in Germany before returning to South Australia to work with the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service. Teresa spent her days testing weird and wonderful food imports ensuring they were safe for our consumption. The opportunity to join the wine industry as a Microbiologist came in 1994.

Possessing a genuine love and appreciation of wine from her early years, Teresa’s progression from microbiologist to winemaker was inevitable. A chance tasting with the Hill-Smith Family Vineyards winemaking team sparked her passion to discover more about the spectrum of flavour and aromas that are possible in wine - something which continues to fascinate and drive her today.

Teresa completed her Winemaking studies in 2000, graduating from Charles Sturt University while gaining practical experience in the cellar and laboratory at the same time.

From there, firstly, and very successfully, she took on the challenge of winemaker for the inaugural vintage at the Hill-Smith family’s Oxford Landing Winery, where she managed the making of both the white and red wines. Then, in 2008, Teresa accepted the challenge of becoming the Hill-Smith Family Vineyards Sparkling and Chardonnay Winemaker – the role she continues to develop today. Now she is also able to apply her individual style to the crafting of fine Eden Valley Sauvignon Blanc.

"I have always felt a great affinity for white wine – both in the vineyard and in the glass. It’s where my passion is, so I feel very at home making the wines from Hill-Smith Estate– two classic white varieties – Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay - from regions renowned for producing great quality white wines.

As a winemaker, being able to experiment with flavour, aroma and texture is inspiring, and at the same time I believe you should respect the history, reputation and hard work that has gone before."