Joseph Knappstein in 1911 takes over Stanley Wine Company, a major boost for Clare in South Australia's mid north

Horse and cart deliveries of grapes to the Stanley winery in Clare around 1900. Inset: Joseph Hermann Knappstein who took over the business in 1911.
Main image courtesy State Library of South Australia

The Stanley Wine Company, that started to process grapes from increasing Clare vineyards of around 150 acres, gave the South Australian district’s wine industry its greatest early boost from 1894.

It was set up in the failed Clare Fruit Preserving Company jam factory by long-time Clare brewer, mayor and member of parliament John Christison, Dr Otto Wien Smith, solicitor Magnus Badger and agent and vigneron Joseph Herman Knappstein. They contributed £350 each to buy the jam factory and get a crusher, cellar and casks.

Alfred Basedow, a European-trained winemaker, was engaged as general manager and winemaker. The name Stanley was chosen to match the local electoral district. The company won first and second prizes for a light red at the 1896 Adelaide Wine Show.

Joseph Knappstein, who bought out the other Stanley partners in 1911, had arrived at age 18 in South Australia in 1876 from Germany and his birthplace: Soest, Westphalia, Prussia. After working around the colony, he settled in the Clare area as a merchant, carting fruit he grew at Donnybook as far north as Crystal Brook. He bartered fruit and eggs and supplied people as far away as Perth and Broken Hill. He had four sons with his first wife Ruth Reed, who died in 1894.

Joseph moved to Western Australia and set up a successful ships chandlers business in Fremantle and met his second wife Mary McKay, also from Clare.

In 1902, Joseph sold his business in Western Australia and returned to Clare to take charge of the Stanley Wine Company that had an export crisis. Joseph and Mary had nine children: two daughters and seven sons, including Bob (chairman), Bernie (manager), Alex (winery manager), Clem (Stanley Caller) and Karl Hubert (legendary winemaker “Mr Mick”), who became involved with the wine company.

In 1905, Joseph Knapstein went to London with his family and started the first Australian wine agency and contracts in Britain and Europe. Joseph, who expanded his vineyard to become the largest grape contributor to Stanley, bought out the other partners in 1911.

When Joseph Knappstein died at 60 in 1919 leaving a young family, Elders Trustee and Executors Co. took over managing the company, with a steady decline. From 1919 to 1938, no dividend was paid. The family fought the threat of Elders' winding up the business to pay Joseph's wife her annuity. Bernie Knappstein became the acting manager, although Elders appointed their own winery manager, paid a hefty £15 a week.

In 1935, the family took cuttings from the (barely productive) best vines and planted another 14 acres of Rhine riesling in 1936-37. This saved the company that fully returned to family hands in 1938 and was again paying a dividend within four years. Stanley plantings grew with land at Watervale and riesling, shiraz, mataro and grenache planted.

Fred Knappstein and then Bernie Knappstein ran the company until 1954 when Stanley bought about 50 acres (and another 200 acres in 1959) at Leasingham, planted with Rhine riesling. From this time, Stanley also supplied Lindemans with wine. Alec Knappstein as winery manager adopted refrigeration with controlled and closed fermentation with a big wine quality lift. In 1962, Mick Knappstein became managing director as production increased enormously, supplying much of of the wine industry. After Bill Chambers and Peter Weste, Tim Knappstein joined as winemaker in 1967.

With a crippling wine tax in the 1960s, the Knappstein family eventually sold to H. J. Heinz in 1971, who paid $3,600,000 and continued with Mick Knappstein as manager until he retired in 1976. With demand for wine casks booming, the Heinz Corporation in 1984 bought the huge Buronga Winery in New South Wales and in 1988 Hardy Wine Company bought Stanley's premium Clare Valley vineyards.