South Australia well represented in First Families aiming to raise quality profile globally of Australia's wines

South Australian wineries had to meet certain criteria to be be among Australia's First Families group.

South Australia was strongly represented among Australia's First Families of Wine, an initiative to raise Australian wine’s quality profile globally, and launched at Sydney Opera House in 2009., The initial 12 multi-generational family-owned wine-producing members represented 17 wine-growing regions across Australia and 48 generations of winemakers.  South Australia’s inaugural First Families members were:

• D’Arenberg (the Osborn family), founded in 1912, with vineyards in McLaren Vale.
• Henschke, founded in 1868, with vineyards in the Eden Valley and Adelaide Hills.
• Jim Barry Wines, founded in 1959, with vineyards in the Clare Valley and Coonawarra.
• Taylors Wines, founded in 1969, with vineyards in the Clare Valley
• Yalumba  (the Hill Smith family), founded in 1849, with vineyards in the Eden Valley and the Barossa Valley.

The main criteria to be a First Families member were:

• Had a “landmark wine: in their portfolios listed under Langton’s Classification and/or a wine considered iconic by 75% of the group.
• Family controlled according to tha Australian Corporations Act.
• Could do at least a 20-year vertical tasting
• Had a history of a minimum of two generations
• Owned vineyards more than 50 years old and/or ownership of distinguished sites exemplifying the best of terroir
• Long-term commitment to export, environmental best practices and appropriate cellar door experience.
• Family-members served on wine industry bodies.
• Membership of the Winemakers Federation of Australia

First Families of Wine chairman and fourth-generation winemaker and Tahbilk chief executive Alister Purbrick said the families initiative came out of a desperate need to change the global perception of Australian wine: “We don't believe, as individual companies, we can stem the avalanche of news stories about Australia producing nothing but cheap industrial wines. But together we can present a powerful showcase of terrific regional wines of great diversity.”

Australia’s First Families was based on the concept by the Europe's leading family wineries and their association called Primum Familiae Vini, copied in New Zealand with its Family of Twelve.

• More information from Heart & soul : Australia's First Families of Wine, (2010)