Langhorne Creek is the traditional home of the Ngarrindjeri peoples of the lower Murray River, eastern Fleurieu Peninsula and the Coorong. Since the 1850s, it has become a respected wine region with a tradition of sensitive environmental understanding, viticultural incentive and innovative winemaking.
The natural floodplain that results from the Bremer and Angas Rivers’ journey from the Adelaide Hills to Lake Alexandrina and on toward the Southern Ocean has long attracted explorers and settlers.
When Captain Charles Sturt ventured down the mighty Murray River in 1830, he observed of the area: “The land is of the very richest kind… I should not hesitate to pronounce it one of the richest spots of equal extent on earth, and highly favoured in other respects.”
A decade later, Alfred “The Liar” Langhorne was bringing a mob of cattle into the region when he reached and crossed the Bremer River, squatting on the fertile ground at what became known as Langhorne’s Crossing. The place later became known as Langhorne Creek, even though there is no waterway with that name.
Several years later, pioneer Frank Potts was heading to a ferry builder’s job at Wellington on the Murray River when he saw the same fertile floodplains. When the Government subdivided the area in 1850, he purchased the first section and soon had acquired 130 acres, planting Shiraz and Verdelho, later establishing the Bleasdale Winery.
Other settler families soon followed, Arthur Follett planting currant vines in the 1880s and 50 years later wine grapes for the fortified industry. The family holdings eventually became Lake Breeze.
Also in the early 1880s, Englishman William Formby purchased the Metala property on Lake Plains Road, and with his son Arthur planted 21 rows of Shiraz and 14 of Cabernet Sauvignon in 1891. Those surviving Cabernet vines are considered to be the oldest family own Cabernet vines in the world. The Metala label remains today as an icon of the region, made at the Brothers in Arms winery.
While the Potts of Bleasdale, the Folletts of Lake Breeze, and the Adams of Brothers in Arms hail from the region’s pioneers, Langhorne Creek continues to be a prime growing source for dozens of other producers from large corporates to new generation artisans. Traditional growers include the Borretts, Cleggetts, Wenzels, and Cases of Kimbolton Wines, with the Willsons of Bremerton and newer names such as the Watkins now established in the region.
For visitors, there are nine welcoming cellar doors offering a range of wine styles, tasting experiences and generous food choices, showcasing the region’s continuously evolving 180-year farming history.
The natural floodplain that results from the Bremer and Angas Rivers’ journey from the Adelaide Hills to Lake Alexandrina and on toward the Southern Ocean has long attracted explorers and settlers.
When Captain Charles Sturt ventured down the mighty Murray River in 1830, he observed of the area: “The land is of the very richest kind… I should not hesitate to pronounce it one of the richest spots of equal extent on earth, and highly favoured in other respects.”
A decade later, Alfred “The Liar” Langhorne was bringing a mob of cattle into the region when he reached and crossed the Bremer River, squatting on the fertile ground at what became known as Langhorne’s Crossing. The place later became known as Langhorne Creek, even though there is no waterway with that name.
Several years later, pioneer Frank Potts was heading to a ferry builder’s job at Wellington on the Murray River when he saw the same fertile floodplains. When the Government subdivided the area in 1850, he purchased the first section and soon had acquired 130 acres, planting Shiraz and Verdelho, later establishing the Bleasdale Winery.
Other settler families soon followed, Arthur Follett planting currant vines in the 1880s and 50 years later wine grapes for the fortified industry. The family holdings eventually became Lake Breeze.
Also in the early 1880s, Englishman William Formby purchased the Metala property on Lake Plains Road, and with his son Arthur planted 21 rows of Shiraz and 14 of Cabernet Sauvignon in 1891. Those surviving Cabernet vines are considered to be the oldest family own Cabernet vines in the world. The Metala label remains today as an icon of the region, made at the Brothers in Arms winery.
While the Potts of Bleasdale, the Folletts of Lake Breeze, and the Adams of Brothers in Arms hail from the region’s pioneers, Langhorne Creek continues to be a prime growing source for dozens of other producers from large corporates to new generation artisans. Traditional growers include the Borretts, Cleggetts, Wenzels, and Cases of Kimbolton Wines, with the Willsons of Bremerton and newer names such as the Watkins now established in the region.
For visitors, there are nine welcoming cellar doors offering a range of wine styles, tasting experiences and generous food choices, showcasing the region’s continuously evolving 180-year farming history.
79 Bridge Rd, Langhorne Creek SA 5255 Ph: 85373362
79 Bridge Rd, Langhorne Creek SA 5255 Ph: 85373362
