On Sunday at the Barossa’s annual ‘Declaration of the Vintage’, Barossa Winemaker of the Year was awarded to Troy Kalleske (left), partner with his brother Tony (right) at Kalleske Wines and one of a new generation of winemakers in the Barossa (included in producers featured in The New Australia – 250 tasting notes).
Troy’s response when he received the award form Stephen Henschke, current Grand Master of the Barons of Barossa, was to recognise the Kalleske family heritage in the Barossa Valley: “My dream has been to capture the essence of the vines that six generations of Kalleskes have tended in a bottle. And hopefully, my brother Tony and I have done that with Kalleske Wines. It’s a great honour to accept this award.”
The Hoffman family, who have been growing grapes in the Barossa for over a hundred years, were awarded Barossa Vigneron of the Year. Henschke described the Hoffmans as “quintessential Barossa grape growers, always striving to grow the highest quality fruit with the least intervention. And they have all contributed to this community in so many ways.”
At the same event, Yalumba’s chief winemaker Louisa Rose (the only surname without an obvious German heritage) gave the following assessment of the 2008 vintage: “the Barossa is on track to having a near perfect season this year. Vine health is good; it won’t be a bumper crop but yields will be good, and the weather is doing all the right things to help us achieve a great vintage that will showcase both the strengths and variety that is the Barossa.”
