Salomon Estate

How many winegrowers can you think of off the top of your head who produce wine in both the northern and southern hemispheres? That's quite a lot. But only a few have wineries in both regions. One of these families is the Salomon family from the Kremstal. For decades, Bertold and Getrud Salomon ran the Salomon Undhof in Kremstal, which was founded in 1792. At some point, they fell in love with the south of Australia and built up the Salomon winery there on the Finniss River. In the mid-1980s, Bertold was the first Austrian to import Penfolds to Austria and later even became head of the Austrian Wine Bureau.

In the meantime, his children Bert and Fanny Marie have not only grown up, but are also experienced winemakers and have taken over the winery in Kremstal, while Bertold and Getrud Salomon are focussing entirely on growing their elegant red wines from Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon down under. Their winery is located on the Finniss River on the Fleurieu Peninsula.

This peninsula stretches south of Adelaide, is part of McLaren Vale and has extensive nature reserves. The vineyards are about 120 metres high and consist of a mixture of gravel and sand with calcareous red to orange-coloured clay layers in the subsoil. The upper layer allows very good drainage, while the lower layer stores the water. The climate is special, as the midday heat is tempered by cooler air currents in the afternoon. Thanks to the southern ocean, it cools down considerably at night, which particularly emphasises the fruit and maintains the acidity.

Salomon's wines are not blogbusters, but combine the power of South Australia with the finesse that is more typical of European wines. Added to this is the special terroir, which emphasises the sophistication and elegance of the wines. The cellar master is Mike Farmilo, who worked at Penfolds before joining Salomon in 1997 and co-founding the winery.

Even for Aussie connoisseurs, the Salomon wines are still a real discovery today.

© Photos: Salomon Estate