IN DETAIL…

Friday, 31 May 2024

11:30am – 1:00pm: Arrive at your leisure.

12:00pm – 2:00pm: Casual lunch at The Peak with Henschke Wines.

2:00pm – 5:00pm: Spend the afternoon at your leisure. Explore the 8,000-acre property and surrounding World Heritage-listed National Park on foot or mountain bike or relax at the mountaintop Spa Anise day spa.

5:00pm – 6:00pm: Join Spicers Peak Lodge General Manager, Erin Proud, and Prue and Stephen Henschke in the Lounge for the cocktail welcome reception. Sample two Henschke wines paired with canapes. Enjoy the open fireplace as you mingle with other guests.

From 6:30pm: A relaxing evening dinner. Choose when you would like to immerse yourself in The Peak’s seasonal four-course tasting menu with each dish, of course, paired with Henschke wines.

Saturday, 1 June 2024

7:30am – 9:00am: Enjoy breakfast at your leisure.

9:00am – 11:00am: You will have the option to join a guided walk in the morning, book a spa treatment (not included in the price of the weekend), or enjoy any of our other self-guided walks or activities.

12:00pm – 2:00pm: Gather around our firepit with Prue and Stephen for a barbecue lunch. Enjoy this casual soirée with Henschke wine in hand.

2:00pm – 4:00pm: Henschke Masterclass ‘Museum & Rare’ Experience – Stephen and Prue continue to craft their white wines with a focus on purity, while their red wines have a strong sense of place, leading the way with organic and biodynamic practices complimented by traditional winemaking. Hill of Grace and Mount Edelstone are arguably the two oldest single vineyard wines produced in this country, telling the wine story of Australia. This relaxed and interactive Masterclass showcases six stunning wines inclusive of the pending May releases of 2019 Hill of Grace and Mount Edelstone alongside rare museum vintages hand selected, by Stephen, from the Henschke Cellar. Enjoy this unique opportunity to see how magnificently these wines age from the pending current releases to these perfectly aged gems.

6:30pm – late: Henschke Gala Degustation Dinner – The crescendo of this exclusive weekend. Enjoy pre-dinner drinks in the lounge followed by a six-course degustation menu on The Terrace. The Peak team has developed new dishes especially for this event to ensure each superb wine is paired perfectly with their dishes. The team sources the very finest seasonal produce locally and from across the country to showcase six incredible wines all presented by 5th generation, Prue and Stephen Henschke.

Sunday, 2 June 2024

7:30am – 10:00am: Enjoy breakfast at your leisure.

11:00am: Check out.

About the Henschke Wine Weekend

Established in 1868, Henschke is resolute in its desire for complete integration of vineyard and winery, through six generations of family grape-growing and winemaking tradition in the Eden Valley and Barossa Valley.

To celebrate the Henschke portfolio of globally acclaimed wines, we welcome you to join 5th Generation Stephen and Prue Henschke at an exclusive weekend, on 31 May – 2 June 2024, to experience wines that are recognised around the world for their exceptional quality, innovation and sustainability in the vineyard.

As the much-anticipated 2019 releases – Hill of Grace, Mount Edelstone, The Wheelwright and Cyril Henschke – will be globally released in early May, be one of the first in Australia to experience these four exceptional wines.

“The wines from 2019 are of outstanding quality with wonderful flavour concentration and incredible power, excellent balance and seamless, mature tannins that reveal impressive length and depth,” says Stephen Henschke, fifth-generation winemaker. “This year we celebrate Prue’s enduring commitment to the health of these vineyards; nominating the 2019 vintage as one graced by The Nurturer,” Stephen continues. “Although the yields were minuscule, the quality produced by these old vines shines through. Our love and nourishment in the vineyard has been returned in the wines, says Prue.

Throughout the weekend, 23 wines, inclusive of three Hill of Grace wines and rare vintages from the Henschke museum, will be showcased when dining, at sunset, with the firepit barbeque lunch, throughout the masterclass, hosted by Prue and Stephen, and at the celebratory Gala Dinner when paired with a stunning degustation menu.

Prue and Stephen continue 4th generation’s Cyril Henschke’s pioneering spirit and the tradition of cellar-aging wines, especially those from with viticultural heritage. On the Saturday afternoon, guests will experience a selection of these wines in a Masterclass of comparative current releases and museum vintages – Keyneton Euphonium (2021 and 2009), Mount Edelstone (2019 and 2013) release and Hill of Grace (2019 and 2008) – an experience not to be missed.

The Henschke family are mindful of their role as custodians of the Henschke vineyards and their need to nurture them for future generations.

You will also have time to relax in the stunning surrounds of South East Queensland’s only Luxury Lodge of Australia, treat yourself to a day spa experience, or explore the surrounding World Heritage-listed National Park on foot or mountain bike. This intimate experience is reserved exclusively for just 22 guests.

Stephen Henschke (Winemaker) 

Fifth-generation Stephen Carl Henschke, youngest son of Cyril Henschke, showed a keen interest in science and winemaking from an early age. With a rich family legacy in winemaking, Stephen takes pride in the Henschke name’s association with red wines, especially Hill of Grace. However, driven by his winemaking heritage, he approaches all wine styles with equal passion and commitment to quality. In his winemaking journey, Stephen embraces traditional methods for red wines, emphasising full grape maturity and minimal intervention techniques passed down through generations. Conversely, his approach to white winemaking combines Old World tradition with New World technology, resulting in intensely flavoured, varietally pure wines. Committed to excellence, Stephen implemented a Quality Management System, leading Henschke to achieve ISO 9002 Certification in 1998.

Prue Henschke (Viticulturist) 

Prue Henschke embarked on a multifaceted career in viticulture and wine science after studying botany and zoology at the University of Adelaide. Her journey took her to the Geisenheim Institute of Viticulture and Wine Technology in West Germany, where she honed her skills in vine breeding and grafting under the mentorship of Professor Becker. Teaming up with her partner Stephen, she delved into cool-climate viticulture, site selection, and canopy management, eventually purchasing an apple orchard in Lenswood, Adelaide Hills, to establish a vineyard for research purposes. Over the years, Prue initiated projects to select superior grapevine genetics and experimented with various trellis styles to enhance grape quality, particularly in renowned vineyards like Mount Edelstone and Hill of Grace. Inspired by global wine regions, she introduced new grape varieties and clones across different vineyard regions, contributing to the diversity and innovation of Australian winemaking.