Peter Lehmann Wines

Peter Lehmann's winery grew out of a break with his employer. He was chief winemaker at Saltram Wines, then owned by Dalgety, a multinational pastoral company headquartered in England. Faced with a huge grape surplus in the late 1970s, Dalgety decided to stop buying grapes from local Barossa growers and told Lehmann to send the growers a letter saying so. He refused. In 1979 he built his own winery, first named Masterson Barossa Vineyards, with a local tyre company helping with finance. The name came from Sky Masterson, the ultimate gambler of Guys and Dolls. Dalgety meanwhile sold Saltram to Seagram, a multinational liquor company. The first wine was released in 1980, and by 1982 the business had become Peter Lehmann Wines.

• Peter Lehmann was chief winemaker at Saltram Wines, then owned by Dalgety, a multinational pastoral company
• Amid a late-1970s grape surplus, Dalgety stopped buying grapes from local growers; Lehmann refused to pass the instruction on and struck out on his own
• Founded 1979 as Masterson Barossa Vineyards, financed in part by a local tyre company; named for Sky Masterson, the gambler in Guys and Dolls
• Saltram was sold to Seagram
• First wine released in 1980; renamed Peter Lehmann Wines by 1982

The Weighbridge was built in 1979, and every Peter Lehmann wine still begins its journey there. Peter Lehmann spent most of each vintage at the Weighbridge, watching the incoming fruit, weighing the grapes and catching up with his grower friends. Mick Anderson, a Peter Lehmann Wines grower, has called the Weighbridge a symbol of 'the camaraderie and friendships that exist between Peter Lehmann Wines and the growers' and the winery 'the common bond of the Barossa'. Peter Lehmann Wines partners with 79 growers across 16 Barossa regions, and its winery, vineyards and grower network are certified under Sustainable Winegrowing Australia. Its Wildlife 4 Wine program has planted more than 2,500 native trees and shrubs and installed microbat huts to support local biodiversity. Fruit comes from the cooler Adelaide Hills, the elevated Eden Valley and the Barossa Valley floor.

• The Weighbridge, built in 1979, is where every Peter Lehmann wine begins its journey
• Peter Lehmann spent most of each vintage at the Weighbridge, weighing grapes and catching up with grower friends
• Partners with 79 growers across 16 Barossa regions; Sustainable Winegrowing Australia certified
• Wildlife 4 Wine program: 2,500+ native trees and shrubs planted, microbat huts installed
• Fruit sourced from the Adelaide Hills, Eden Valley and Barossa Valley floor

Peter Lehmann (1930-2013) was born at Angaston, in the heart of the Barossa. His first job, at 17, was in the cellars of Yalumba, and in 1960 he moved to Saltram as chief winemaker. He founded his own winery in 1979, retired as its head in 2002 and continued to live on the property. His eldest son, Doug Lehmann (d. 2014), was appointed managing director of Peter Lehmann Wines in 1993 and held the role for more than 15 years until his retirement in July 2010, then stayed on the board as non-executive deputy chairman. Chief Winemaker Nigel Westblade leads the current team, with Senior Winemaker Brett Schutz, Winemakers Andrew Cockram and Lauren Hutton, and Viticulturist Jade Rogge.

• Peter Lehmann (1930-2013): born at Angaston; first job at 17 at Yalumba; chief winemaker at Saltram from 1960; retired as head of his own winery in 2002
• Doug Lehmann (d. 2014): managing director of Peter Lehmann Wines from 1993 to 2010, then non-executive deputy chairman
• Current team: Nigel Westblade, Chief Winemaker; Brett Schutz, Senior Winemaker; Andrew Cockram, Winemaker; Lauren Hutton, Winemaker; Jade Rogge, Viticulturist

The portfolio is organized into ranges: Portrait, Shoulder to Shoulder, The Barossan, Hill & Valley, The Bond, Layers, The Master's Collection, Eternal Optimist and Masterson Shiraz, alongside Stonewell. The Bond is a tribute to trust: when times were tough, many growers sold their fruit to Peter Lehmann on a handshake, with his word as his bond. The Stonewell Shiraz story began in 1987. The wine is named for the district Peter Lehmann believed best showed the Barossa Shiraz characters he admired most, and it is drawn only from low-yielding vineyards that produce sparse bunches of intensely flavoured fruit. Masterson Shiraz was first made to mark the winery's 40th anniversary; it comes from a single vintage and an individual vineyard block and is made only in the best years. The range has also included the old-vine selection 8 Songs and Mentor, a high-end blend of Cabernet, Malbec and Shiraz.

• Ranges: Portrait, Shoulder to Shoulder, The Barossan, Hill & Valley, The Bond, Layers, The Master's Collection, Eternal Optimist, Masterson Shiraz, and Stonewell
• The Bond: named for growers who sold fruit on a handshake, Peter Lehmann's word as his bond
• Stonewell Shiraz: story began 1987; named for the district Lehmann felt best showed Barossa Shiraz character; low-yielding vineyards only
• Masterson Shiraz: first made for the winery's 40th anniversary; single vintage and vineyard block, made only in the best years
• 8 Songs (old-vine selection) and Mentor (Cabernet, Malbec, Shiraz blend) have also been part of the range

In 2003 the winery was sold to the Hess Group of Switzerland, known for its Hess Collection wines in California, which paid approximately USD $103 million for a majority share. Founder Peter Lehmann died in 2013 and Doug Lehmann in 2014, and longtime winemaker Andrew Wigan retired in the same period. In November 2014 Casella Family Brands, best known as the maker of Yellow Tail, made an offer for the company, and the Hess Group, then holding an 85.7% stake, agreed to accept USD $49.5 million. The company's board told shareholders the Casella proposal was for 100 percent of the outstanding shares at $1.50 a share. John Casella, managing director of Casella Family Brands, said the deal offered 'an opportunity to grow the Peter Lehmann wine portfolio and present the Barossa region on a global stage'. Christoph Ehrbar, then chairman of Peter Lehmann Wines, said the board was confident that John Casella and his team would be 'fine custodians of Peter Lehmann's legacy'. Casella Family Brands began as a bulk wine company in Griffiths, New South Wales, and created the Yellow Tail brand with U.S. importer W.J. Deutsch & Sons in 2000. Peter Lehmann Wines remains part of the Casella Family Brands portfolio today.

• 2003: the Hess Group of Switzerland acquired a majority share for approximately USD $103 million
• 2013 and 2014: founder Peter Lehmann (d. 2013) and Doug Lehmann (d. 2014); longtime winemaker Andrew Wigan also retired in this period
• November 2014: the Hess Group agreed to accept USD $49.5 million from Casella Family Brands for its 85.7% stake; the board's proposal was $1.50 a share for all outstanding shares
• Casella Family Brands, maker of Yellow Tail, began as a bulk wine company in Griffiths, NSW, and created the Yellow Tail brand with W.J. Deutsch & Sons in 2000
• Peter Lehmann Wines is part of the Casella Family Brands portfolio today

Writing in Decanter, Max Allen judged that 'the word legend is possibly not strong enough to acknowledge the contribution Lehmann has made over the last half-century, both to his beloved Barossa Valley and to the wider wine industry'. James Halliday of the Wine Companion wrote that 'it's not often a person becomes a legend in their own lifetime' and pointed to 'a winery with a long track record of excellence'. Wine Spectator's Harvey Steiman wrote that Peter Lehmann 'is considered a hero in Australian wine circles', citing both the wines and what he did 'to rescue a host of Barossa Valley growers'.

• Max Allen, Decanter, on Peter Lehmann's contribution to the Barossa and the wine industry
• James Halliday, Wine Companion, calling him a legend with a long track record of excellence
• Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator, describing him as a hero in Australian wine circles

The Peter Lehmann Wines cellar door is on Para Road in Tanunda, open Thursday to Monday from 10:30am to 4:30pm (closed Tuesday and Wednesday). It sits on the banks of the Para River and is home to the historic Hoffmann Cellar, one of the Barossa Valley's original wineries, built in the 1880s and carved into the hillside to use gravity in winemaking.

• Address: Para Rd, Tanunda, SA 5352
• Hours: Thursday to Monday, 10:30am to 4:30pm; closed Tuesday and Wednesday
• Cellar door includes the historic Hoffmann Cellar, built in the 1880s along the Para River

Primary sources (producer's own site): https://www.peterlehmannwines.com/, https://www.peterlehmannwines.com/pages/our-story, https://www.peterlehmannwines.com/pages/our-wines, https://www.peterlehmannwines.com/pages/our-winemakers, https://www.peterlehmannwines.com/pages/cellar-door, https://www.peterlehmannwines.com/pages/sustainability, https://www.peterlehmannwines.com/collections/futures, https://www.casellafamilybrands.com/our-story/peter-lehmann-wines (owner's corporate site). Secondary sources: ABC News (June 28, 2013 and November 13, 2014), Wine Spectator (July 3, 2013 and November 12, 2014), Shanken News Daily (November 13, 2014), InDaily (June 30, 2014), The Courier (June 30, 2014), Quill & Pad (September 25, 2019). Last verified 2026-10-12. Where the producer's site and a secondary source disagree, the producer's site governs.