SIX GENERATIONS
OF EXCEPTIONAL WINEMAKING
1847
Taking the Oath of Allegiance allows Christian as a naturalised citizen to buy land in his own right. He purchases 70 acres in Krondorf in the Barossa Valley.
- 1841Christian and family travel from Kutschlau, Silesia, aboard the Skjold, to South Australia. Sadly his wife and two of his children do not survive the 98-day voyage.
- 1842Christian settles in Lobethal, Adelaide Hills with his two remaining sons, marrying Dorothea Elisabeth Schmidt the following year.
- 1847Taking the Oath of Allegiance allows Christian as a naturalised citizen to buy land in his own right. He purchases 70 acres in Krondorf in the Barossa Valley.
- 1858August Henschke, Christian’s son, leases land at Parrot Hill in the Eden Valley, donating a corner of his acreage for the Gnadenberg (Hill of Grace) Lutheran Church.
- Early 1860sNicolaus Stanitzki plants the vineyard at Parrot Hill, which would become known as Hill of Grace.
- 1862Christian purchases a further 80 acres in the Hundred of North Rhine (Keyneton) for his son Gotthard – this becomes the home of Henschke.
- 1868The first recorded sale of Henschke wine. The early vintages from a small vineyard on the property produce 300 gallons.
- 1871Gotthard marries Johanne Mathilde Schulz.
- 1872Christian passes the Henschke farm and winery on to Gotthard, for a transfer fee of 5 shillings.
- 1891Expanding his vineyard holdings, Gotthard purchases the Hill of Grace vineyard.
- 1901Henschke now producing 1,600 gallons of wine, but with vintage variation, 1902 saw a lower yield of 1,400 gallons.
- 1907Alfred marries Johanne Ida Selma Stanitzki, granddaughter of Nicholaus Stanitzki.
- 1912Ronald Angas plants a 16 hectare shiraz vineyard near Henschke called Mount Edelstone.
- 1914Paul Alfred took over the property
- 1924Cyril Alfred was born
- 1949Cyril made several additions to the winery and built a fermentation cellar
- 1950Alfred officially hands over the business to Cyril.
- 1951Louis purchased the Hill of Grace vineyard from his father
- 1952Paul Alfred retired and Cyril took on the role of winemaker
- 1957Mount Edelstone 1956 Shiraz wins first prize at Royal Agricultural Society Grand Easter Wine Show in Sydney
- 1958First Hill of Grace shiraz is produced
- 1960Cyril builds underground tunnels for storing bottled wine
- 1966Cyril purchased the Thyer Eden Valley property
- 1968Centenary celebration of Henschke cellars
- 1970Cyril Henschke is the first Australian winemaker to be awarded a Churchill Fellowship
- 1975Cyril becomes a founding member of the Barons of the Barossa
- 1973Stephen completes a Bachelor of Science degree at Adelaide University
- 1975Stephen and his wife Prue spend two years working at the Geisenheim Institute of Viticulture and Wine Technology in West Germany
- 1978The first vintage of Cyril Henschke was to be released
- 1979Stephen took over the reigns of the family winery
- 1981Stephen and Prue purchase a 13 hectare apple orchard at Lenswood in the Adelaide Hills.
- 1983Stephen and Prue’s son Johann is born
- 1984Following devastation of the 1983 Ash Wednesday fires, vineyard planting begins at Lenswood
- 1985Stephen and Prue’s daughter Justine is born
- 1986-1989Prue commences mass selection to select the best genetic material from the Mount Edelstone and Hill of Grace vineyards
- 1987Prue takes on current role as viticulturist for Henschke
- 1988Qantas Cup is awarded to Cyril Henschke 1985 Cabernet Sauvignon
- 1988-1989Stephen and Prue spend vintages in Burgundy and Bordeaux
- 1989First Lenswood vineyard wines are produced
- 1990Stephen and Prueâs son Andreas is born
- 1992Sydney International Wine Competition Air New Zealand âPride of the Paci câ Trophy for Lenswood Abbotts Prayer 1989
- 1993Double Gold Medal InterVin International for Mount Edelstone 1990
- 1994Henschke celebrates its 125th anniversary
- 1995UK International Wine and Spirit Competition Trophy for the Best Shiraz Worldwide for Mount Edelstone 1992
- 1997Prue awarded Viticulturist of the Year by Barons of the Barossa
- 2005US Wine & Spirit Wineries of the Year Hall of Fame Inductee
- 2006Gourmet Traveller WINE Winemaker of the Year Award
- 2010Advantage SA Barossa Regional Awards Sustainability Award
- 2011Business Australia (SA) Hall of Fame Inductee
- 2012SA Wine Industry Association inaugural Environmental Excellence Award
- 2014Henschke Hill of Grace is awarded a Barossa Trust Mark
- 2015Primary Industries & Region SA, Premium Food and Wine from our Clean Environment, Wine Award
- 2016Prue awarded Australian Women in Wine Award Viticulturist of the Year
- 2017Hill of Grace 2012 is named Best Shiraz and Wine of the Year, Halliday/Qantas epiQure Wine Companion Award
- 2018Henschke celebrates 150 years of family winemaking
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