Lange Family Vineyard
John Lange, and his daughter Samantha, have followed the family tradition of growing vines that produce high-quality grapes in the Barossa Valley. They have 10 acres located on the southernmost border of the ‘Moppa’ sub-region. This produces a range of soil types, including sand or clay over quartz, limestone or ironstone. As a result, comes a uniquely flavoured shiraz.
Growing up in the vineyard has brought John many memories as well as the love and passion for preserving his family legacy.
The Lange Family
Their story began over five generations ago, when John’s great-great-grandfather Matthias, a German butcher from Kropeling, arrived in the Barossa Valley to establish a new life and community with his seven children and 22 other families.
The beginning of the vineyard legacy
Initially, John's grandparents, Walter and Emma, owned two 20 acres blocks. These were then passed down to John's late father, David. Originally, David had multiple variates, including Grenache, Mataro, Frontignac, Shiraz and Riesling.
In the 1980s, there was an oversupply, and John's family, along with many others, agreed to pull out their entire vineyard. Some of these vineyards would be over 100 years old if still planted today.
A bright future
John, and his wife Sonya, bought the property in 1997 off of his parents. It would eventually become a family home where they raised their two children, Nicholas and Samantha.
The first lot of vineyard was planted in 1998 by John, with help from his friends and family. Affectionately called the “Bottom Block”, entails 1 hectare of 98 rootstock Shiraz. Later in 2001, with the wine industry back on the rise, the “Top Block” was planted with 3 hectares.
Always one to have a go
John made his first batch of wine in 2001. Although the final product was not what he had hoped, he continued to make wine intermittently, including vintages of 2007, 2010, and 2017. In 2017, after learning about winemaking at school. Samantha came to John asking if they could make some themselves.
In 2017, they created their first vintage together and a passion for making wine. With the help of a highly experience Barossa Valley winemaker, they could embark on this journey that created the first vintage of Lange Family Vineyards in 2020. The result: a deeply coloured and richly flavoured Shiraz. tares.
