AT midday on December 20 the sky over South Australia's Adelaide Hills turned as black as night and howling wind drove hydra-headed Cudlee Creek bushfires on a ferocious path of destruction.
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The 200 fires spread over a 185-kilometre perimeter, searing 23,000 ha of vineyard, orchard and farming and grazing land - destroying at least 74 houses, farm equipment, 400 outbuildings and 225 vehicles.
In the northern part of Adelaide Hills flames were to destroy wineries, cellars, sheds and machinery on 60 properties and burn 1100 ha of prized vineyard amounting to 30 per cent of regional plantings.
One of Australia's largest wine regions, Adelaide Hills is bounded by the Barossa Valley to the north and McLaren Vale and Langhorne Creek to the south and is a cool-climate wine jewel.
Lenswood area was particularly hard-hit, with James and Annabelle Tilbrook having their Tilbrook Estate vineyard, winery, wine stock and outbuildings destroyed.
"We have no business left," they said in a social media post. "We have nothing, except a few cases of museum stock at our home, which was fortunately saved."
In the fires' aftermath Adelaide Hills is rising from the ashes with cellar doors operating, vineyards being nursed back to health and help given to numerous small burnt-out winegrowers with no grapes to sell, no public profile or wine brand.
Donations have flooded into the adelaidehillswine.com.au/fireappeal and there's been loads of other aid from within the wine community. A typical response has been from the Adelaide Hills Long View vineyard, which was outside the fire zone and is giving $20,000 worth of grapes to growers who have lost their 2020 crop.
"We have no business left"
- James and Annabelle Tilbrook
The acclaimed 150-year-old Henschke family operation saw 90 per cent of its 25 ha Lenswood vines burnt and had sheds, machinery, trellises and irrigation infrastructure destroyed.
Henschke CEO-chief winemaker Stephen Henschke told me last week that Lenswood usually provided 25 per cent of the company's grape production but for 2020 it would be zero.
He said that for the past two weeks his wife Pru, Henschke's viticulturist, had been working to revive the vineyard, cutting burnt vines at the base, and restoring trellises and irrigation.
Vines were already shooting and a small grape crop could be expected at the 2021 vintage.
He and Pru counted themselves lucky that their Eden Valley and Barossa Valley vineyards and the winery and cellar door were a long way from the fire front.
Stephen remains optimistic: "We are farmers and you have to stay positive when Mother Nature throws a curve ball at you," he said.
WINE REVIEWS
BAROSSA FOUR-PLAY
A 14.5%-ALCOHOL mix of Barossa shiraz, grenache, mourvedre and viognier, the Henschke 2017 Henry's Seven has purple hues, cassis scents and ripe mulberry front-palate flavour. The middle palate shows Satsuma plum, cranberry, black olive and mocha oak and the finish minty tannins. At henschke.com.au, Keyneton cellar and Dan Murphy's.
PRICE: $30 to $37.
DRINK WITH: cutlets. A
AGEING: six years.
RATING: 4.5 stars
ZINGY SAVVY BLANC
THIS zingy Long View 2019 Whippet Sauvignon Blanc is pale straw, tropical fruit salad-scented and with passionfruit front-palate flavour. Gooseberry, lemon zest and basil characters show on the middle palate and gunmetal acid refreshes at the finish. At longviewvineyard.com.au, bottle shops and the Pound Road, Macclesfield, cellar door.
PRICE: $21.
DRINK WITH: spring rolls.
AGEING: drink now.
RATING: 4 stars
SILKY SHAW+SMITH
FROM a fire-free part of Adelaide Hills, this 13.5%-alcohol Shaw and Smith 2017 Shiraz is bright garnet and potpourri perfumed. Silky plum flavour shows on the front palate, blackcurrant, rhubarb, spice and savoury oak on the middle palate and smooth earthy tannins at the finish. At shawandsmith.com, the Balhannah cellar door and wine shops.
PRICE: $49.
DRINK WITH: paella.
AGEING: 10 years.
RATING: 5 stars