How to support fire-affected Adelaide Hills winemakers

Each year wineries and vineyards from the Adelaide Hills form an invaluable, and innovative, part of South Australia’s wine industry. The region’s contribution to our annual Hot 100 Wines countdown each year speaks for itself, with recent hills-based winners including The Other Wine Co., Gentle Folk Wine, Shaw & Smith, and Charlotte Hardy Wines.

This year’s list is no different, with Redhead Wines, Turon Wines, Tomfoolery Wines, Mt Lofty Ranges Vineyard, Longview, Anvers Wines, Golding Wines, Murdoch Hill representing just a handful of the incredible wine coming out of the hills.

All of which makes the recent fires particularly devastating, as many wineries, and the communities around them, reel from the loss of homes, businesses, animals and vines. Vinteloper’s David Bowley, Tilbrook Estate Wines and Simon Tolley Wines have posted devastating images of their fire-damaged property, while many more including Howard Vineyard, New Era Vineyards, Anderson Hill, Tomich Wines and Barristers Block and confirmed substantive losses.

For many producers, the full impact of these kind of losses will be felt for years. To help affected producers get back on their feet the Adelaide Hills Wine Region Inc. has started a GoFundMe account:

Alternatively, you can show your support in the most fitting way: by drinking, and giving, locally-made wines this Christmas. Online wine retailer Vino Mofo has set up a Bush Fire relief page with 100% of profits donated to the recovery effort, but orders can be made directly from winemakers including Vinteloper, Barristers Block, New Era, Tomich Wines and Simon Tolley Wines.

Of course, the wine industry represents a small part of the damage fire has brought to the Hills community, and it’s also worth considering a donation to ongoing CFS firefighting efforts and those who have lost homes. The state government has also started a State Emergency Relief Fund to raise money for the recovery effort.