Our tale begins 184 years ago in Dover, England. Hugh’s great, great grandfather Richard Hamilton, formerly a tailor, packed up his life and sailed to the emerging colony of South Australia to become a farmer. It wasn’t long before Richard noticed that something was missing in the new colony – wine!

Richard was a man of action. After receiving vine cuttings sealed in black wax from friends in South Africa, Richard planted the first grape vines in South Australia and produced the first wine in the colony. Unwittingly, Richard started the wine industry for which South Australia is now world famous.

Today, Hugh and Mary are the 5th and 6th generations of Richard’s winemaking legacy, making them Australia’s Oldest Wine Family. The Hamiltons have not missed a vintage in 180 years, which gives them a unique talent for grape growing that can probably be located on one of their chromosomes! Hugh and Mary have developed their own vineyards where they have a very clear vision to honour the past but continually innovate to be a thoroughly contemporary wine business.

Hugh is the Black Sheep of the family and he marches to the best of his own drum. Together with Mary, they produce out of the box wines using alternative varietals, quirky blends and sustainable practices. Their wines pay homage to their history and Black Sheep nature. From the Icon Shiraz ‘Pure Black’ – a wine sealed in black wax that represents the dreams of their future, through to the ‘Flock Range’ of colourful characters such as ‘The Rascal’ and ‘The Trickster’, each bottle of Hugh Hamilton wine is produced to delight.