Landmark Clare winery to stay local

Dec 30 2010

The Advertiser, Tony Love

One of the Clare Valley's most prized properties has been kept in local hands with winemaker Tim Adams buying the Leasingham production complex.

The winery, closed for more than a year after previous owner Constellation Wine Australia failed to find a buyer in a major corporate restructure, will be recommissioned in time for the 2012 grape harvest.

The venue then will be used by Mr Adams and his wife and business partner, Pam Goldsack, to create a new Clare wine brand and contract winemaking facilities for small producers and grape growers, and for a restaurant and cellar door outlet.

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The new brand will be named "Mr Mick's" in honour of revered winemaker Mick Knappstein, who mentored Mr Adams at Leasingham in the 1970's and 80's.

"This is more of a homecoming than a new venture." Mr Adams said. "We feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to resurrect such a beautiful landmark property."

The new business is expected to employ about a dozen people long-term and more during vintage after it is recommissioned over the next year.

The Leasingham wine brand was not part of the deal. It was one of the Australian assets sold by Constellation last week for $230 million to Sydney-based private equity group CHAMP