I met Peter Lehmann in about 1999. Indeed, I chased him right out into the street, as it happens. My friend and colleague, Lewis Borg-Cardona had been interviewing him for a in-flight radio show and I had only became aware of his presence in the building just as he was leaving. I was a fan of his wines and wanted to complement him on an excellent Grenache he'd produced, '92 or '94, I think. Anyhow, I caught up with Lehmann and his wife outside in the street. 'Oh yeah! That '94 Grenache ... She was a real 'beut!!' He had become the king of the Barossa Valley and his label, despite being passed on, and now corporately owned, still has that marque of the independent winemaker.
To me, to meet a noted wine producer of international reputation was as to me a Haydn, a Mozart or a Beethoven, and to discover he was an old billabong dyed-in-the-wool aussie was the icing on the cake.
To me, to meet a noted wine producer of international reputation was as to me a Haydn, a Mozart or a Beethoven, and to discover he was an old billabong dyed-in-the-wool aussie was the icing on the cake.
