Inga Lidums and Dave Neyle have spent the past 25 years committed to their labour of love – a vineyard and cellar door nestled at the base of Mt Torrens.
Over the next few months the couple will celebrate spending more than two decades in the business and are looking to the future with new wines, new wine tasting experiences and the competition of a new extension to their eco-friendly cellar door.
A new pavilion-style garden room will open in time for summer, allowing visitors to enjoy views of the courtyard garden and rolling vines in an enclosed space out of the elements.
Inga says Lobethal Road’s 25-year journey began when husband Dave, a viticulturalist, spotted a property he’d had his eye on for some time finally for sale.
Buying the land and planting the vines in 1998, Dave and Inga bottled their first vintage in 2001 and, as Inga says, “the rest is history”.
“Back in the day, Dave and I did absolutely everything ourselves,” she says.
“I was working in the design industry during the week and running the cellar door with Dave on the weekends.
“Dave was doing everything else – managing the vineyards, involved with the winemaking, organising bottling, delivering orders and everything in between.”
“That’s how we started and over the years we’ve grown, we purchased another vineyard and built a small team around us of terrific, like-minded people.”
Like many local business owners, Inga and Dave have faced many challenges over the years, including two of the biggest hurdles in recent times – bushfires and Covid-19.
It was at the start of the pandemic, straight after the Cudlee Creek bushfire, that a decision was made to diversify the business and introduce a focus on food.
Visitors from far and wide now travel to enjoy the creations of renowned chef Jeff Trotter who has created a menu of quality seasonal fare and local produce.
Inga says the food offerings are all about the shared experience.
“Everything is designed to share,” she says.
“The produce is local and seasonal, meaning that the menu changes regularly.
“It’s a really lovely food experience and people will often ring to book a table for the weekend, excited that there will be something new on the menu to enjoy.”
Visitors wanting to taste Lobethal Road’s award-winning drops can choose from a number of wine flight options, each showcasing four wines. Alternatively, they can select a wine pairing to enjoy with the ‘feed me’ lunch experience.
The small batch producer has collected many trophies along the way, including nabbing the Best Sauvignon Blanc at the Melbourne Royal Wine Awards and Best Shiraz, Best Red and Best Wine of Show at the Royal Sydney Wine Show, among others.
“We like to benchmark our wines both within our region and then eventually around Australia,” Inga says.
“It’s really important to put yourself out there.
“In the capital city wine shows in Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide you’re up against wines from all over Australia.”
“Winning a major award is always an endorsement of our approach to viticulture and winemaking, as well as acknowledgement of the Adelaide Hills as a region that produces high quality wines.
“A region that we’re proud to be part of and call home.”
Lobethal Road Winery 2254 Onkaparinga Valley Road, Mt Torrens Thursday to Monday 11am–5pm. ( Closed Tuesday and Wednesdays. )
