Knappstein Wines
Clare Valley , South Australia
Brands
Knappstein, Wickham Park
Winery Overview
Knappstein, a name synonymous with the Clare Valley wine region, has a revered reputation as a maker of premium wines since it was founded in 1969.
Knappstein is celebrated around the world for its dedication to producing some of Clare Valley’s finest wines, with a philosophy built upon nurturing top-quality fruit from its iconic 50-year-old vineyards and a minimal intervention approach to winemaking. This allows Knappstein to showcase the purest expression of fruit and site in each bottle they produce.
Building on a rich heritage, it is one of the most recognisable and popular Clare Valley wineries. Knappstein’s medal winning wines reflect the true nature of the region, showcasing quality fruit at its purist and most vibrant.
About Knappstein - Video (2’25’’).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLhJ_TXozTI
TV programme The Cellar Door, featuring Knappstein. (23’13’’)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eV69NWamDFc
Available in
Denmark, Ireland, Japan, Netherlands, South Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan, UK, USA
Seeking Distribution in
Cambodia, Canada, Czech Republic, Estonia, Fiji, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Malaysia, Malta, Mexico, Myanmar, Netherlands, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Norway, Philippines, Poland, Seychelles, Singapore, Sweden, Thailand, Turkey, UAE, Vietnam
Chief Winemaker/s
Michael Kane (Winemaker) Mike Farmilo (Winemaker)
Winemaker Bio
Michael Kane
Winemaker Michael Kane’s introduction to wine was working his first job at a wine auctioneers in Perth. Over the months of cataloguing and packing bottles, Michael developed a curiosity and passion for all different kinds of wine and how they were made.
Michael pursued this interest and set out to gain formal qualifications in Winemaking at Curtin University in Margaret River, while working as a cellar hand for a local winery. Michael’s love for wine and travel has led him to visit and work in numerous wine regions, including Burgundy, Champagne, Oregon, Napa and Central Otago.
Over the years, through his high level of attention to detail and stringent quality focus, Michael has crafted many award-winning wines from various wine regions, for celebrated brands such as Devil’s Lair, Stella Bella and Wolf Blass.
As the senior winemaker of Knappstein winery, Michael is proud to be leading the winemaking team in the pursuit of creating top quality premium wines that represent the true expression of the variety and regional influences. As the custodian of some of the best vineyards in the region, Michael is determined to amplify the company’s reputation as one of Australia’s leading premium wine brands.
Michael loves his job and claims that three things make it so: the people – he’s met some interesting characters working in the wine industry; the diversity when working with wine – no day is the same; and Vintage – which he maintains is the most exciting, busy and strenuous time of the year, but nonetheless, the reason he keeps coming back.
Mike Farmilo
Mike was formerly the Group Red Winemaker at Southcorp Wine Group, where he was responsible for making all Penfold’s red wines, including Grange and St. Henri, Lindemans, Seppelts and Wynns. During this tenure he won at least one trophy at every capital city wine show every year and has won the coveted Jimmy Watson trophy for best young red wine, not just once, but twice!
Mike has over 40 years of industry experience and believes that some of the best wines in the country are being made from the Clare Valley. Mike is proud to be an important part of the Knappstein brand and is excited to see the traditions and quality of the wines continued.