175 years of winemaking and still going strong
News
The annual blessing of one of Australia’s oldest operating wineries took place in the Clare Valley on February 20.
Sevenhill Cellars celebrated its 175th year of continuous winemaking with the blessing of the 2026 Clare Valley vintage led by Fr Brendan Kelly SJ, Superior of the Sevenhill Jesuit Mission.
Sevenhill, which attracts more than 45,000 visitors each year is a working not-for-profit winery and a living Jesuit site with Jesuit priests living and working on the property.
“From the very beginning, this place has been shaped by ‘courage, patience and hope’,” Fr Brendan said.
“Those were the words Fr Alois Kranewitter carried with him as he walked the valley in the early days of the mission and they continue to guide us as we look to the future and the generations still to come.”
To mark the occasion, the bell of St Aloysius Church which stands on the property not far from the cellars, rang out to declare the vintage open.
Reflecting the strong sense of community within the Clare Valley, the blessing extended to growers and winemakers from across the valley who were invited to bring a single bunch of fruit from their own vineyards to be a part of the occasion.
“Knowing the vineyards have been tended since 1851 under the continuous custodianship of the Jesuits carries a deep sense of responsibility. It’s a privilege to play a small part in such a long and living story,” said Sevenhill Cellars vineyard manager Craig Richards.
“Our role is one of stewardship – caring for what lies beneath the surface as much as what grows above it. As our understanding of soil health and vineyard ecology has evolved, so too has our approach, allowing the vines to express the true character of this place while ensuring the land remains healthy for the future.”
Sevenhill was founded by Fr Alois Kranewitter SJ, who arrived in South Australia in 1848 as chaplain to the Weikert group of Silesian migrants fleeing religious persecution in Europe. Named after the Seven Hills of Rome, it was intended as a centre of Catholic faith in the newly established colony
Over time, the Sevenhill mission has expanded to include Saint Aloysius Church and Crypt and Aloysius College, which has operated, variously as a boarding school, seminary, Jesuit novitiate and scholasticate, and Jesuit residence
Early wine production was sacramental wine for Catholic communities across SA and is still made today and distributed globally.
The Sevenhill output has since expanded into table wine as vineyards and demand grew.
