There’s something very special about Kimbolton Wine’s Cabernet Sauvignon – it’s saving the cheetah from extinction.
This wine's success story began in November 2020 when Kimbolton Wines joined forces with Monarto Safari Park to raise crucial funds for cheetah conservation efforts. The driving force behind this partnership was Kimbolton's Director, Nicole, and her family's unwavering love for animals. As long time Zoos SA members, they had the pleasure of unlimited entry to the park and were eager to give back to the wildlife they adored.
Nicole approached Monarto Safari Park's Director, Peter Clark, with her unique concept of combining wine and conservation efforts. He was immediately drawn to the idea and the partnership was born. The collaboration launched with the release of the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon in April 2021, which was met with overwhelming success. In fact, the collaboration was so successful that it moved on to the 2019 vintage, which is now almost sold out. To date, this partnership has raised an impressive $35,000 for cheetah conservation.
The triumph of this collaboration inspired an even larger initiative to support wildlife. In 2021, five other Langhorne Creek wineries joined Kimbolton Wines to expand the Grapes for Good collaborative conservation project. This project is a true testament to the power of innovative partnerships and the incredible impact that can be made when people come together for a worthy cause.
Each winery supports an animal found at Monarto Safari Park with one of its wines. You can sample and collect a bottle of each of the wines by following the self-drive Grapes for Good Tasting Trail. It’s a full day itinerary packed with wine tasting paired with six unique and delicious dishes – one at each stop along the trail.
On your stop at the Kimbolton Wines cellar door, guests can sit back and raise a glass of Fiano, knowing every sip is doing good. It also tastes especially good when paired with our matching dish – the Divine Dairy organic triple cream baked brie!
Grapes for Good is now receiving national and international recognition, winning the Tourism Collaboration Excellence Award at the SA Best of Wine Tourism Awards in 2022, and a global win at the 2023 International Best of Wine Tourism Awards.
We’re delighted to see the success our initiative is receiving – not only in terms of recognition, but also in the much-needed funds raised for conservation – and, of course, the success of the Monarto Safari Park’s cheetah breeding program!
Excitingly, Monarto Safari Park welcomed the arrival of three cheetah cubs this year – and we’re thrilled to continue supporting their incredible efforts to secure the species’ future.
So, the next time you visit us, pick up a bottle of our Grapes for Good wines, knowing that every sip will be doing good for our precious wildlife.
17/07/2023 at 3:26 PM
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South Australian media personality Rebecca (Bec) Morse is a much-loved, revered and respected powerhouse when it comes to the fashion, lifestyle, travel and wine scene in our State.
The successful entrepreneur, radio host, occasional TV presenter, magazine contributor and busy mother of three can regularly be seen out enjoying our great State on the weekends – and while her family home is in our beautiful capital city of Adelaide, she does enjoy the occasional visit to our magnificent regions – Langhorne Creek being one such destination.
During May, we were lucky enough to host Bec and her 20-year-old daughter Grace here at Kimbolton, and treated them to some of our favourite cellar door experiences – and were pleasantly surprised at just how much they loved it!
“I think the Langhorne Creek wine region is a bit of a hidden secret in SA and well worth the 50-minute drive from Adelaide. And this place, Kimbolton is just magnificent and so different to all of the other wineries I’ve visited before,” says Bec.
“Grace and I were so impressed by the different vantage points of the beautiful vineyard – the design of this place gives you so many different places to view the winery from.
“When we arrived, we immediately drawn to the rooftop, which gave us a bird’s eye view of the area and sees you sitting in the canopy of the beautiful big gum trees. From here, we headed downstairs where we took a seat with our drinks, looking out through the large open windows to the vines. The set-up of the Kimbolton Cellar Door gives you so many options of where to sit and enjoy the beautiful surroundings, and it had us wondering who we can bring along next time we visit in winter.”
A visit to Kimbolton in winter is a great time to deepen your wine knowledge, enjoy different varieties and even take a stroll through the vineyards. While the vines are freshly trimmed off the back of a big vintage, the beauty of the vine regrowth, against a winter backdrop is quite stunning.
To get the best appreciation of our range, Bec and daughter Grace took the journey of discovery with our Wine and Cheese flight. Matching our wine with four local artisan cheeses, they took the time to smell and taste the wine, taking on board our recommendations to understand the flavour profiles a little more.
“We learned a lot from the Wine and Cheese flight. The Kimbolton team presented it beautifully and explained everything to us without it being an overwhelming or intimidating experience. Grace and I love our wine, but we’re certainly no connoisseurs, so this was an excellent way of helping us to narrow down our favourites,” says Bec.
A keen rosé drinker, the Kimbolton Montepulciano Rosé is an easy favourite for Bec, one which she pulls out when catching up with friends, or a casual dinner at home (she even popped a bottle open recently as her first tipple, following a three-week hiatus from alcohol - an incredibly worthy project she supported for charity).
“The rosé continues to be on high rotation at home, it’s the perfect go-to wine. I’m happy to drink this one during the warmer and cooler months, and I’ve been getting my friends on to it as well.”
Another favourite was Kimbolton’s new rosé spritz in a can, which has fast become the drink of choice for Grace (20-year-old) and her girlfriends. Launched last summer, the spritz continues to gain popularity as a convenient and portable option for something with a refreshing bit of fizz (with the added bonus of a lower carbon footprint for the environmentally conscious drinker).
“While I still love my bottled wine, I also loved the Rose Spritz from Kimbolton too, and this was certainly a favourite for Grace (and now she’s introduced to her friends as well).”
The other brilliant experience Bec loved from our Kimbolton Cellar Door experience was the vegetarian cheese platter.
“Sometimes it’s hard to find vegetarian-friendly platters and grazing plates - but this one was completely unexpected, delicious and honestly one of the best I’ve ever had! The staff talked me through everything on the platter, so it was like a local history lesson in wholesome local produce,” says Bec.
"It has a casual, family-friendly vibe, they even do a kid’s flavoured milk tasting flight!”
Speaking of little surprises from the Kimbolton team, we also served up Bec and Grace with our famous affogato.
“Have the affogato! It was the perfect ending to our visit,” says Bec.
This coffee-based treat, which literally drowns ice cream with a hot shot of espresso, is a delicious combination of warm and cold. Or if you’re a tawny lover, then ask the team to swap out the coffee for some of our delicious ‘Thelma’ – a 15-year-old rare tawny named in honour of our Nanna, who was partial to a tipple or two of fortified.
“The Kimbolton Wines Cellar Door was that pleasant surprise that I wish I’d know about sooner. The place, the wine, the views, the people, the produce – it was such a special day to experience with my daughter.”
“I also love the fact that it’s a South Australian family owned and run business, and so close to Adelaide. Nicole (the owner) was so warm and welcoming. We can’t wait to come back and restock!”
16/06/2023 at 8:46 AM
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The accolades just keep coming for Kimbolton Wines. This time, taking out a whopping FOUR trophies at the 2023 Langhorne Creek Wine Show.
What made the wins even more special is that we were up against some of the best wine in Australia coming out of the ‘Creek this year, plus a record number of entries. The show judged 225 entries from 32 exhibiting wineries, with 137 medals awarded – that’s a lot of wine to taste!!
The 2020 The Rifleman Cabernet Sauvignon was our first to be recognised, taking out the Best Cabernet Sauvignon category. We think this one is a classic Langhorne Creek Cabernet Sauvignon, flaunting opulence with rich red and black fruits and hints of chocolate.
Next was the 2022 Montepulciano, winning the Best Red or White Wine Made From Alternative or Other Variety. We think this medium-bodied drop reveals the lifted aromas of violets, red fruits and hints of spice and vanilla oak. This same bottle also took out the inaugural Chair of Judges gold medal – so we expect it’s going to become quite popular this winter.
To top off the event, we took home Langhorne Creek’s 2023 Producer of the Year title, which is reiterates the quality team and wines here at Kimbolton. This particular award is presented to the winery with the highest total of points calculated from its three highest-pointed wines from across the sparkling, white or rose and red wine classes.
Our co-owners Nicole Clark and brother Brad Case are thrilled with the awards haul; recognition of their hard work and innovative outlook.
“Being recognised among our peers and up against arguably some Australia’s best wineries, is truly humbling,” Nicole said.
“We’ve worked exceptionally hard over the last few years to adapt to changing markets, conditions, tastes and styles, and what we have now is a brilliant range of diverse – and now award-winning wines - coming out of Kimbolton.
“We’ve always known our Cab Sauv was one of the best in SA, but to add our Montepulciano varietal in the mix as well is icing on the cake. Both are drinking beautifully now and should definitely be added to your winter wine rack.
“As a small family-owned and run winery, we were also really proud to win the Producer of the Year award as well – showing that great things can come in small packages. Now, we look forward to continuing to advocate for wine, wine experiences and the Langhorne Creek region on a global stage.”
The awards ceremony was a huge event, with more than 200 grape growers, winemakers, suppliers and winery staff all coming together to celebrate the very best of Langhorne Creek wines. This year was hosted by Lake Breeze, who put on a fabulous lunch and encouraged everyone to kick up their heels and celebrate the end of vintage.
Judges were Sue Bell (Chair of judges), Pablo Theodoros from the Stanley Bridge Tavern and Riley Harrison from Harrison Wines. They were ably supported by associate judges Merrick Watts, Brett Smith and Tyler Follett.
So, make sure you take the time this winter to visit us and taste first-hand our award-winning wines.
Find out more about our 2022 Montepulciano here, or our 2020 The Rifleman Cabernet Sauvignon here.
06/06/2023 at 10:13 AM
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Looking for a unique way to spoil the kids while you take a moment to indulge?
The Kimbolton kids’ flight is a deliciously fun treat for our littlest cellar door visitors – and it means they’ll happily enjoy themselves while you relax with a tasting flight of your own!
When we established our cellar door, being family friendly was at the top of our list. With kids of our own, we know it can be hard to find wine experiences that cater for little ones. So, we introduced the kids’ tasting flight to give our small connoisseurs their own indulgence. Now, as we head into the colder months, we’re mixing it up with a sweet seasonal twist.
Our latest flight includes not one but three flavoured milks, paired with fluffy marshmallows, Perryman’s Gingerbread babies and a Barossa Valley Chocolate Tommy Turtle. We also cater to dietary needs, with gluten and dairy free options available on request.
And to keep little hands and minds busy while they nibble and sip, each kids’ flight comes with a packet of Kimbolton colouring pencils, an activity book and their very own bubbles.
We love seeing the way this brings families together. Many head to the cellar door for a wine flight or tasting, or just relax with a glass of their favourite wine and one of our gourmet local produce platters. The Family Experience gives the adults plenty of time to chat, relax and enjoy a wine and cheese flight of their own, while the young ones have fun as well.
Families with older children enjoy the rooftop space. It’s an ideal spot to soak up those sunny autumn days with a grazing box and a glass of red (or try a few with our seated tasting experience).
Out on the lawns, our selection of outdoor games is always a winner – although we do find some of the adults get more competitive than the kids! There’s plenty of space outside to spread out with a pallet picnic under the beautiful gums, overlooking the stunning autumn colours in the vineyard.
Book your visit today and discover the perfect balance between wine indulgence and family fun!
22/05/2023 at 2:08 PM
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We were fortunate to have Cassie Hough of ABC 891 radio present Country Hour live from our cellar door on Friday, 5 May.
The hour-long recording of this segment is now available for listening. In it, you'll get to hear Cassie chat with Nicole as well as some familiar voices about this year's vintage including Greg Follett of Lake Breeze, the Grapes for Good initiative, Langhorne Creek Wine Region's Cellar Treasures, the recent Tasting Australia event at Rio Vista Olives in Mypolonga, Newman's Horseradish, and more.
Listen to it here.
08/05/2023 at 10:24 AM
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Sorry we have to ask. You need to be 18 years old or over to enter.
