Description
About Kurtz Family Wines
The idea for the formation of the Kurtz Family Vineyards is by no means unique. It commenced from a long family history of growing grapes, drinking the end product and a desire to see wine made exclusively from our own grapes.
My Great Grandfather, Alfred Bernhard (Ben) Kurtz, began growing grapes in the sub-region of Light Pass in the Barossa Valley back in the 1930’s and this very same block is still worked to this day. Grandfather, Bernhard Otto Kurtz, commenced grapegrowing in 1957 at his Light Pass vineyard and my father, John Bernhard Kurtz and my mother Erril, moved to the existing vineyards in the early 1960’s.
I first became involved in the Industry working a couple of vintages at Saltram Wines in the Barossa. This was followed by stints at various locations at Orlando Wines. During most of the 1990’s through to September 2006, I worked for Fosters Wine Estates, and after seeing the light, decided to concentrate on doing ‘my own thing’. The experience at Fosters allowed me to work with winemaking greats such as Nigel Dolan, Caroline Dunn and John Glaetzer to mention just a few, and I am forever grateful for the knowledge they have passed on to me.
Hopefully this family tradition of growing grapes in the Light Pass area will continue for many vintages to come and maybe somewhere down the track my boys will be growing grapes and making wine as my forebears have done for nearly eighty years.
