HUNTER VALLEY LEGENDS

Kevin Sobels  began his winemaking career in a winery owned by the Hardy family in Waikerie, South Australia under the guidance of his soon to be father in law. He spent two years working here before being appointed as assistant winemaker at the Saltrams winery in the Barossa. In 1967 at the age of 24, Seppelt’s appointed him as winemaker/manager of their Chateau Tanunda winery where he worked until he gained complete control of the winery in 1970. By 1971 the combined crush of the wineries had risen to 30,000 tonnes. Late in 1972 he moved to live in Muswellbrook to build a small winery and was asked to join a new wine venture called Denman Estate. Because of the demand for bulk wine, our Legend and his wife Margaret decided to establish their own winery in Muswellbrook, still making all Denman Estate wines, most of which were sent to South Australia, but some of which were kept to start establishing their own Queldinburg label.

By the time the ‘86 Muswellbrook vintage was over, they had negotiated a deal to buy ‘Tamalee’ a winery in Pokolbin. This new venture only lasted a few years, and following a dispute with a business partner, the pair once again relocated all of their plant, this time to the corner of Broke and Halls Road, and so began and remains Kevin Sobels Wines. With a rich family history in winemaking dating back over 160 years, this year, Kevin the 5th generation Sobels was assisted by his son Jason to make their 167th consecutive vintage thus continuing an unbroken record unrivalled in Australia.

Kevin Sobels was inducted as a Legend in 2014.