Prue Henschke was named the 2024 Wine Communicators of Australia (WCA) SA Legend of the Vine in front of many of her wine industry associates and colleagues at the WCA Royal Adelaide Wine and Spirits Show Trophy Winners Lunch on Friday 4th October 2024.
The award recognises those who have made an ‘outstanding’ contribution to the Australian wine industry.
“More than most previous winners, this year’s winner really does live up to the moniker of ‘Legend of the Vine’,” said national WCA executive chairman, Angus Barnes.
“Prue represents the pinnacle of viticulture in Australia. Her influence has reached cool-climate vineyards across the country, and she is passionate about protecting the natural environment while growing grapes good enough to create Australia’s best wine.”
Henschke studied viticulture and plant physiology at the Geisenheim Institute in Germany and then honed her craft in her husband’s family wine business where she created a ‘living research station’. Here she experimented and tested theories on cool-climate viticulture. This revolutionary research became vital in growing and improving cool-climate grapegrowing in Australia. She now manages over 100 hectares of vineyards extending across the hills between Eden Valley and the Adelaide Hills, and is custodian of precious old vines, some of which have been in the earth since the first days of the family estate.
Henschke is the current chair of the South Australian Vine Improvement Association, where her team successfully sought investment from Wine Australia in a national germplasm collection to consist of high health status and DNA verified varieties, clones and rootstocks, and a workable national vine propagation standard. She is also chair of Adelaide Hills Vine Improvement Inc and works closely with Vinehealth Australia.
Henschke has won numerous awards as both a winemaker and a viticulturist. In 2016 she was named Viticulturist of the Year at the Australian Women in Wine Awards and last year was named as the inaugural inductee in the James Halliday Hall of Fame (Australian Wine Industry).
Henschke is the tenth person to be awarded Legend of the Vine status in SA, joining a national list that includes Jane Ferrari, Peter Hayes, Brian Croser AO, Pam Dunsford, Tony Love, Brian Walsh, d’Arry Osborne, Bill Hardy, and Patrick Iland. WCA said recipients embody its maxim of ‘Engage, Connect, Develop and Inspire’, and are individuals who have led by example and have added their own skilled and distinctive voice to the Australian wine story.
