When Jared Stringer, CEO and co-owner of South Australia’s iconic The Lane Vineyard in the Adelaide Hills, saw an opportunity to buy the business he was running for the UK’s Vestey family, he knew it was a timely chance to bring the location back into the hands of Australian owners.
He joined forces with one of the country’s best known hoteliers David Horbelt to give it a new lease of life – paying a reported $20 million last year.
Crows players Ben Keays and Riley O’Brien with Lane Vineyard CEO Jared Stringer (no relation to Jake). Picture: Supplied
The Lane Vineyard, a mere 40-minute drive from Adelaide, has plans to expand its paddock to plate vegetable garden and introduce a glasshouse outdoor dining area.
For now, they’re in the midst of planting new grape varietals and recently signed a partnership deal as a sponsor of the Adelaide Crows, as well as continuing their prime slice of real estate aboard Qantas flights around the world.
“When I decided to buy into The Lane, I was in the fortunate position I knew the business and how it was running on a day-to-day basis,” Mr Stringer said.
“I live on a farm about seven minutes away in Echunga; it means I know the land, the climate and can help make business decisions because I know what the destination is capable of – a new era is upon The Lane and we’re excited for it.”
Stringer also also had a stint as a winemaker at Bird in Hand in the mid-2010s.
Lane Vineyard is a mere 40-minute drive from Adelaide. Picture: Supplied
“I was running The Lane as CEO since 2019, and I knew it was a great commercial investment. It’s in an iconic part of the Adelaide Hills and one of the only true wine estates around… we have the vineyards, a cellar tasting room and a restaurant all on the one site,” he said.
Seeing the vineyard return to the hands of Aussie investors mattered to Stringer and his business partner David Horbelt – who is also the owner of luxury accommodation in the vicinity including Sequoia and five-star boutique hotel Mount Lofty House.
“What often happens with wine brands is they get sold to overseas investors living in a very corporate world and as a result the vineyards really lose the soul of the place and what it means locally,” he said.
The vineyard has a complete winery experience including cellar door and restaurant. Picture: Supplied
The Lane employs 40 staff – many of whom are locals to the Adelaide Hills and treat the destination as their own. In taking over the business, Stringer was adamant to keep staff as connected as possible in helping tell the story of the land and what they offer at the winery.
Since the purchase, the winery has been extended, while vineyard soil is in the process of being rejuvenated.
“We continue to modernise the business which probably lacked a bit of that investment from the previous ownership due to them being overseas and not really standing on the soil,” Mr Stringer said.
The Lane Vineyard is back in Aussie hands following a sales deal worth about $20m.
He’s excited to have aligned with a fellow South Australian native too.
“David [Horbelt] is South Australian born and bred like me – so our bases are firmly here and we understand what this area means to people.
“David has properties around South Australia and a strong hotel background – he also owns the iconic Reef House in Palm Cove, Queensland.
“He views The Lane as an iconic wine destination in Australia, and when the opportunity to combine our forces came up, it was a no brainer for me to say yes.”
With no immediate plan to expand the hotel footprint for now, Stringer says the focus is maintaining the vineyards for optimal harvesting.
Lane Vineyard is an emerging lunch destination. Picture: Supplied
The restaurant remains a huge drawcard for those looking for a luxury lunch destination in the Adelaide Hills.
“We’ve got the ability to host guests who are staying at Mount Lofty or Sequoia, and bring them here for a beautiful lunch,” Mr Stringer said.
“The Lane is the only winery lunch destination in the Hills – with Sequoia and Mount Lofty only offering dinners, so the synergies are brilliant between all of the properties.”
A two-acre fruit and vegetable patch are also part of their expansion plan at the property.
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“We expect to produce up to about 80% of what our restaurant needs in terms of its fresh fruit and vegetables,” Mr Stringer said.
The new site will also come with a beautiful glass house in the middle of the new garden, with a private dining room.
“A lot of these vineyards were planted in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s with what people thought was right for the area. Gradually we’re pulling out varieties that are no longer suitable, like merlot and cabernet sauvignon and adding other varietals such as gamay, nebbiolo and cabernet Franc.”
New clones of chardonnay and riesling are also on top of the list.
Lane’s wines are available on many Qantas flights. Picture: Liam Kidston
But it’s the Qantas partnership, which is 20 years strong and counting, that has worked wonders for the vineyard’s global identity. In the last five years, The Lane’s Lois NV Sparkling Blanc de Blancs continues to be served on every Qantas flight around the world.
“Qantas does an amazing job to support Australian wine brands… they champion all different size wine brands and estates across Australia which is really good for business too because international travellers hear about us when they travel,” Mr Stringer said.
Lane’s wines are available at Crows games at Adelaide Oval. Picture: Getty
The new partnership with the Crows also holds a special place for Stringer who has been a fan of the club since he was a child.
According to Stringer, the Crows’ new partnership with The Lane Vineyard feels like an organic coming together that embraces local pride on several fronts.
All of its wines are now poured at home games at Adelaide Oval, and the collaboration, Mr Stringer hopes, is as enduring as Toyota’s 35-year-old partnership with the club.