Kim and Margo Longbottom (Photo credit: Quintessential)
Kim Longbottom, who has been the sole owner of Australia’s Henry’s Drive Vignerons since the death of her husband Mark ten years ago, announced that she has turned the page to the next chapter of her wine life with the creation of Vintage Longbottom..
This new enterprise formally introduces Kim’s daughter Margo Longbottom to the wine industry, though she is no stranger to it. Margo was raised alongside the vines that her parents owned and is a witness to her mother’s successful, single-handed running of the family’s winery and brands after her father tragically lost his battle with leukemia.
According to Kim, Vintage Longbottom has been fashioned “from the ground up” in many important ways. In addition to Margo joining Kim in a “mother-daughter” partnership seeped in family history and heritage, but with eyes clearly focused on the future, Vintage Longbottom has shifted focus from their home-base property and vineyard in South Australia’s Padthaway region, to McLaren Vale and the Adelaide Hills.
It is from these two storied regions that the Longbottom women will source top-rated Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz for their classic, hand-crafted wines that will continue in the popular Henry’s Drive and “H” labels.
“This new era in the Longbottom story is all about the vitality of family,” Kim says. “I welcome Margo as a partner that brings a family-instilled passion for wine, as well as a vibrant new outlook stemming from her studies in fashion, digital marketing and business. It’s more than just having someone to ‘share the load’ – it’s a genuine fresh start, with Margo adding a young, informed perspective to the company and to the new vintages that will reflect the transition.”
Under the new Vintage Longbottom branding, the traditional Henry’s Drive wines will
transition out of Padthaway to grapes coming from McLaren Vale, but still retaining the wines’
elegant, classic style. The “H” Series will feature an exciting, contemporary label update, in keeping with the vibrant varietals in the bottles, with grapes coming from McLaren Vale and the Adelaide Hills. The three “H” wines will have a suggested retail price of $39.99, while the two
Henry’s Drive will retail for approximately $49.99 and Magnus is priced at $79.99.
Family owned-and-operated fine-wine importer Quintessential has been bringing Kim’s wines to Australian wine aficionados in the US for more than ten years. Dennis Kreps, who co-owns Quintessential with his father, Stephen D. Kreps, is unstinting in his praise of her success and her efforts. “Kim Longbottom is among the most forward-thinking and creative people working in the wine industry today. She’s an inspiration for her fortitude and resilience in overcoming great personal tragedy to run a large and successful winery, while also raising a
daughter on her own,” Dennis said.
“Her elegant wines always exuded a definite ‘sense of place’ and were well-positioned
to take advantage of consumers discovering the great diversity of Australian wines,” he explained. “We expect the same from the new wines under Vintage Longbottom, and are greatly
looking forward to representing them for the dynamic Longbottom duo.”