Heartland Wines

Heartland Wines is a joint venture between seven young people who came together in 2001 to turn their passion for good wines into a joint venture. The importance they attached to the “Heartland” project is already reflected in the name of their newly founded winery.

Heartland – more than Ben Glaetzer

Serving as head winemaker at the forefront of the dedicated Heartland team is none other than Ben Glaetzer, descendant of the famous winery family Glaetzer. This “wine-o-holic,” brimming with self-confidence and determination, has succeeded not only in convincing the national trade press, but also in attracting the attention of critic legend Robert Parker.

Parker describes Glaetzer’s wines

“Ben Glaetzer admirably combines the enormous fruit and power of old vines with a surprising degree of elegance and complexity.”

Langhorne Creek is Australia’s oldest moderately cool-climate region and much cooler than the neighboring regions of McLaren Vale and Barossa Valley. This is for a simple reason: Langhorne Creek lies in an ancient floodplain on the northern shore of Lake Alexandrina. As such, the growing area for the Heartland wines is quite flat and, in contrast to the regions on the other side of the Mount Lofty Ranges, exposed to the prevailing winds.

Wind – the key to the success of Heartland wines

The wind comes in the early evening from the sea to the south. The stiff breeze cools the entire wine-growing region by about 10°C within an hour, which in turn results in cool nights and ideal conditions for Cabernet Sauvignon.

Since the wind has such a strong influence on local viticulture and is an important factor among the conditions for excellent grapes, it is enthusiastically referred to as the “Lake Doctor.”

The grape varieties

Among others, the following grape varieties are grown at Heartland Wines: 

• Shiraz
• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Dolcetto