Viv Knight (owner and winemaker) has over 30 years’ experience in the wine industry, a Roseworthy Agricultural College Graduate, Viv has always followed his passion for wine. His career started in the early 90’s in fine wine retail with Oddbins in London and The Grape in Brisbane.
A natural career progression pushed Viv to move into wine wholesale as Evans & Tate Brand Manager. Seven years later he saw an opportunity and started his own company Knight Fine Wines, as a restaurant focused wine distribution business which he built up to carry over 20 top wineries. He successfully operated this for over 12 years. Needing a change, Viv
and family moved to Sydney where he was Craggy Range NSW State Manager.
With constant harassment from the extended family Viv decided to make small batch wine resulting in the 2012 Tagai Shiraz, sourced from a fellow Roseworthy graduates long standing family vineyard in Langhorne Creek, SA.
For a little fun the wine was entered into the Australian and New Zealand Boutique Wine Awards and miraculously it won Best Shiraz of the
Show!
The 2014 Tagai Shiraz also won Champion Wine and Best Shiraz in Langhorne Creek which pushed Viv into following his dreams of having his own commercial wine brand.
In 2018, Viv and his wife Sarah purchased the property at 128 Leslie Road, Lenswood to establish a vineyard and cellar door. For over 100 years the property had been an apple and cherry orchard. It took 3 years for Viv to clear the property, establish a chardonnay vineyard and complete the cellar door. Finally opening the cellar door doors in January 2021.
Currently as the property's vines mature, the white wines are being sourced from local Lenswood fruit. Eventually the property will produce Chardonnay, Syrah and Pinot Noir.
The red wines come from Langhorne Creek, south east of Adelaide by 70km.
Due to small production our complete range is not available online. The whole range is available from our cellar door for purchase in person. Call 0468 344 398 or contact us to find out more.
LENSWOOD VINEYARD
Geographical Indicator, Lenswood, sub region of Adelaide Hills, Mount Lofty Ranges
Climate, cool and wet
Geology, underlain by shales, siltstones, fine sandstones and minor quartzites
Topology, rolling low hills, with slopes almost entirely < 30%
Soils, loamy soils, most of which have well-structured clayey subsoils grading to weathering rock.
Tagai Vineyards at Leslie Road, Lenswood –
Variety, Chardonnay vineyard (planted 2019).
Site selection, east facing, 550m above sea level.
We acknowledge the traditional owners of the county on which our vineyard sits, the Peramangk people. We thank them for their care for country and pay our respects to their elders past, present and future.