Sevenhill

At Sevenhill Cellars, the first winery established in South Australia's Clare Valley,  you can enjoy distinctive, estate-grown wines and experience our notable heritage and spiritual character.

Sevenhill was settled by the Society of Jesus (Jesuits) in 1851 to produce sacramental wine. While this tradition continues today, Sevenhill is also highly regarded for its premium table wines, which are recognised for the regional qualities that have put the Clare Valley on the world stage.

Sevenhill was established by Austrian Jesuits who fled their country to escape political and religious oppression.

Two Jesuit priests, Father Aloysius Kranewitter and Father Maximillian Klinkowstrom, travelled to Australia as chaplains to a group of 130 Catholics led by Franz Weikert, a Silesian farmer, whose vision was to establish a community in South Australia which could enjoy religious freedom.

The immigrants settled near the township of Clare and the Jesuits, impressed by the fertility of the local soil, purchased 100 acres of land in 1851, naming it Sevenhill after the Seven Hill district of Rome.

Sevenhill Cellars was established in the following years to provide sacramental wine in the emerging Catholic parishes around Australia, beginning Sevenhill’s respected tradition of Jesuit winemaking. The underground cellar was excavated by hand and the winery building was constructed from stone quarried on the property.

There have been seven Jesuit winemakers at Sevenhill, the most recent of whom is Jesuit Winemaker Emeritus, Brother John May, SJ, who still works closely with the winemaking team and is a passionate advocate of Sevenhill and the Clare Valley.