We often get asked where the name Longhop came from, and like many things it evolved out of circumstance.
It was 2005, just before vintage, and Old Plains was preparing for its third vintage of small limited production wines from the last old vines in the Adelaide Plains. The previous vintages' production of about 300 cases had all sold out to the USA. Australian wine was hot property and on the back of plenty of Parker Points we were a happy bunch. Another small boutique production for 2005 all basically sold before vintage.
As it goes, a week before vintage the phone started ringing, growers on the Adelaide Plains were being dropped by Fosters and creating havoc. Growers were pleading for us to help, we weren't really in a position to do anything, no money, no processing facilities, no time—still we had to do something in support of our close-knit community.
To that end the Longhop brand evolved out of a combination of necessity—that quintessential Australian attitude and culture of helping out a mate—and an opportunity to buy excellent fruit and the potential to sell wine into a new US market.
We made the most of this short inadvertant delivery, but most importantly we provide our wines the time and opportunity to deliver true varietal character—that’s the Long-hop.