The word ‘legend’ is bandied about with such tiring frequency these days that it is easy to lose sight of its true meaning. But not that easy. Those in the wine world keen to reacquaint themselves with what it really means only have to look at the life of Peter Lehmann, who passed away this week. He was the antithesis of today’s ‘legends’ – those possessed of vaunting ambition, bloated egos and selfish aims. Lehmann was the champion of the little guys and was ambitious on their behalf and it is barely an exaggeration to say that the Barossa Valley wine industry of today would not exist were it not for his dogged – and I am sure he wouldn’t mind me saying cussed and lots more that is unprintable – insistence that its vine heritage be cherished rather than ripped up during the 1980s.

But that is a well-told story. Here today I only want to salute the memory of a man I came to know both professionally and personally over the years. Professionally as a wine writer and personally through my wife Fionnuala Hunt who, as Leader and Artistic Director of the Irish Chamber Orchestra, took the orchestra to play in the Barossa Valley Music Festival in 1999. To generate some publicity for the tour back in Ireland I was invited to interview her. I had never met her before and the only question I can clearly remember asking was: “Could I have your home phone number please?”

A couple of years later we stayed with Peter and Margaret Lehmann in their home in the Barossa. It was a lovely house but they appeared to use only the large kitchen with its huge table, around which any number of people could be seated. That kitchen was Barossa Central. Spend a day there – provided you could stick the smoke, for both Lehmanns were inveterate smokers – and you caught up on all the news and goings on from the steady stream of visitors that passed through. If time was short a day spent in the Lehmanns’ kitchen was as good as a week criss-crossing the Barossa, and the gossip was far superior to anything you might glean from a slew of winery visits.

We will be opening an old Lehmann Reserve Riesling or Semillon tonight (I can’t decide which) and will raise a glass to Peter’s memory. He wouldn’t have seen himself as a matchmaker but he did play a small, indirect role in bringing us together and for that I will be eternally grateful.

Tags: Lehmann, Barossa Valley, Riesling, Semillon