our story

Smeaton Estate is the story of pride in family heritage and the opportunity of friendship leading to the start of a whole new chapter.

For over 130 years, the Smeaton lineage have been pioneers in the Australian wine industry. In 1892, Henry Richardson, great grandfather of Jan Smeaton, was among the first visionaries to plant grapes in the Coonawarra region of South Australia, establishing what would become the renowned Penola Fruit Colony. This tradition of winemaking runs deep in our family’s blood, representing generations of dedication to the craft.

In 1995, as dairy farms were being replaced with vines in the Adelaide Hills, pioneer and friend Brian Croser planted the seed of an idea with John and Jan Smeaton, leading to them carrying on Henry Richardson’s legacy by buying a site in Forreston in the Adelaide Hills. In 1996, they planted 25 hectares at their Martin Hill vineyard and were soon supplying Chardonnay to Croser’s iconic brand, Petaluma, including Croser Sparkling, and Sauvignon Blanc and Merlot to Shaw and Smith as their star began to rise too.

Alongside John’s growing career in Agricultural Science and Biochemistry, a love of working on the land and an immediate fondness for this beautiful ‘patch of dirt’, Martin Hill Vineyard has now been a much loved part of the family for over 30 years. The vineyard sits at 440 metres altitude, and the focus is on growing Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot noir and Merlot with a simple approach; sound agriculture with respect to our surroundings and sustainable viticultural practices to grow the best possible fruit.