On a mission to express the best the Adelaide Hills has to offer, Simon Tolley was in the army, before trying his hand at viticulture and starting his own brand, ‘Simon Tolley Wines’.
Taking inspiration from his father Andrew, Simon’s modus operandi is producing small matches of high-quality wines and striving to improve each season.
Simon’s business was one of many to be burnt by the Cuddlee Creek bushfire. A blaze he fought himself with hose in hand, attempting to stop it destroying his property. Flames ripped through 25,000 hectares devastating the Adelaide Hills, with the effects still being felt today. Determined to find a silver-lining, Simon’s managed to use smoke-tainted fruit to create uniquely sellable products.
He’s also raised a family in the Hills where he’s lived for decades and can often be spotted cruising the curves in his restored 1965 Morris mini-van.
Here’s Simon Tolley...
