Jacinta Jenkins of Balnaves: Balancing Tradition and Identity with Innovation

Send us Fan MailThe Balnaves family first arrived in South Australia’s Coonawarra District in 1855. It's worth taking the time to research the story of William Wilson (available on the Balnaves website) to truly appreciate how deeply the Balnaves family is intertwined with the history of South Australian wine. Fast forward to 1971, when a young and ambitious Doug Balnaves was hired by Hungerford Hill to establish 100 hectares of vineyards. In 1974, Doug received a winemaking masterclass from Bill Redman, affectionately known as "the Grand Old Man of Coonawarra," which played a pivotal role in igniting and fueling Doug’s passion for crafting exceptional red wine.In 1975, the first Balnaves vines were planted, covering 2.5 hectares each of Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, which are still flourishing 49 years later. In the ensuing years, Kirsty and Pete Balnaves returned to the family business, joined by Pete Bissell as the winemaker, who led the winemaking team for over 25 vintages. During this time, Balnaves went from strength to strength, with the Tally winning Jeremy Oliver's Wine of the Year in 2004 and Balnaves being named Halliday's Winery of the Year in 2008.In 2018 Jacinta Jenkins, known as JJ to her friends, joined the Balnaves team. A native of Coonawarra, Jacinta brought her global wine education back to her roots, making it particularly fitting that she took on the role of head winemaker in 2020, when Pete Bissell passed the torch to her. Jacinta has quickly made her mark, being shortlisted for Halliday Winemaker of the Year this year—a true testament to her hard work and talent.Jacinta recently joined me on the show to provide a glimpse into what’s happening across Coonawarra and at Balnaves. A huge thanks to Jacinta for sharing her insights.Support the show