Why a leaping man? How Manser Wines began.
How do family businesses start? And when? With Manser Wines, we have a date of registration, the year of our first harvest, the first time our lips tasted our own wine. But we're pretty sure that's not when it all began.
To know when it started, we need to go back to why it started at all. And that comes down to three things: a love of good wine, a love of good people and a love of country.
Bernie Manser was a country boy from Mount Gambier when he arrived in Adelaide in the late 1950s looking for a better life. With a young family to support, he probably should have stayed with the safe government job he found. Instead, he joined a fledgling accountancy firm with a group of ambitious mates.
Turns out, his real passions were people and adventures.
During his years working across the Riverland, Bernie spent countless hours at kitchen tables, in orchards and on farms, helping family businesses navigate life's opportunities and challenges. He also developed an enterprising spirit which led to a colourful collection of ventures that included paddle steamers, office furniture and an art gallery.
One opportunity stands out.
When the chance arose to purchase the wine cellar of the famous Renmark Hotel, Bernie and his partners leapt at it. And because Bernie was the kind of man he is, this treasure was not locked up as investment but freely shared at happy Manser gatherings.
When they came of age, Bernie’s sons Kevin and Phil had an amazing wine upbringing with iconic Aussie reds such as Hardys, Pirramimma, d’Arenberg and the odd bottle of Grange knocking about at barbecues and dinner tables. But they also inherited Bernie’s deep respect for people who work the land and an understanding that the best things come to those who wait (a few seasons).
For Phil, the next leap came naturally.
After years working in wine retail, wholesale and helping wineries tell their stories, a friend offered him a tonne of surplus grapes. Most people might have looked before they leapt. Phil bought the fruit and made a barrel of wine. He called it One Mad Moment.
At much the same time, Kevin was preparing his own leap in the dark. Returning to Australia after years overseas, he purchased a vineyard perched above Kuitpo Forest. It came with a magnificent view, sixteen acres of Shiraz vines and a steep learning curve.
None of the Mansers knew exactly where their leaps would lead. But eventually, a hotel’s deadstock, some unwanted fruit and a small vineyard atop a hill came together to became Manser Wines.
So – why a leaping man? He's a reflection of our family behind the bottles. A family that has spent years seizing overlooked opportunities, backing gut instincts and taking the scenic route to get to where it was going.
And if there's one thing we've learned, it’s that sometimes, if you're lucky enough to see it, your whole life can change with a single leap of faith.
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