THE KALLESKE FAMILY
On 18th November 1838, merchant and miller, Johann Georg Kalleske and his wife Johanne Dorothea, together with their four children landed in the newly established colony of South Australia.
On 18th November 1838, merchant and miller, Johann Georg Kalleske and his wife Johanne Dorothea, together with their four children landed in the newly established colony of South Australia.
In 1853 the Kalleske farm was established at Moppa, a small sub-district of Greenock in the North-Western Barossa Valley. Since settlement the Kalleske farm has been a mix of enterprises including vineyard, orchard, sheep, dairy, pigs, cropping, milling and merchanting.
Today, the property continues to be a diverse and thriving mix of vineyards, sheep, cattle, chaff mill and winery. The farm has been in continual family ownership for more than 150 years and is today tended by the sixth and seventh generation of the Kalleske family.
Troy Kalleske
Winemaker and co-owner of Kalleske.
He’s a seventh generation Barossan and in 1999 Troy graduated with a Bachelor of Agricultural Science (Oenology) Degree from the University of Adelaide, achieving a distinction average. Troy was the first Kalleske to venture into the field of winemaking and during his studies Troy was awarded no less than three scholarships, including the prestigious South Australian Wine and Brandy Industry Association Medal for Bachelor of Agricultural Science (Oenology).
Following university, Troy was selected for the Southcorp graduate winemaker program where he gained valuable experience winemaking at Seppelt Great Western, Lindemans, Penfolds and Seppeltsfield fortified winery. On completion of the graduate winemaker program, Troy continued winemaking for Southcorp at Penfolds, Barossa Valley. Troy has also completed a vintage with Rolf Binder at Veritas Winery and Miranda Wines, and in keeping with the increasingly global wine business he left Australia and gained valuable international knowledge of the industry as Harvest Enologist for Kendall-Jackson at Vinwood Cellars in Geyserville, Sonoma County.
In 2002, after 149 years of farming and grape growing by Troy’s family, Troy and his brother, Tony, took the next step and established the Kalleske winery. Troy was the first Kalleske to pursue winemaking after seven generations.
Troy has received numerous accolades in recent years with one of the most prestigious being the “2008 Barossa Winemaker of the Year” title awarded by the Barons of Barossa. Troy is rapidly gaining recognition as one of the Barossa’s and Australia’s best young winemakers.
Tony Kalleske
Sales, General Business and co-owner of Kalleske.
Tony is the eldest of the ‘seventh generation’ Kalleskes. From an early age he was out in the vineyard helping his parents with hand picking and pruning on the family vineyard and together with Troy, co-founded the Kalleske Winery.
Tony is hands-on in the winery during vintage but throughout the year he looks after sales and general business.
Prior to the winery, Tony was national manager for a major human resource company and he’s also a qualified motor mechanic