The Next Era Begins.
Hello! We’re Kailee and Jaimee-lee Ledson, sisters with a shared vision to blend our expertise in winemaking and marketing/design to create a wine label that honours our family’s history of grape growing.
The idea of Ledson Vineyards has been a dream of ours for years, often discussed around the dinner table, so it’s both exciting and nerve-wracking to finally leap into this next chapter for our family vineyard. Ledson Vineyards is a true multigenerational collaboration. Our mission is to honour the hard work and dedication of the generations before us, by creating wines that you love from our vineyards that we cherish.
This is only the start for us, we have so many exciting things planned and we are so grateful to those who join us in our journey.
Generations Before Us.
First Generation Farmer - Our story began in 1950 when our great-grandfather purchased 120 acres in McLaren Vale. A high school science teacher and sheep farmer, he had a vision for the land that went beyond farming. Over the years, he planted numerous trees around the property, creating a natural border for the vineyards and providing homes for local wildlife.
Second Generation Vineyard Planters - The land was later passed on to our Nana and Papa, who took the next step in the family’s agricultural legacy. In the late 90s, they planted the first Shiraz vineyard, followed by a second one in the early 2000s. Our Nana & Papa are still out tending to those same vines most days.
Third Generation - Then onto our parents. Our dad grew up working the land, working in the vineyards from a young age. Alongside him was our mum, who worked just as tirelessly. It wasn’t uncommon for my sister and I to spend our weekends watching our parents drive the pickup tractors during harvest or walking the rows, removing water shoots from vine trunks. For 26 years, our family has had the privilege of being grape growers for some of the region's most well-known wineries.
A Winemaker & A Designer.
For Kailee and I, we’ve been immersed in the world of wine & grape growing for 24 and 25 years, respectively. Growing up in the industry, we knew we never wanted to be apart from it. As soon as we could, you’d find us working weekends in cellar doors, learning the craft and the culture that make this industry so special.
After school, my sister Kailee pursued her passion for winemaking by studying Viticulture & Oenology. In 2023, she earned her qualification as a winemaker from Adelaide University. She has been across the globe, refining her craft and developing her own wine style. She’s honed her skills in France at Chapoutier, in Tasmania with Bay of Fires, House of Arras & Moorilla, and right here in McLaren Vale at Hardy’s Tintara.
As for me, I focused on completing a Bachelor of Business (Marketing & Design). I’ve worked with several well-known wineries in McLaren Vale and spent many years pondering the look & feel of Ledson Vineyards while also helping my parents & grandparents out in our vineyards.
Vineyards.
We believe good wine starts with great care taken in the vineyard.
1999 Shiraz Block - the first vineyard planted in the late 1990s by our grandparents, the rows run north south on a gentle north facing slope. The soils are deep sandy loam with seams of tiny river stones and the occasional ironstone spur, the vineyard is almost dry grown today, with only minimal irrigation during a heatwave.
2000 Shiraz Block - only 14 rows, the vineyard is planted east west and rises to the east, the soils are heavy, dark loamy clay over Blanche Point limestone. The soils are very thin, the vines produce very small bunches with tiny berries which gives the wines produced from this vineyard great structure.
Fiano Block - grafted onto the shiraz block S3 which was planted in the late 1990s, The soils are deep sandy loams, the rows run east west. It’s Nana’s favourite vineyard and she can still be found most days tending to the vines.
Mouvedre Block - was grafted onto Shiraz in 2024, Its looking very promising and behaving just beautifully, look out for some single varietal wines, maybe a wine on the monastrell side, and blends with our Shiraz and Grenache in the near future.
Nero d’Avola Block - grafted onto the shiraz in 2024. The Nero d’Avola is giving everyone a run for their money keeping up with the training as it rapidly grows. This vineyard has quickly become our Papa’s favourite after tasting the fruit it produced its first year. It seems to be enjoying the heavy soils and warmer weather similar to its sicilian origins. Look out for some new wines from this vineyard in 2026.
Grenache Block - planted in 2023, it’s on a fairly steep south facing sandy hill. It was planted from cuttings taken from our neighbours vineyard. It’s surpassed all expectations so far and is producing excellent fruit, look out for it in our rosè coming soon.
Cinsault Block - It was planted from cuttings taken from the oldest cinsault vineyard in McLaren Vale, look out for a single varietal and a rosè blend in the future.
