He might be the son of a legendary winemaker, but David Franz Lehmann riffs to his own mighty tune in the winemaking world.
Based in the Barossa, a region so hospitable you feel like family wherever you go, the Dave Franz Cellar Door is the comfort hug and tight squeeze you’ll long remember after you’ve parted ways.
It’s rustic and filled with surprise pours, a chalkboard list of wines that hint at the many storied verses behind each drop. There’s endless small batch wines to tempt here, with stories Dave is more than happy to share with guests as they settle in. And of course a hustle of artisan bar snacks to keep you on premises for hours if you choose – much of the produce made in-house too.
For someone who never thought he’d follow in his father Peter Lehmann’s footsteps, and wanted to be a graphic designer or cartoonist instead, is now producing some of the finest artisan wines under his label Dave Franz Wines in his boutique Barossa Valley winery.
David Lehmann spoke to The Write Drop for our At The Bar series.
MY CITY
I’ve been a country boy my entire life; I’m a born and Bred ‘Barossn’ and have spent a majority of my life in Regional or Rural Australia. Whilst I’ve travelled and lived in a lot of places over the last 50 odd years, I’ll always call the Barossa, and South Australia home. Forced at gunpoint to choose a city I truly love, it would have to be Adelaide. Being small and (particularly in the food and booze scene) competitive, it is the perfect distillation of everything you want in a city. Awesome Beaches, The Hills, amazing food, wine and hospo scene. Relaxed pace and room to move, plus five world class wine regions within day-tripping distance. What more could you want?
FAVOURITE FOOD MEMORY
Marg Lehmann (Mum) was always the Queen of the Roast Leg of Lamb. Sitting at PL [Peter Lehmann] and Marg’s kitchen on a summer’s day, surrounded by the family tucking into perfectly rested, pink slices of lamb, with mum’s unbelievably crispy potatoes, caramelised butternut pumpkin, tomato pie, crunchy green beans, cucumber salad and her lamb gravy all washed down with lashings of Barossa Cab Sauv. Perfection!
FAVOURITE BAR
The Valley Hotel, Main Street of Tanunda is the nexis of the Barossa wine industry. Pints of Cooper’s Pale Ale, Plenty of Bullshit and Camaraderie – in that order.
DRINK THAT DESCRIBES YOU
Ice Cold Pint of Cooper’s Pale Ale; Unpretentious – refreshingly honest, accessible and totally appropriate in a flannel shirt!
BEST HANGOVER CURE
Harden the F**K up and push through! The best cure for a hangover is to get up early, stagger into the kitchen, fry up 4 eggs, slabs of Barossa Smoked bacon, Bubble and squeak, Fried tomato and about 2 litres of fresh squeezed orange juice. Then get off your arse and get back to it…don’t let it defeat you; you play then you pay and don’t grizzle!
BEST INTERSTATE BAR
Door Knock, Pitt St in Sydney is my favourite bookend to a big night out. It’s an awesome spot to build your enthusiasm for the coming festivities – the range of bespoke and classic cocktails, solid wine list and uber-cool bar staff definitely get the vibe on the right track. And when you’re winding down, but just not ready to call it a night, or just want to kick on, the dark downstairs atmosphere is exactly what you want.
A FAVE WINE YOU’RE ENJOYING RIGHT NOW
Euro – 2020 Domaine Albert Seltz Gewurtztraminer – Love the spicy interplay of Gewurz expressed with that unmistakable European botty funk
Aussie – The 2022 Otherness Urth Riesling – Neil Pikes Expression of Clare Riesling for Grant Dickson – Delish.
FAVOURITE WINERY RUN BY A MATE WE SHOULD VISIT
Cirillo Wines – Come for the insults and return for the wines. Marco tells it like it is and probably makes the most aspirational expression of Grenache in Australia. It’s a shed tasting experience and his range is delicious.
WHAT WINE JOURNEY HAS TAUGHT YOU SO FAR
Probably the most important thing I’ve realised about wine over the years is to make the grapes in front of you. Not what you expect them to be or what you want them to be, but the grapes that they are. Sure, you’ve got your tool box you’ll open regardless, and the physical operational limitations of your winery and what the season is throwing at you, but don’t get caught up in your own hype; slow down, take a breath and really look at what’s right in front of you. Oh, above all else embrace the joy of what you’re doing. People can taste that joy so revel in it. If you’re in it for the money you’re dreaming – Haha.
THE BIGGEST BUZZ OF RUNNING A CELLAR DOOR
The biggest enjoyment for me is the vicarious joy of watching people loving what you do in ‘real time’. It’s probably an ego thing, but I think that’s ok if you’re not a wanker about it. I despise the elitism that so often surrounds wine, so to see an ‘average punter having an epiphany when they try something that blows their hair back is a real kick – especially as I know you can never ‘un-drink’ an amazing wine. Sure, the nod from a contemporary is kudos never to be downplayed, but the visceral joy of unsolicited enjoyment quietly observed from a corner of the Cellardoor cannot be beat.
HOW HAS YOUR PASSION FOR WINEMAKING CHANGED OVER THE YEARS – WHAT WILL AND WON’T YOU DO ANYMORE.
To my mind, the level of my passion hasn’t changed from when I first started. I’ve always had this wide eyed optimistically romantic approach to crafting wine, and I still have this in spades! To be honest, if you’re not hopelessly addicted to the joy of creation intrinsically intertwined in the art of winemaking, then I’d say you’re in the wrong business. I think you’ve gotta be completely Zen when it comes to making wine; leave yourself open to those one-off opportunities that present themselves, roll with the punches when it doesn’t go according to plan and revel in the excitement of creating the unrepeatable with every drop. I don’t think that you’re being realistic if you set boundaries around what you will or won’t do. l guess I’ll aim to not make shit wine, but I think that’s always the goal.
WHAT’S NEXT
What’s next is to focus on continuance in the form of the next Generation. My two older kids are both working in within the family business. Georgie in the winery and Cellardoor, and her younger brother Ben is in the vineyards learning all about the vines and that side of things. Both kids are cross pollinating within their more specific rolls, Georgie helping Ben in the vineyard, and Ben spending time in the winery as well. Alex, the youngest, is about to head off and travel, before tackling further study, but he’s thinking seriously about coming on board for vintage next year… possibly, maybe. On a less prosaic (more nuts and bolts) level, we’re keen to explore making more fortified wines going forward. I’ve always had a love of the traditional VP’s both from Portugal and the Aussie versions – the Great Metala vintage Ports of the 60’s and 70’s plus the Peter Lehmann Wines King Series – and whilst they’re not so fashionable, I firmly believe they worth making and putting down.
All imagery in this feature by John Kruger Photography.
