John's Blend

"It was his time spent at Wolf Blass that had already earned him the reputation as one of Australia’s greatest winemakers, winning the prestigious Jimmy Watson Trophy no less than four times plus eleven Montgomery trophies for the Best Red Wine at the Adelaide Wine Show."

The Glaetzer name is almost woven into the very fabric of the Barossa region and Australian wine itself. John Glaetzer is the Uncle of Ben Glaetzer, of Glaetzer Wines in Barossa and Nick Glaetzer of Glaetzer-Dixon in Tasmania, John, along with wife Margarete, had a vision of creating their own unique, premium wine label. They produced their first vintage of John’s Blend Cabernet Sauvignon in 1974, which was an instant success when released in 1977.

John worked as senior winemaker for Wolf Blass from the early 1970s, and during his time here and thanks to his contribution; won an array of prestigious awards. These included four of the sought after Jimmy Watson Trophies, and eleven Montgomery Trophies for the finest red wines at the Royal Adelaide Wine Show… to name just a few.

Based in one of Australia’s oldest wine regions, Langhorne Creek in South Australia and famed for its Cabernet Sauvignon, John’s Blend specialise in small batch productions of this premium grape. In 1995, Margarete’s Shiraz was added to their label, a beautifully rich and intense wine and the perfect companion to their Cabernet Sauvignon. John’s Blend continues the tradition that John established with Wolf Blass in 1974 - great red wines, full of soft, succulent fruit, matured in the finest oak.

John’s work with Wolf Blass has had an undeniable influence on and helped to shape Australian winemaking. Notoriously, John is a man of few words and does very few interviews, but is recognised as being one of Australia’s most decorated winemakers. John retired from Wolf Blass in 2004 after three decades. However, he continues to put all his efforts into the growing success of John’s Blend and more recently, a new venture and wine label; Gipsie Jack, named after his beloved Jack Russell.