We have a photo that shows Rolf was lifting grapes by age four. He recalls planting vineyards in 1972 when he was twelve. From 1975 it began to get serious and the first proper vintage worked was in 1978, a particularly good year.

A short trip to Europe followed and then to Roseworthy (now the Waite Institute) to do the wine science course which was finished in 1981. A year with Doug Lehmann at Basedows and since 1982 it has been full time at Veritas at the in the old winery on Langmeil Road. Found time to do a vintage in Germany in 1983 and believes the first vintage when he understood what to do was in 1985.

From this time Rolf began a series of experiments including left field wines such as a vintage port with Rob O’Callaghan at Rockford in 1988 and then helping Chris Ringland and Jane Ferrari with the first of the influential reds of ‘Three Rivers’ in 1989. The first wine that was to evolve into the Veritas Hanisch was made in 1988 and was sold as Long Rows Shiraz.

Ideas were now coming quickly and in 1991 with Chris Ringland and Russel Johnstone made the first of the grenache and mataro blends which was released under the RBJ label. A super concentrated mataro Grenache was made in 1993 and this was the first of the Magpie wines. A shiraz made to push this variety to the limit followed in 1994 and became the Magpie ‘Malcolm’.

Success followed in 1995 and 1996 when Veritas was awarded the Trophy for the Best Barossa Shiraz. Recognition by the American wine critic Robert Parker came in 1998. The move to a new winery came in 1999 and many new ventures unfolded.