Pancake
Estate is a family owned vineyard
planted in 1995 by Don, Peg & Diana Laidlaw, in the hills above
The Barossa Valley, between Lyndock & Williamstown, South Australia.
Since 2002 all the Pancake grapes grown in excess to sale
contracts have been used to produce
Pancake Estate wines - made by Colin Glaetzer and his son Ben (Barossa
Vintners, Tanunda).
The
name Pancake Estate respects the history of the
vineyard site.
In the mid 1800’s one of the first European settlers to purchase
land in the Barossa (the Warren family) called part of their new
holding - “pancake”. While this area is not “as
flat as a pancake”, over the years it did prove perfect for
growing summer crops to feed sheep - and more recently for growing
grapes.
Over
120 years later The “Warrenda” property was purchased
by Sonia Laidlaw (1988) who subsequently leased the 23 acre "pancake
block" to family members to plant vines.
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Pancake
Estate is the third successful vineyard venture undertaken
by Don Laidlaw + his family.
- In
1968 Don and his wife Peg planted 185 acres of vines on
their property Markaranka along the River Murray near Waikerie
in South Australia.
(Some
20 years later this large enterprise was sold to Penfolds
- subsequently Southcorp – and thereafter Markaranka
was retained by Southcorp as its only holding of irrigated
grapes along the River Murray in South Australia.)
- In
1990, Don with his youngest daughter Sonia planted a 14.8
acre vineyard on Warrenda.
- In
1995 when Don retired as Chairman of Adelaide Brighton Ltd
(a cement manufacturer) and a Director of WMC Resources,
he initiated the Pancake partnership – and progressed
to plan and plant the Pancake vineyard utilizing all the
experience he had gained over 36 years of involvement in
vineyard management.
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 Diana
Laidlaw, Don’s eldest daughter, has taken an active interest
in the management of the vineyard + all responsibility for the sales
of Pancake Estate wines since her retirement as a Member of the
South Australian Parliament (1982-2002).
In
1989 Don Laidlaw was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for
services to industry, parliament and the community.
In June 2005 Diana Laidlaw was made a Member of the Order of Australia
for services to the parliament, the arts and improved transport
systems.
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