Australia's first winemaker to be awarded a Churchill Fellowship, Cyril Henschke will be remembered for his intellectual rigour and his passionate commitment to winemaking excellence.

Great-grandson of Johann Christian Henschke who migrated from Kutschlau, Silesia in 19842, Cyril was educated in the Barossa and learnt the art of winemaking from his father Paul.

In 1946 he took over management of the family winery at Keyneton and began a life-long career, pioneering the development of Australian varietal table wines.

He created two iconic single vineyard Shiraz varietals during his career Hill of Grace and Mount Edelstone and led the re-birth of Eden Valley as an internationally recognised cool-climate wine region.

He is also credited with planting some of the region's first Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1960's, recognised in the legendary Cyril Henschke, launched by his son Stephen.

In 1970 he was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to study winemaking and viticulture in Europe and this enabled him to make a further impact on winemaking trends in the Barossa.