Nepenthe(Nuh-pen-thee) is named after the famous herbal drink in Homer’s, The Odyssey. Like ‘The Odyssey’, Andre embarked on a journey around the world before returning home to the Adelaide Hills.
Being born on the doorstep of the Adelaide Hills meant wine and the Hills have always felt like home for Andre Bondar.
Starting as Nepenthe cellar hand in 2005, Andre travelled to France in 2006 for vintage at Allain-Graillot. On returning, he was appointed assistant winemaker at Nepenthe and then winemaker in 2008.
He hasn’t looked back since and is proud to call ‘The Hills’ home. And what a home! The region may be ‘New World’ but with such an array of climates and microclimates, the potential is endless. It could 15C and raining near Lenswood while it’s dry and 30C in Mount Barker. These unique variations in climate make the region a beautiful and exciting place to live and make wine from structured Sauvignon Blanc, beautifully balanced Pinot Noir to the “Best Chardonnay in the World” awarded to the 2007 Ithaca Chardonnay at the 2009 Decanter World Wine Awards.