The Clare Valley, set in the folds of the Mount Lofty Ranges 140 kilometres north of Adelaide, has a 140-year history of successful wine-grape growing.

In 1893 a group of South Australian professional and business men founded The Stanley Wine Company at Clare to produce high quality red and white wines. Subsequent generations of wine drinkers and wine judges have applauded their decision and confirmed their hopes. In 1984 the Heinz company purchased the Buronga winery in Mildura, New South Wales. The production of Stanley wine casks was transferred from the Leasingham Clare Valley winery to Buronga, which is closer to the supply of fruit for cask wines. The Leasingham winery then concentrates on the production of premium table wines.

The Leasingham winery was obtained by The Hardy Wine Company in January 1988, when a major upgrade of vineyards, winery, tourism and promotional facilities was begun. The Clare Valley has gained a reputation for producing some of Australia's finest premium wines, in particular Riesling and Shiraz. At around 400 metres elevation the valley is characterised by cool night time temperatures and warm days.

Clare's early reputation was gained producing outstanding Riesling wines but in more recent times the red wines from the region have excelled. The modern Australian red style is perfectly suited to the region's climate which has the ability to generate those big rich generous styles that makes Australian red wines so much in demand. Leasingham's wines have enjoyed substantial success in latest times winning many accolades at national and international wine shows. The most notable being the 1995 Jimmy Watson Trophy won by the 1994 Leasingham Classic Clare Shiraz at the 1995 Royal Melbourne Wine Show. This was the first Jimmy Watson Trophy won by a Clare Valley wine.