Welcome to the February edition of Instinctively Curious, the Two Hands Wines monthly newsletter. Read on for updates on what is happening out in the vineyard and around the winery, event updates and more!
VINTAGE 2024 UPDATE
The start of the 2024 vintage is almost here!
Our team are very busy preparing the winery for the seasons first grapes to arrive. Bunch samples are now coming in regularly for Richard and his team to measure weights, test the sugars and most importantly the flavour. The crusher and press are being put in to place, new barrels are arriving ready for the 2024 wines and everything is getting a thorough clean with the first red grapes expected to arrive in the first week of March. The forecast looks just about perfect with warm/hot days and cool nights, allowing the fruit to develop well balanced flavour, tannins and acidity.
As part of our annual tradition the winery teams vintage tee’s have arrived just in time. This year featuring our winery dogs Quinn, Chip and Ollie. Want to get your own vintage tee? Come along to our picking day and get yours! More info below.
As many of you know, Two Hands Wines source our fruit from several premium wine growing regions around South Australia. Due to the climatic diversity of each region, their grapes tend to ripen at different times, allowing the winery team to better manage the annual intake so that not all the fruit comes in at once. We expect to pick our Eden Valley Riesling later next week for The Boy, Grenache for our Trusty Rusty rosé, then Shiraz from McLaren Vale, followed soon after by Barossa. And in a few weeks time the later ripening varieties of Grenache, Mouvèdre and Cabernet Sauvignon.
THE PICTURE SERIES
EXCLUSIVE OFFER – Buy 10, get 2 FREE*
Purchase 10 bottles from our Picture Series red range and we will include 2 more FREE*!
Whether you’re a fan of Gnarly Dudes, Sexy Beast or Angel’s Share, all you need to do is add 10 bottles from the Picture Series range of reds to your cart, complete the order and we will add two BONUS** bottles to your order. Who doesn’t love bonus wines!
* Order must be minimum of 10 bottles from the Picture Series red range to qualify for this offer.
** Bonus wines will be current vintage reds from the Picture Series chosen at THW discretion.
offer valid until March 7th 2024
PICKING DAY!
6th APRIL 2024
CELLAR DOOR
Become a Two Hands vintage crew member for V24!
Saturday April 6th from 9am we are holding a members picking day here at Marananga. Come and join the crew as we pick the ‘Kraehe House Block’ located next to the cellar door and then enjoy a BBQ lunch and glass of Lucky Duck Sparkling. All participants will also receive a vintage crew t-shirt to commemorate the day.
Follow the link below to book your spot before they all fill up and we hope you can come and join us.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Tickets are available now to the following events around the country
- Sydney Dinner at Kingsley’s Australian Steakhouse – Friday March 15th
- Sydney Cellar Door on the Road – Saturday March 16th
- Brisbane Dinner at Regatta Hotel – Thursday April 11th
- Noosa Dinner at Noosa Boathouse – Friday April 12th
- Canberra Dinner at Pomegranate – Thursday May 23rd
- Taste Canberra – 24-26th May
- Melbourne Good Food and Wine Show
- Melbourne Dinner – Contact Luke or Morgan to express your interest
2018 Barossa Winemaker of the Year! Richard joined Two Hands in July 2019 and came with high praise from many past and present Barossa Winemakers. He has worked in the Barossa, Rutherglen, Hunter Valley, Mudgee and the South of France. Richard has a proven ability to work with viticulturists to ensure that quality begins and occurs in the vineyard.
Q&A
What bought you to the wine industry?
I was keen to do something with my hands and being stuck in an office was not very appealing- except in extreme Summer heat or cold Winter days when I love the office!
Favourite part of vintage?
Working as a team and the final crush of the year.
What industries/roles have you worked in previously?
In my youth, I was a project manager, managing the construction of wineries, rather than making wine! I was also in charge of building and commissioning two mobile bottling lines, which is now used by small wineries throughout Australia. I was Chef de Cave (Head Winemaker) of a great winery in the Languedoc region in France.
What do you do in your spare time?
I enjoy the great outdoors – camping, hiking, fishing and hunting and in turn, teaching my kids all of these activities. Their favourite thing, although not quite PC, is to blow things up!!
Favourite Two Hands Wine and why?
When I first moved to the Barossa, I’d never seen a Riesling berry on a vine and so it became quite a passion project of mine throughout my career. I love the finesse, elegance and complexity of Eden Valley Riesling so of course my favourite Two Hands Wine is The Boy – made from 100 year old Riesling vines over 400 metres above sea level. It’s a perfect wine to enjoy after a hot summer day in the bush on the verandah with my feet up! From our red wines it would have to be Bella’s Garden. Every year we work with our own vineyards and growers to select great Barossa Valley fruit to make this wine, but it’s also putting the final blend together as the barrels are selected that makes it such an enjoyable wine for me. It winning the best 2021 Barossa Valley Shiraz Trophy at the Barossa Wine show was an added bonus.
