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Winemaking Philosophy

Quality without compromise is central to the Two Hands philosophy, driving all the decisions from fruit and oak selection to packaging and promotion.

From the outset, Two Hands set out to be unique and innovative, this approach is reflected in everything from the names of the wines through to, not least, the wines themselves.

From small beginnings, the winery has been able to manage its growth organically whilst maintaining an absolute quality focus.

Premium fruit is sourced from the finest Shiraz growing regions in Australia, and Two Hands works closely with its estate vineyards ‘Holy Grail, Coach House & Marananga’ along with a band of growers to ensure the full potential of each vineyard is reached. 

We handle every parcel of fruit, however small, separately from crushing through to fermentation and oak maturation to ensure complexity and personality in the finished wines.

In its simplest form, it could be said that we squeeze the grapes and put them in a bottle. However, in practice there are many different steps and countless hours involved, from vineyard, through to winemaking, tasting, blending and maturation in order to make consistent, quality wines.
…we strive to produce wines that reflect their origin, meaning that they show the characteristics that we associate with the regions and vineyard sites from where the fruit was sourced.
Fruit is the primary feature of the wines, supported by the tannin and acid structure. 

Picking the fruit at the optimal moment is crucial for ensuring the highest quality of our finished wines. That right day can dictate the delicate balance of ripeness, acidity, and flavour concentration in the grapes, which directly influence the final product’s taste and character.

Harvesting too early risks underripe fruit, lacking in sugars and complexity of flavours. Conversely, waiting too long risks overripe grapes, which can result in excessively high sugar levels, lower acidity, and potential flavour imbalance.

Both Peter and Richard make the crucial picking decisions in early morning walks through the harvest season from February to April each year, along with their fur pups Chip, Ollie and Quinn accompanying them.
Vintage is one of the busiest and exciting times of our year, the winery is bustling with activity as the team harvest and process grapes for the main part of our winemaking. We are also joined every year by our vintage casual crew who help Richard, Peter & Jett with the extra hard work needed to crush that shiraz!

Once harvested, grapes are swiftly transported to the winery where they undergo sorting, crushing, and fermentation. Richard closely supervises this process to ensure quality, adjusting techniques based on grape variety, intended wine style, and desired characteristics.

 Overall, vintage is a time of intense activity and creativity, defining the quality and character of the wines produced each year.

 

Six months after vintage, every barrel in the winery is blind-tasted by Michael and Chief Winemaker Richard and given a classification grade associated with its place in the Two Hands portfolio: from A+ to D (and anything C or below not used in Two Hands final production). 

With this focus on detail, it means only the best barrels make it through and quality is maintained even in the toughest vintages, albeit at lower quantities.

Our Shiraz’s are then aged in French Oak for 12-24 months depending on what wine they have been classified as. Aging wines in barrels is a traditional practice that enhances and refines the qualities of wine. Oak barrels impart flavours, aromas, and textures to the wine, such as vanilla or spice, and a smooth mouthfeel, through a process of slow oxygenation and micro-oxygenation. This aging process allows the wine to develop complexity, structure and depth, integrating flavours and softening harsher elements.