Generous and Elegant
Wirra Wirra make generous, elegant and fresh red wines from McLaren Vale with a specialisation in the classic varieties of the region; Cabernet Sauvignon; Shiraz and Grenache. Chief Winemaker Emma Wood looks to the neighbouring cool climate region of the Adelaide Hills to make expressive and vibrant white wines from Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay.
Fruit sourcing is paramount to achieving the Wirra Wirra style, which balances generosity of fruit with elegance and perfumed aromas. All of Wirra Wirra's estate and managed vineyards are certified organic and biodynamic and the Wirra Wirra team work closely with a network of dedicated growers in McLaren Vale and the Adelaide Hills.
The Wirra Wirra cellars are a unique blend of old and new, with remnants of the original cellar built by Robert Strangways Wigley in 1894. The set up is gravity fed, with fruit receival at the top of the hill, flowing down to a barrel cellar at the bottom of the hill. Keeping vineyard parcels separate throughout the process is fundamental to preserving fruit purity and vineyard expression, allowing winemakers Emma and Kelly to work closely with viticulturist Anton Groffen to understand each vineyard intimately and provide options on the blending bench.
In 2024 the winery received an upgrade with the introduction of a new premium facility which is home to state of the art de-stemming, sorting and crushing equipment. This allows the winemaking team to deliver the fruit to temperature controlled two-tonne open fermenters in pristine condition, giving Emma and Kelly ultimate control over the percentage of whole berries and level of crushing by parcel.
Each open fermenter is hand plunged and pumped over based on a tailored regime determined by daily winemaker tastings. Upon completion of fermentation the wine is sent to barrel and the skins basket pressed. Oak selection, both cooper and age, is matched to the characteristics of each wine.
After appropriate barrel maturation, classification and blending is where the multiple parcels come together and single vineyard wines are identified. Each wine in the Wirra Wirra portfolio has a defined style, but allows for the variation of vintage. A stylistic thread across the Wirra Wirra portfolio is a balance of generosity and elegance.
Chief Winemaker: Emma Wood Winemaker: Kelly Wellington
Assistant Winemaker: Grace Wang