D'Arenberg

d'Arenberg is one of Australia’s best-known family-run wineries, located in the McLaren Vale, approximately a 45-minute drive south of Adelaide in South Australia. The winery is now run by the fourth generation of the Osborne family and produces a wide range of wines, from affordable and enjoyable bottles for everyday drinking to its flagship Shiraz, which enjoys great international acclaim.

History

The story begins in 1912, when Joseph Osborne, an avid horse lover, teetotaller and director of the Hardy’s wine company, sold his racehorses to buy a vineyard in the McLaren Vale. He named it Bundarra. The name d'Arenberg only appeared in 1959, when his grandson d'Arry launched a new brand in honour of his late mother, Helena d'Arenberg, adorning the label with a red stripe inspired by his old school tie. The red stripe still features on every bottle.

D'Arry’s son, Chester, became head winemaker in 1984 and has overseen production ever since, wearing his own striped shirts and earning a reputation as a man who does things his own way.

Vineyards and terroir

Today, the estate comprises around 450 acres of vineyards, all in the McLaren Vale, with some grapes sourced from the cooler regions of the Adelaide Hills. McLaren Vale is situated between the Mount Lofty Range and the sea, giving it a Mediterranean climate with warm, dry summers and cool ocean breezes. The soils are a mosaic of sand, clay, iron-rich rock and limestone, which allows the region to successfully grow such a wide variety of grape varieties.

d'Arenberg’s vineyards are certified organic and biodynamic. Chester is a staunch advocate of minimal intervention: no fertilisers, no tillage, no herbicides and very little or no irrigation, which helps to maintain low yields and intense flavours.

Grapes and winemaking

Around 30 different grape varieties are grown here, including the classic Shiraz, Grenache and Mourvèdre, as well as Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Viognier, Marsanne, Roussanne, Tempranillo and Sangiovese.

Winemaking is deliberately carried out in the traditional manner. The original open concrete fermentation vats from 1927 are still in use; red wines are foot-crushed during fermentation, and every wine, whether white or red, is pressed in baskets. d'Arenberg is the only winery in Australia that still presses both reds and whites in baskets. Most red wines are bottled without fining or filtration.

Wines

The range comprises over 60 wines, all bearing a label with a red stripe and almost all with unusual names.

The flagship wine is The Dead Arm Shiraz, named after a grape disease that kills half the plant but concentrates the fruit on the surviving side.

Other wines include Hermit Crab Viognier-Marsanne, the budget-friendly Stump Jump range, Coppermine Road Cabernet Sauvignon and Twenty Eight Road Mourvèdre.