It was abandoned after Wigley’s death in 1926, but resurrected in 1969 by neighbouring orchardist and vigneron Greg Trott, who was central to developing McLaren Vale as a premium winemaking area. The winery was founded by Robert Strangways Wigley, an eccentric state cricketer who planted his first vineyard in 1894 to export wine to England. The winery itself is flanked by ancient gums, hence its Aboriginal name ‘among the gum trees’, with original ironstone walls harbouring Harry’s Deli, the award-winning Cellar Door and meeting rooms. Wirra Wirra’s own vineyards include Chook Block (near old chicken sheds), Nocowie (a dislike of cows) and Scrubby Rise (ironically flat and bereft of scrub). The cooler climes of the Adelaide Hills produce the company’s whites, including sauvignon blanc, riesling and chardonnay. Wirra Wirra, about 40 minutes south of Adelaide, is deep in the heart of South Australia’s wine region in McLaren Vale, where grapes are used to craft the winery’s award-winning reds.

They tend to stay, become part of the place and make it their home.”Įvidently, they do, with a quarter of the ‘tribe’ having offered 10 or more years of service and another 15% catching up with more than five years under their belts. There’s a sense of celebration and inclusiveness where people treat the place as if it’s their own. The culture of the place is special, and attracts people who not only love wine but also see life a little bit differently. “Anyone who spends time working here becomes part of the Wirra Wirra tribe. It’s hard to determine with Andrew at the helm. Of course, you could keep it simple and just enjoy shiraz matched with handcrafted local chocolates, or quaff the infamous cabernet, shiraz and merlot blend, Church Block – arguably the winery’s signature tipple for nearly half a century. Is it the hurling of watermelons from a medieval trebuchet? Or perhaps the donning of inflatable horse costumes and prancing around an imaginary Melbourne Cup track? Then there’s the bell ringing a three-quarter tonne Angelus bell bonged across the vale, thanks to the gusto applied at the end of its rope.

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