Welcome to the November edition of Instinctively Curious.
This month we have updates from the vineyard and cellar teams on what is happening out in the field and what the winery team have been up to recently. There is also a deep dive into the latest vintage of Brave Faces. The 2023 Grenache/Mourvèdre/Shiraz blend looks fantastic and if you haven’t tried it recently now is a great time get some for Christmas.
Black Friday is almost here and Two Hands will have some special limited time offers available online next weekend. Keep an eye on your inbox for updates on when it goes live next week. Our ambassadors have been calling members with some special offers recently and we thank everyone who has supported us. To make sure we reach everyone we have made a limited number of these packs available on our webstore for those who prefer to order online. The BUY WINE button on the top right corner will lead you to the webstore and you will find these offers listed in the “Featured Wines” section at the top of the page.
Recently we have been experiencing some issues with our webstore and we apologise for the inconvenience caused to those concerned. We have put in a concentrated effort to remedy this issue and it looks like we have found the problem.
IN THE VINEYARD
FLOWERING
Flowering in the vineyards is one of the most sensitive and crucial periods in the life of a vine. A bud will contain hundreds of small white flowers (shown in the image below) but not all flowers will turn into grapes. As a general rule, one flower equals one grape.
DID YOU KNOW? Grape vines can self pollinate so do not rely on bees for pollination.
Currently the young bunches are sitting horizontally at right angles to the stem. As they gain size and weight over the coming weeks the bunch will grow heavier and begin to drop to a more vertical position. Warm days and cool nights, like we are currently experiencing, are the perfect conditions for the vines to develop and the bunches to continue their growth.
IN THE WINERY
VINTAGE PREPERATION
Richard and the team are busy now preparing barrels and beginning to check equipment maintenance in the lead up to Vintage ’25.
“Rack and Return” is the process of removing wine from one barrel into another. This is done to remove the wine from the settled solids in the bottom of the barrel, ensuring freshness and clarity to the wine. At Two Hands we do not filter our wines, making this process all the more important so the wine you pour into your glass is clear and free of unwanted materials.
With the next vintage only a couple of months away, it is also a good time to review all of our vintage equipment and begin our annual maintenance program. Moving red wines from one barrel to another allows us to clean the barrels, keeping them fresh and ensuring they don’t dry out.
BLACK FRIDAY
FRIDAY NEXT WEEK
This is a great time to top up your cellar before the busy Christmas and New Year period. Keep an eye on your inbox next week for some limited special offers scattered through our webstore for Black Friday. We have also added some special Christmas packs to our current offers.
Our warehouse elves will be busy getting your orders out to you before Christmas and we don’t want you to miss out. Due to the busy season, our final collection date with Australia Post is December 18th. To receive your wine before Christmas it is important your order is placed by no later than December 9th. Any order received after this date may take longer to reach you and we cannot guarantee delivery before Christmas. Speaking of deliveries, if you don’t already have it, the Australia Post app is the best way to keep track of your shipment. You can download it HERE.
NEW RELEASE
2023 BRAVE FACES
GRENACHE MOURVÈDRE SHIRAZ
What a difference a couple of generations can make. In the mid 1980s, South Australia’s old Grenache vines were being removed due to a lack of demand. Brave Faces is a tribute to the grape growers of the Barossa Valley, who fought against the vine-pull scheme in the 1980s. The Men and Women who loyally tended their vineyards, allowing them to remain intact today. Whilst Two Hands has built a reputation for producing world-class Shiraz, Grenache is an important part of our portfolio.
Tasting Notes:
2023 Brave Faces displays a nice bright cherry red hue in the glass. The bouquet is very lifted and intense apricot stone fruit and floral notes giving the wine an alluring vibrancy. The palate begins with a lean fruit profile, but it soon comes alive, evolving and opening up beautifully. The fruit is juicy and sweet, rolling deep into the finish, with notes of stone fruit, alongside darker berry and earthy undertones. The tannins are very fine, their juicy nature making them caressing and very enjoyable. This wine, year after year, consistently performs well at the table. Its naturally lower acidity keeps the fruit bright and focused, while the soft tannins offer a lovely mouth-watering sensation that dries the late palate, preparing you perfectly for food. Another enjoyable vintage of our Brave Faces, this wine will surely bring many smiles to those who have the pleasure of savouring it.
2024 EVENTS
WRAP UP
Thank you to everyone who attended 2024 events with Luke, Morgan and Rachel throughout the year. It has been great to see you all and connect in person. We will have another busy year on the road in 2025 and we will let you know as we announce events in your area.
On 1st of November, we took our Brutus Caravan to Sunset on Seppeltsfield, a great local event featuring wineries and other local businesses on the iconic, palm tree lined Seppeltsfield Road.
– Dinners: We hosted Two Hands dinners across the country this year visiting Melbourne, Sydney, Canberra, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Sunshine Coast, Perth and Adelaide.
– Good Food and Wine Show: Thanks to everyone that visited our stand in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Brisbane and we look forward to seeing you again next year.
We have started to plan our 2025 calendar of events and our next event will be in Adelaide at Cellar Door Fest 2025! Follow THIS LINK for more information and to book tickets. If you are interested in hosting a Two Hands event at your business, country club or anywhere you can get a group of fellow wine lovers together, please contact Luke.
We can’t wait to see you all on the road in 2025!
Julie grew up in Williamstown, and has lived close to Barossa region ever since. She has worked in finance for over 35 years in all kinds of industries; light manufacturing, food manufacturing/processing, retail & wine to name a few. Noting that when she started her career, the technology of the time was Telex Machines, DOS and 9 inch floppy disks (and they were actually floppy!). On her days off you can find her spending time with her husband and two sons, reading, camping, watching some Aussie movies & travelling where possible.
What brought you to the wine industry?
I do love wine, so from a finance perspective just lucky I guess! After my first wine industry position, I think I was more attractive to prospective wine employers understanding the ins and outs of different varieties and the labels the companies produce.
What is your favourite Two Hands moment so far?
I always love our whole team social gatherings. Favourite function so far was the Christmas Lunch we had in the winery; everyone contributed with setting up and decorating. A top crew!
Favourite Two Hands Wine and why?
The 2015 and 2016 Lucky Duck Sparkling. I love a good fizz, and these have beautiful fine bubbles thanks to the traditional method. Fresh with gorgeous subtle fruits and a great finish…
Any future favourite wines you’ve tasted in barrel or unreleased in bottle?
I love our our Rieslings. 2021 Lots of In Lots of Out Coal River Valley was another favourite. I am looking forward to everyone getting the chance in the coming months to get their hands on the the 2024 The Boy Eden Valley Riesling.
