March News 2026

Welcome to the March edition of Instinctively Curious.

The winery is humming, and the whole team is running on 6am starts, red stained hands and a healthy amount of coffee. Vintage 2026 has officially begun at Two Hands, and while the season always brings its fair share of unpredictability, there is nothing quite like that first Shiraz arriving.

In the weeks ahead, our Cellar Door will also be gearing up for a busy Easter and Gather Round period in South Australia, with plenty happening both here in the Barossa and further afield. Let’s get into it.

IN THE WINERY

Our first fruit arrived on Friday the 13th. Bad omen? Not here, we prefer the view that 'luck is for losers' and hard work always counts for a lot more.

As always, vintage has also brought a fantastic international crew to Marananga, with eight casual cellar hands joining Richard, Jett & Harry from around the globe to help get through the harvest. It is one of the things we love most about this time of year. 

Pictured below, left to right: Harry, Richard, Bernie, Malachi, Janice, Gianmarco, Alina
Jett, Will, Johannes, Jonelle & puppy dog Quinn! (Ollie did not want to be in the photo this year 😔)

The real fun of vintage is that no two blocks ripen at the same pace. Even within the same vineyard, aspect, sun exposure and slope all play a role in when fruit is ready to be picked. That is why Richard and Peter work so closely together, tasting, testing and assessing each parcel individually. Every block is picked only when it is ready, and once it arrives at the winery, it is kept completely separate through fermentation and maturation. That attention to detail gives Richard the final say later down the track, deciding what may become Bella's Garden or Gnarly Dudes and what has the quality and personality to stand alone as a Single Vineyard wine.

IN THE VINEYARD

Next Thursday, with a bit of sunshine hopefully returning to the forecast, the wider Two Hands team will head out to Holy Grail for a staff picking day, focusing on the St Cosme Shiraz block at the top of the vineyard.

St Cosme is Block 16 at Holy Grail, a 2.21 acre parcel planted in 2017 on its own roots to Hermitage Shiraz, with 1,980 vines in the ground ready to pick. After some steady rain earlier this week put a stop to our original plans, there was a touch of disappointment across the team, although the office crew were quietly relieved not to be standing out there getting soaked. Thankfully, the fruit has held on well, with very little sign of bunch splitting, so we’re looking forward to getting back out there next week and bringing in another important Holy Grail parcel in much better conditions.

For those who have joined us on a Vineyard Experience and stood at the top of the Holy Grail lookout, you may remember seeing this block. St Cosme sits directly behind the lookout. It was named by our proprietor MT after Château de Saint Cosme, a historic estate in Gigondas in the Rhône Valley, producing Syrah of exceptional quality since 1570. In fact, every block at Holy Grail is named after international producers that have inspired Two Hands along the way, a quiet nod to the regions and wines that have shaped our thinking over the years.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Sydney Wine Club Dinner - at Grana Privato, NSW
Friday 27 March · 6:30 pm

The menu has just been finalised, and it’s exceptional. Burrata with roasted grape agrodolce, scallop crudo with pomegranate, saffron gigli with kangaroo ossobuco, and Borrowdale porchetta with rosemary and marsala jus… Each course is thoughtfully built to match what’s in your glass.

And the wines… this is where it gets serious. We’ll be pouring a side by side of our 2016 vintage, now 10 years in getting right in its prime, alongside a selection of current releases that show exactly where we are today. It’s a rare chance to see how these wines evolve over time, in a setting that does them justice. Luke will be hosting the evening, and knowing him, there’s every chance a special bottle makes an appearance on the night.

A great room, an incredible menu, and a lineup of wines we don’t often get to show like this. If you’ve joined us before, you’ll know these dinners have a way of turning into something pretty memorable. We have only a handful of tickets left, so don't miss out! Book your seats today to enjoy what will be a great evening.

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Canberra Wine Club Dinner - at Wilma, ACT
Friday 17 April · 6 pm

Canberra, we’re heading your way next. Featuring Wilma's unique progressive Asian BBQ menu in their private dining area, this dinner is shaping up to be a great night, and we would love to see you there. With a hand-selected wine list from both our current vintages and rare museum wines, carefully matched to fit the menu. This dinner is already half filled, so book your spots early to avoid disappointment.

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Melbourne Wine Club Dinner - at Meat & Wine Co Southbank, VIC
Thursday 28 May · 6:30pm

And for those of you who’ve made it this far into the newsletter… Melbourne, this one’s for you. Consider this your early heads up. After the popularity of last year’s dinner and the wonderful feedback from those who joined us, we’re delighted to be heading back to Meat & Wine Co Southbank for another special evening. Join Luke and Morgan for an amazing dinner before they spend the weekend at the Good Food & Wine Show. Secure your seats early, there are only 20 available!

TELESALES

This month we’re excited to be kicking off our latest seasonal offers, with the team reaching out to more of you personally over the coming weeks. 

Our aim is simple, to have more one on one conversations with the people who support Two Hands, help with any questions around wines, events or Wine Club, and make sure you are hearing about opportunities that might suit your palate before they pass you by. 

If you see a call from us on 08 8166 5159, don’t panic, it’s not bad news, just the Two Hands team talking wine. Also part of this campaign, we have improved our systems so that orders placed with our team will now appear in your account history when you log in to the website.

If you would prefer not to receive calls, no problem. Just let the team know with a quick email to mail@twohandswines.com.

IN CELLAR DOOR

There are a few busy weeks ahead for the Cellar Door team.

With AFL Gather Round getting closer and games being played here in the Barossa, we are expecting plenty of visitors to the region. If you are making the trip to South Australia for the footy or simply heading up for an Easter break, there are more than enough reasons to make a stop in Marananga.

In April, our team will also be pouring at 'A Festival of Footy – Barossa Food and Wine Village' in Tanunda on Saturday 11 April from 3:30pm. If you are heading along, be sure to come and find us for a glass of wine. There will be plenty of free buses running to the games in Barossa and around the region, if you're in Adelaide and wish to come down and back for the weekend.

And if you are planning a visit over the Easter holidays, just a reminder that we will be closed on Good Friday, but open the remainder of the week as normal from 11am to 5pm. As always, bookings are recommended during busy periods.

ON THE ROAD WITH PIERRE-HENRI

Our co-owner Pierre-Henri is back from a successful trip to Wine Paris. One of the world's leading wine trade shows it is a key moment in the global wine calendar. It’s where we reconnect with the people who have helped bring Two Hands into cellars, wine lists and airline lounges all over the world, while also opening doors to what’s next.

“Wine Paris was a brilliant few days of reconnecting and building momentum. I caught up with more than 30 of our partners across a wide spread of markets, from the UK and Belgium through to the Bermudas and Ukraine. It was equally rewarding to sit down with distributors we’ve worked with for over 20 years, and to begin conversations with potential new partners in emerging regions, including Moldova. We also met with key airline partners such as British Airways, Lufthansa and All Nippon Airways, continuing important discussions around how Two Hands can be poured and discovered in the skies as well as on the ground.”

WINE OF THE MONTH
2024 Gnarly Dudes
Barossa Valley Shiraz

92 Points Dave Brookes, Halliday Wine Companion:
"Always solid value is this wine. Magenta-splashed crimson with juicy plum, blueberry, dark cherry and boysenberry fruits along with hints of Christmas cake, olive tapenade, brown spice, dark chocolate, pan juices, panforte, violets and earth. It's at the lighter end of full bodied with a bright driveline, fine, sandy tannins and a light savoury lean to its travel on the back end.", Published 03 February 2026

Having studied at the University of Adelaide, Jett holds a Bachelor of Viticulture and Oenology. He has completed 6 vintages here in the Barossa Valley along with travelling the world working for other wineries in Wilamette Valley, Oregon USA, Okanagan, B.C Canada (2) and Central Otago, New Zealand. Raised in the Barossa Valley, on his days off you will find him camping or cooking. His love of food was instilled by his two chef parents.

Q&A:
First thing you do when you arrive at the winery in the morning?
At this time of year, the first thing I check is my yeast culture. All good winemaking starts with the fundamentals, and healthy yeast means a good fermentation. Then, obviously, a macchiato… and usually another one about ten minutes later.

If you could swap jobs with anyone at Two Hands for a day, who would it be and why?
Probably the DTC crew, especially the Cellar Door team. It would be great to spend the day chatting with people, sharing the wines, and getting along to some of the fun events they seem to always be heading off to.

What’s something about vintage that most people wouldn’t realise?
There is always a certain degree of unknown with vintage, every season is different. You are constantly adapting day by day and leaning on your knowledge and experience. The more vineyards and seasons you work through, the more that helps. We are also very lucky to work with such amazing, loyal growers, so we get to know the same properties over many years.

Favourite restaurant/or local hot spot in the Barossa?
Vino Lokal. They are a great team and the food is always spot on.

The first wine you want to try from the 2026 vintage?
The Boy Riesling should not be too far away now.

Favourite thing about winemaking?
My favourite thing about winemaking is seeing the fruits of my labour when I sit down and enjoy a bottle of wine that I have made. The feeling of a job well done is always rewarding, as well as the challenges that were faced along the way.

Listen along & follow our Cellar Door's favourite back gound jams here!