October Newsletter 2026 | Instinctively Curious

It’s lovely to see the sunshine again. Those first little tastes of summer have arrived in the Barossa, although the 4mm of rain on the first day of October reminded us that spring still has a few things to say.

Across the estate, the pace is picking up. The vineyards are turning green, a new Shiraz block is taking shape at Coach House, and there’s plenty happening at the tasting bench, too.

IN CELLAR DOOR

The October long weekend brought a welcome buzz to cellar door. It was wonderful to see the Barossa humming with visitors again, with familiar faces and first-time guests joining us for a tasting.With the spring weather here, the deck is open and our Brutus Wine Bar caravan is back in the courtyard and ready to go to plenty of events this summer. It's the perfect season to enjoy a glass of wine in the courtyard, along with a cheese plate and take in the ambience. It is always a good idea to make a booking as tables can fill quickly, especially on the weekends. If you're in the area, give Vanessa and the team a quick call on 08 8568 7900 so we can make sure you have the best experience we can provide.

Discover our range of cellar door tasting experiences and find the perfect one for your visit. Explore the options on our Visit Us page.

IN THE VINEYARD

Budburst is progressing quickly, and visitors to the valley can now expect to see vineyards well on their way to a full spring canopy. As the new leaves unfurl, photosynthesis helps fuel the season’s growth. In favourable conditions, Shiraz shoots can grow as much as an inch a day. Thankfully, we’ve avoided damaging frosts so far this spring. That’s a welcome start during this vulnerable period, as tender new shoots develop and the vines work towards flowering.

Lara has been busy making her way through our three vineyards, slashing the winter cover crop grown between the vine rows (pictured below on the right image). Across the last two weeks of September, that winter growth was cut and left to break down, returning organic matter to the soil and helping support the life beneath the surface. It’s one of the quieter jobs in the vineyard calendar, but an important part of caring for our soils.The team has also been preparing a new block of Shiraz at Coach House, starting with the deep ripping (pictured above on the left image). This process loosens compacted subsoil, giving young vine roots a better opportunity to explore deeper into the soil profile and access moisture and nutrients as they establish. Next come the posts and trellis wires, with those beautifully straight rows taking shape ahead of planting. There’s plenty to do before the first vines go in, and we’ll keep you posted as the block comes to life.

IN THE WINERY

In the winery, the team has begun blending the 2025 Single Vineyard Series, ready for bottling in November. The process begins with tasting through each barrel, assessing its condition, character and contribution to the final wine. Alongside fruit expression, the team considers tannin structure, acidity, oak integration and length. Even within one vineyard, individual barrels can develop differently. Bringing them together calls for careful tasting and trial blends, with the aim of capturing each site’s distinctive character in a complete, balanced wine. As Richard and Jett work through the wines at the tasting bench, the 2025 vintage is revealing impressive richness and concentration, particularly from our western ridge vineyards at Holy Grail and Coach House. These wines are showing rich, opulent fruit, with ripe, full-bodied palates and firm, structured tannins. Early indications point to wines of great depth and intensity, while retaining the distinctive characteristics of their individual vineyard sites.

STAY BY YOUR PHONE!

Keep an ear out for a call from our Two Hands team in the coming weeks as we prepare to share some exclusive offers ahead of the festive season and Black Friday. We've put together something for everyone, from a Mystery Dozen featuring wines spanning almost a decade, to special offers on our Flagship releases, including the inaugural 2021 Adrestia Chardonnay. There'll also be an opportunity to mix and match your own selection from across our portfolio, with some fantastic offers to help stock the cellar for summer entertaining and the festive season. We look forward to catching up with you soon!

The team will be calling from this number 08 8166 5159 so keep an eye out. If you prefer not to get phone calls, just let us know!

EVENTS

Cheesefest
Wine and cheese? Some diary decisions make themselves.

We’ll be at CheeseFest this weekend the 17–18 October 2026, at Rundle Park/Kadlitpina in Adelaide. Come along, discover something delicious and stop by for a glass and a chat with the team.Sydney HKABA
Luke, our DTC Manager, and Two Hands Ambassador Elaine recently headed to Sydney for the HKABA NSW Food & Wine Masterclass, where we were delighted to be the wine sponsor. Together, they shared our wines and the Two Hands story with 70 guests. With 20 years in the Hong Kong market, it was a pleasure to celebrate those connections over great food, wine and conversation. Our thanks to the organising committee and fellow sponsors for a terrific event.

Brisbane, Here We Come!
We are heading north next weekend for the Good Food & Wine Show Brisbane, 23–25 October, at the Convention & Exhibition Centre. We'll be pouring a great line-up of wines across the weekend, from refreshing whites and rosé to some of our much-loved Barossa reds, with a little something special under the table for our Wine Club members.We've moved! This year you'll find us at our own stand, rather than our usual spot in the Barossa Pavilion. Simply turn left as you enter through the Main Entrance and look for us opposite the Granite Belt Pavilion. We've also put together an exclusive Brisbane Show Six, featuring six of the wines we'll be pouring, for just $199 with complimentary delivery to Queensland. If you can't join us at the show this is a great opportunity to stock up on some Two Hands favourites.

We look forward to seeing our Queensland friends there!
..

Sunset on Seppeltsfield Road
We’re taking the Two Hands caravan up the road for the fourth instalment of Sunset on Seppeltsfield Road on Friday 20 November, from 4–8 pm! Join us as the iconic palm-lined Seppeltsfield Road closes to traffic and transforms into an open-air street party, bringing together over 20 of our neighbouring wineries and local businesses for an evening of great wine, food, music and community. We’ll be pouring a few crowd favourites, including Trusty Rusty Rosé, Lucky Duck Sparkling and, of course, Gnarly Dudes Shiraz!

Gather your friends, grab a glass and enjoy a beautiful Barossa evening as the sun sets over Seppeltsfield Road. Tickets are available now at seppeltsfieldroad.com. We hope to see you there!

ON THE ROAD WITH PIERRE-HENRI

Pierre-Henri has recently returned from two weeks on the road, visiting our distributors and key markets across Canada, the United Kingdom and Poland. Despite challenging conditions in the global wine market, with sales declining across many regions, the feedback has been encouraging. Two Hands continues to buck the trend, with our wines performing strongly and outperforming many other Australian wine brands in these markets.It's a positive reflection of the relationships we've built with our international partners and the continued demand for our premium Barossa wines. A great result for the team and a reminder that the Two Hands story continues to resonate with wine lovers around the world.

We’re delighted to welcome Emily to the Two Hands team, looking after our export and domestic sales and sharing our wines with friends near and far.

Originally from Seattle, Washington, Emily has called Australia home since 2022 and has fallen in love with the Barossa. Emily brings an interesting and diverse background to the business. She was a sailor in the US Coast Guard and later worked as a civilian with the US Navy before making the move to the Barossa and into the wine industry. Which was a perfect fit for her since she is a lover of wine. More recently, she has built valuable experience within wineries across a range of roles, including Cellar Door operations, Export compliance, and administration. Her love of animals also inspired her to volunteer with a local wildlife rescue, perhaps making her the first American to raise a joey kangaroo in her home. A member of a local dance group, she will also join Jo in cheer, drawing on her experience as a high school cheerleader in the United States.