From the outset, Two Hands set out to be unique and innovative, this approach is reflected in everything from the names of the wines through to, not least, the wines themselves.
From small beginnings, the winery has been able to manage its growth organically whilst maintaining an absolute quality focus. The fruit sourced to produce our wines comes from a band of growers across McLaren Vale, Adelaide Hills, Eden Valley, Heathcote and Clare Valley along with our Barossa Valley estate vineyards.; ‘Holy Grail', 'Coach House' & 'Kraehe Block'. Fruit is the primary feature of our wines, supported by tannin and acid structure.
Picking
Picking the fruit at the optimal moment is crucial for ensuring the highest quality in our finished wines. That right day can dictate the delicate balance of ripeness, acidity, and flavour concentration in the grapes, which directly influence the final product’s taste and character. Harvesting too early risks underripe fruit, lacking in sugars and complexity of flavours. Conversely, waiting too long risks overripe grapes, which can result in excessively high sugar levels, lower acidity, and potential flavour imbalance. Both Peter and Richard make the crucial picking decisions in early morning walks through the harvest season from February to April each year.
Fruit arrival at the Winery
Once harvested, grapes are swiftly transported to the winery where they undergo sorting, crushing, and fermentation. We handle every parcel of fruit, however small, separately. In its simplest form, it could be said that we squeeze the grapes and put them in a bottle. However, in practice there are many different steps and countless hours involved, from vineyard, through to winemaking, tasting, blending and maturation in order to make consistent, high quality wines.
Vintage
One of the busiest and most exciting times of our year. The winery is bustling with activity as the team process the harvested grapes, guiding them through fermentation. We are also joined every year with extra vintage crew who help Richard, Peter, Jett & Harry with the extra hard work needed to get the important work done! Richard closely supervises this process to ensure quality, and desired characteristics, carefully adjusting techniques based on grape variety and intended wine style. Overall, vintage is a time of intense activity and creativity, defining the quality and character of the wines produced each year.
Barrel Classification
Six months after vintage, every barrel in the winery is blind-tasted by Richard and given a classification grade associated with its place in the Two Hands portfolio: from A+ to D (with anything graded C or below not used in Two Hands final wines).
With this focus on detail, it means only the best barrels make it through and quality is maintained even in the toughest vintages, albeit at lower quantities.
Maturation
Our Shiraz’ are aged in French Oak for 12-24 months depending on which wine it have been classified for. The wines are aged in oak to enhance flavour, texture, and complexity through controlled oxidation. This aging process allows the wines to develop complexity, structure and depth, integrating flavours, improving stability and softening harsher tannins.
