September Newsletter 2026 | Instinctively Curious

Spring is beginning to stir across the Barossa, and there is plenty happening at Two Hands, from the release of our 2023 Single Vineyard Series to the first soft signs of a new growing season at Holy Grail.

IN CELLAR DOOR

The 2023 Single Vineyard Series has arrived at Cellar Door, and the team has been busy getting to know each wine in its new vintage expression. As part of the release, we gathered around a Cellar Door table for a side-by-side comparison of all six vineyard sites with the winemaking team.2023 was a cooler vintage, and the wines carry that signature beautifully. There is freshness, line and poise, with serious structure, acid and tannins that promise a long and rewarding evolution in the cellar. These are wines built for the patient collector, distinctly expressive now, with their best chapters still ahead.Recently we got the full team gathered for a relaxed staff lunch on the Cellar Door deck, a rare and lovely chance to have everyone in one place. A big thank you to Jett for putting on an outstanding barbecue, and to the sunshine for making a well-timed appearance. A perfect start to spring in the Barossa.

IN THE VINEYARD

Pruning is complete, thankfully, and the first signs of spring are emerging around the Holy Grail vineyard. Look closely and you may spot the earliest stage of budburst: the wonderfully named “woolly bud”. Before the new green shoots appear, dormant buds begin to swell and take on a soft, fuzzy appearance, a little like teddy-bear ears. The fine protective hairs help shield the delicate leaves and shoots held within from fluctuating temperatures and drying spring winds.As the buds continue to expand, that woolly coating begins to part, revealing bright green slightly pink shoot tips. It is a small but exciting moment in the vineyard calendar: the official beginning of the new growing season.

IN THE WINERY

While some members of the team are enjoying a well-earned break after a busy vintage, there is still plenty happening behind the scenes. In the winery, the team is deep in sample testing, tasting, assessing and tracking the progress of the 2025 Single Vineyard wines ready for bottling in November. While also bringing order to the cellar and preparing for the months ahead. It may be a quieter season on the surface, but it is these careful, considered tasks that keep the wheels turning and the wines moving in the right direction.

Pierre, Richard, Jett, Harry and Anthony went on a road trip to visit our new glass manufacturer, Orora, to see where our new bottles are made. Fortunately, the new producer is just 15 kilometres down the road from us, just outside Gawler. We are proud to source our glass locally as part of our ongoing sustainability practices, reducing the need to bring bottles in from overseas by cargo. At Orora, the team saw its oxygen furnace in action, very clever technology. There is another benefit to the change, too: the quality of the embossed Two Hands logo that so many of you tell us you enjoy on our Picture Series and Garden Series wines has improved. The bottles have also been made lighter, reducing the amount of glass used and their overall recycling and transport footprint. A finer finish, made locally, and another small but meaningful step forward in pursuit of quality and sustainability.

EVENTS

Luke has just returned from a brilliant weekend in Queensland for Back to the Barossa, taking Two Hands across Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast. It was fantastic to see so many familiar faces throughout the trip. While the rest of us were back in the Barossa braving rain, wind and a top of 14°C, Luke was soaking up a considerably warmer 29°C and sunshine. Tough work, but someone had to do it.
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Join us at the Table
ORSO, Adelaide | Friday, 25 September

Our Adelaide dinner at ORSO is just around the corner, and with only six seats remaining, there’s still time to join us. Expect a generous evening of Two Hands wines paired with a menu from the ORSO kitchen. Secure one of the remaining seats HERE.

The Lord Lyndoch | Friday, 16 October
In October, we’re bringing dinner closer to home with a special evening at The Lord Lyndoch. Join Luke and winemaker Jett in the Barossa as we share a selection of Two Hands wines over dinner, with stories from our vineyards and winery along the way. Book tickets HERE

ON THE ROAD WITH PIERRE-HENRI

Pierre has just returned from a whirlwind weekend visit to New South Wales, where he enjoyed an outstanding dinner with our distribution team at The Belongil. The team there has an exceptional wine cellar, with pages of Two Hands back vintages including Aerope, Lily’s Garden and many more.Then this week, he is back in the air, heading overseas to visit our trade partners across Canada. Stops in Calgary, Toronto and Montréal are on the itinerary, along with a London layover.

WINE OF THE MONTH
INTERNATIONAL GRENACHE DAY - 18th SEPTEMBER

Grenache has been part of the Barossa landscape for generations, with some of the region’s oldest surviving vines dating back to the 1800s. Drive through the Barossa today and you can still find Grenache growing in its traditional form, as free standing bush vines rather than trained along wires and trellises.Grenache is particularly well suited to this style of growing. Its thick, strong wood and naturally upright growth habit allow the vine to support itself, reaching out in all directions and developing into the wonderfully gnarled old bushes that have become such a distinctive part of the Barossa landscape.

Hidden amongst the canopy are relatively small, tightly packed bunches of medium-sized berries. Their compact, rounded shape can resemble a small hand grenade, an appropriate image for a variety capable of delivering such an explosion of flavour.Grenache also is very much at home in the Barossa as it loves heat, sunshine and a long growing season, ripening relatively late and thriving in hot, dry conditions. Its natural drought tolerance makes it particularly well suited to our region.For International Grenache Day, we’re opening the 2021 Aerope Grenache, our Flagship Grenache. Aerope captures the perfume, generosity and elegance that make Grenache so compelling, with vibrant red fruits, spice, savoury complexity and beautifully fine tannins.

At the table: Aerope is made for slow-roasted lamb shoulder with rosemary, garlic and roasted tomatoes. The richness of the lamb meets the generous fruit of Grenache, while rosemary, garlic and caramelised tomato draw out the wine’s savoury spice and complexity.

This month, we bid farewell to Irene, our Export and Domestic Sales Administrator, after an incredible 10 years with Team Two Hands!

Irene’s dedication, hard work and contribution over the years have made her a valued and important part of our journey. Keeping the small details moving behind the scenes, her care and commitment have helped bring Two Hands wines to tables near and far. 

If you have enjoyed a glass of Two Hands at a favourite restaurant or bar, or found yourself on the other side of the world with a glass of Gnarly Dudes in hand, Irene has been part of the work that helped get it there.

Thank you, Irene, for a wonderful decade with Two Hands. We wish you every success and happiness in your next chapter. Her shoes may be small (literally), but she leaves some seriously big shoes to fill.

The days are getting longer, the sun is hanging around and our Spring playlist is ready to go. Joni Mitchell, Flight Facilities, James Taylor, Noah Kahan and plenty more. Follow along below.