Wirra Wirra

"Among the eucalyptus" - this is how the name of the Australian winery Wirra Wirra can be translated from the language of the aborigines. This estate, located in one of the oldest wine regions of the country, is known not only for its drinks, but also for the personality of its creator. In 1894, Bob Wigley planted his first vineyards in the McLaren Valley. Soon he found an accomplice - Alex Johnston, with whom he made the first wine in 1897. And by the beginning of the twentieth century, Wigley already had a large winemaking company with one of the best vineyards in the region. In 1924, the founder of the Wirra Wirra company died. He managed to make a huge contribution to the development of Australian winemaking, the wines created within the walls of his winery were imported to England in huge quantities. However, Wigley's heirs did not manage to preserve what Bob passed on to them. After 1936, 240 acres of land were sold, and a little later the Wigley family lost the cellar with the winery. In the second half of the 20th century, it so happened that the winery and adjacent territories were practically abandoned. In this state, it was bought by Greg and Roger Trott. They were the ones who began to restore the former glory of the farm. By the time the brothers acquired the Wirra Wirra estate, each of them already had experience working with vineyards. Roger had the Moray Park estate, Greg had the Bethany vineyard. The Trotts treated their acquisition with trepidation. They had the deepest respect for everything that the Wigleys had done and decided to find equipment from the late 20th century for their winery. This turned out to be a difficult task, for which the brothers traveled all over Australia. But they returned to the winery victorious, armed with a wooden crusher and an old French press. With the help of this equipment they made their first wine in the not yet restored farm. Today Wirra Wirra is a modern farm, owning about 100 hectares of magnificent vineyards.