Nestled on 33 hectares of undulating land between Cowaramup and the coast is Wrights Vineyard – a new wine label steeped in Margaret River winemaking tradition and family heritage.
Owner and curator Ian Wright spent his childhood helping his family establish Wrights Wines in Wilyabrup – one of the Margaret River region’s earliest vineyards. His parents Henry and Maureen were pioneer winemakers, back when there were only a handful of people experimenting in what was then a fledgling enterprise.
The all-in family business saw Ian involved from a young age, and at the tender age of 15, his father Henry offered Ian a small pocket of vines to try his hand at making wine, which he named Lanzerac Burgundy in a tribute to a winery in South Africa, his mother’s birth country. About 300 bottles were made and sold for $5 a pop.
Ian’s passion for wine continued and he went on to study wine with some of Australia’s best at Roseworthy Agricultural College – the only winemaking course available in Australia at the time.
Ian managed a number of successful business ventures after graduating, but he was never able to shake his passion for wine. So, in 2020 he took the plunge and brought an established Margaret River winery to continue the Wright family tradition.
Paying tribute to his family, Ian has created a special one-hectare Heritage Block of Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon. These vines were grown from cuttings taken from the original 1973 plantings at Wrights Wines in Wilyabrup, planted by Ian’s parents.
Ian has partnered with two champions of the industry, Viticulturalist Colin Bell and Deep Woods Winemaker Julian Langworthy to support the re-growth of Wrights Vineyard.
Wrights Vineyard will produce Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Semillon Varieties, and in a nod to what was Wrights Wine’s signature drop, Ian plans to reinvent their sought-after White Port from original Chardonnay and Riesling vine cuttings.