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History
Wendouree was established in 1893 by Alfred Percy Birks towards the northern end of the Clare Valley in South Australia and is one of the oldest operational wineries in Australia. Much of the original vineyard, winery and even some of the original winemaking equipment are still in service. The soils are red-brown chocolaty loams over limestone, allowing excellent drainage. The climate is essentially continental with hot summers and cool/cold winters. The vineyard has very old unirrigated plantings of Shiraz, Malbec, Mourvedre and Cabernet Sauvignon, many of them untrellised bush-vines 100 years old. Lita and Tony Brady assumed management of Wendouree in 1974 after three years of commercial freefall. Over the ensuing years they have made The Wendouree Shiraz into one of Australia's iconic wines. Wendouree also produces Shiraz-Malbec, Shiraz-Mataro, Cabernet Sauvignon-Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. They are very muscular and powerful wines with vice-like tannins and require long-term ageing.
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