Torbreck Vintners | Our Story – Torbreck Vintners

Our Story

Established in 1994, the winery takes inspiration from France’s Rhône Valley while championing the rich viticultural heritage of the Barossa.

With its gentle Mediterranean climate and deep winemaking heritage, the Barossa Valley continues to be one of the world’s most exciting wine regions.

Our Journey

We are dedicated to establishing Torbreck among the world’s leading wine producers.

A key part of this journey is staying true to our core vision rather than following trends or fashions.

Provenance lies at the heart of what we do. The Barossa, with its Mediterranean climate and 175 years of winemaking heritage, provides an extraordinary foundation for our wines. Here, some of the world’s oldest vines—some planted in the 1840s, including Rhône varieties such as Shiraz, Grenache, and Mourvèdre—continue to thrive, producing fruit of remarkable character.

We have achieved much in the past three decades, but the journey is far from complete. We continue to look forward, believing the best Barossa grapes are yet to be picked and the finest Torbreck wines are yet to be made.

Growing & Making

Aerial view of one of Torbrecks RunRig vineyards with trees, birds and a road at sunset, in the Barossa's southern region.

Growing & Making

Sourcing fruit from some of the finest vineyards, we constantly seek to understand the difference between all of these special places in the Barossa – how they react to the seasons and how this combination of soil and climate and farming experience is reflected in unique grape flavours.

This requires patience, allowing these vineyards to achieve physiological ripeness and only harvesting at a point when the fruit is at its most expressive.

It also means a gentle, restrained hand in the physical winemaking process, minimising human intervention and wine movement, so that we capture the integrity of every single block.

In keeping with this respect for the vineyard and the wine, there is no fining or filtration and barrel maturation takes as long as it takes.

We are simply custodians, enhancing the innate expressiveness of the wines and enabling them to reveal over time, their individual origins and personality.

OUR PEOPLE

Team Torbreck

OUR PEOPLE

Team Torbreck

Torbreck Vintners is driven by a passionate team dedicated to crafting world-class wines that honour the rich heritage of the Barossa Valley.

Led by proprietors Pete and Terri Kight, and GM/Chief Winemaker Ian Hongell, our team of experienced winemakers and viticulturists bring a deep understanding of the region’s terroir and a commitment to traditional winemaking techniques.  

Their expertise and hands-on approach ensure that every bottle reflects the artistry, intensity, and elegance for which Torbreck is renowned.

This tight-knit team works across every part of the journey—from the vineyards to the winery, the bottling line, and beyond. Whether showcasing wines at restaurants, dinners, and events across Australia and the world, welcoming guests to the Barossa Cellar Door, or working behind the scenes to ensure every bottle is delivered in perfect condition, their dedication to quality and innovation continues to elevate Torbreck’s reputation as one of Australia’s premier wineries.

We are simply custodians of these vineyards, enhancing the innate expressiveness of the vines and enabling the wines to reveal over time, their individual origins and personality.

Our Vineyards

Spread across a 20 km-long north–south ridge on the western edge of the Barossa Valley, our collection of five vineyard estates form an enviable portfolio of exceptional vineyard sites, many classified as Old Vines (older than 35 years) and some dating back well over 175 years.

Individually, each estate brings a unique level of complexity and depth to our wine; together, they represent an unparalleled collection of some of the finest vineyards in the Barossa and the world.

We honour these vineyards with a minimal-intervention approach, crafting wines of richness, structure, and longevity.

OUR VINEYARDS

Hillside Vineyard

With ancient 1850's planted vineyards and heritage-listed winery, Hillside is one of the Barossa's most significant estates, and a key source of grapes for some of our most significant wines.

OUR VINEYARDS

The Laird Vineyard

Torbreck’s The Laird Vineyard in Marananga produces one of the Barossa Valley’s most prestigious Shiraz wines. With exceptional terroir and meticulous care, it yields rich, powerful wines that embody Torbreck’s dedication to excellence.

OUR VINEYARDS

Descendant

Established in 1993 on a traditional Barossa mixed farm, Descendant is home to our winery and cellar door. Marananga’s terroir delivers such depth and energy it merits single-vineyard wines.

OUR VINEYARDS

The Daylight Chamber

Exposed to the full force of Barossa weather, the Daylight Chamber Vineyard old vines yield small, intense berries producing deep, powerful wines with savoury complexity.

OUR VINEYARDS

Keller Vineyard

Torbreck’s Keller Vineyard is known for its old-vine Shiraz, thriving in the ironstone-rich soils of Greenock. This site produces bold, complex wines that showcase the depth and intensity of Barossa Valley fruit.

Our Growers

Our Growers

Torbreck works in partnership with the people of the Barossa who grow its fruit, always aiming to bring out the best in each vineyard site.

Our foundations were built on relationships with multi-generational Barossa grape growers who entrusted us to bring their ancient vineyards to full potential, while preserving them for future generations. Many of these growers continue to supply grapes to Torbreck today.

Each year, we recognise a grower with the annual Grower of the Year award, celebrated through the bottling of The Grower’s Cut, a single-vineyard wine from the winning vineyard.

WELCOME TO

Hillside

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