Family wine story lives on at Cowaramup vineyard

Ian Wright has followed in his parents’ pioneering footsteps in establishing Wrights Vineyard – a new wine label steeped in Margaret River winemaking tradition and family heritage.

Nestled on 33 hectares of undulating land between Cowaramup and the coast, Ian is continuing his family’s 50-year legacy.

The Wrights wine heritage began in 1973 when Henry and Maureen Wright planted their first vines, back when there were just a handful of people experimenting in winemaking in Margaret River.

Producing Vintage Port, White Port, Hermitage, Cabernet Sauvignon and a Semillon Sauvignon Blanc Chardonnay blend, the family earned a favourable reputation for their signature drops, with people travelling from far and wide to get their hands on the wine.

Maureen was the winemaker, and the original family vineyard is now Juniper Estate where the original vines still remain.

Ian recalled the hard work involved in establishing the vineyard and his father’s entrepreneurial spirit.

“I can now appreciate what hard work it was back then, given all the challenges that they had being pioneers of the wine industry,” he said.

“That’s what has made me more passionate about doing it.

“One of the things my father always said was, great wine is made in the vineyard.

“There’s no question that that’s absolutely correct.”

The all-in family business saw Ian involved from a young age, and at just 15, he was offered by his father Henry, a small pocket of vines to try his hand at making wine.

He called it Lanzerac Burgundy, in a tribute to a winery in his mother’s birth country of South Africa.

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.

He managed a number of successful business ventures after graduating, but was never able to shake his passion for wine.

So, in 2020 he took the plunge and acquired an established Margaret River winery to continue the family tradition.

“I felt as though I’ve never really left,” he said.

“However, it’s been a few years now since my parents passed away and I really felt the urge and the need to continue their legacy in whatever way I could.

“So, this whole reincarnation of Wright’s Vineyard is to fulfill that dream.”

Paying tribute to his family, Ian has created a special one-hectare Heritage Block of Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon.

The 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, Viticulturist Colin Bell and Deep Woods Winemaker Julian Langworthy to support the re-growth of Wrights Vineyard, which will produce Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Semillon varieties. There are also plans to reinvent the sought-after White Port from original vine cuttings.

The single vineyard, hand-picked Family Release Chardonnay will be available in 2024.

Viticulturist Colin Bell believes the vineyard provides the perfect combination of conditions that makes Margaret River wines so distinctive.

“This is one of Margaret River’s little treasure vineyards. It has a wonderful balance of sun exposure, soil conditions, water sources, clear air, cooling summer breezes off the ocean, and undulation which allows for natural drainage,” he said.

“It also has a really cool natural yeast supply to allow for wild fermentation.”

Visit wrightsvineyard.com.au for more information.