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Shottesbrooke Wines McLaren Vale Our Story Header

From the ground up, Shottesbrooke has been built on a tradition of hard work, dedication and passion. The people, the place and the soul that have come together over many years, and which today see our wines being distributed around the world, continue on through everything we do at Shottesbrooke. You'll find it in every bottle.

Shottesbrooke’s journey began in 1981, when its founder, Nick Holmes, planted his very first vineyard just outside the tiny South Australian hamlet of Myponga. It was from these vines, and the quality of fruit they produced, that his passion for crafting wines from in and around McLaren Vale was born.

 

From these humble beginnings, Nick went on to acquire the property situated at McLaren Flat, upon which he constructed the Shottesbrooke winery and cellar door, and it was here that he began the journey towards creating the best examples of McLaren Vale wines possible.

 

Today, under the guidance of Nick’s step-son, and now winemaker and general manager Hamish Maguire, Shottesbrooke continues to produce a range of high quality wines from both their estate-owned and managed vineyards based in the premium winegrowing regions of McLaren Vale and the Adelaide Hills, together renowned for producing some of Australia’s best Shiraz, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

Shottesbrooke Wines McLaren Vale Winemaker Hamish Maguire with Winery Dog

Hamish Maguire is Shottesbrooke Vineyard’s General Manager and Chief Winemaker, and it is his mission to build upon the legacy of his stepfather, Shottesbrooke founder, Nick Holmes.

 

As a teenager, Hamish was raised amongst the vineyards in McLaren Vale and spent many of his weekends as a trainee cellar hand at renowned winery, Ryecroft Wines.

 

In 1993, Hamish was accepted into Adelaide University, where he successfully completed degrees in both Science and Business.

 

Upon completion of his University studies, Hamish was offered the opportunity to work a full vintage at Ryecroft, where he was exposed to the finer, inner-workings of a winery. He then went on to work the following vintage with the family winery, Shottesbrooke.

 

In 1998, Hamish decided to travel overseas, where he spent three years living in France, Spain, England and New York. During this time he was involved in various aspects of the wine industry, including working as a wine representative for a New York wine distributor, and completing a vintage in the famed French region of Bordeaux.

 

Hamish returned home in 2001 and continued on with his winemaking studies through Charles Sturt University. Whilst studying, Hamish travelled back to France twice to complete vintages, and also returned to Spain to work a vintage in 2003.

 

The following year, in 2004, Hamish was given the opportunity to take on the principal winemaking position at Shottesbrooke, and since this time has played an in integral role in the expansion of the winery and the Shottesbrooke label. As a result, Shottesbrooke winery now crushes approximately 1,200 tonnes annually and has storage capacity for almost 1 million litres.

 

Today, Hamish continues to oversee the winemaking for the Shottesbrooke label, along with several other independent brands, and dedicates a large amount of time to promoting the Shottesbrooke brand both nationally and internationally, including Asia, the USA, Canada and Europe.

 

Under Hamish’s guidance, the Shottesbrooke label continues to expand and evolve, whilst maintaining the high quality of wines for which they are known. As a result of this effort, Shottesbrooke has regularly been awarded high individual wine scores, and also prestigious 5 star ‘outstanding’ classifications in the annual Australian Wine Companion written by James Halliday, Australia’s preeminent wine commentator.

HAMISH MAGUIRE

Shottesbrooke Wines McLaren Vale Winemaker Hamish Maguire with Winery Dog
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