Winery

Wild Irishman was founded by one of Central Otago’s wine pioneers, Alan Brady. After having successfully planted the regions first commercial vineyard in the early 1980’s, Alan subsequently went on to release the first commercial wines from the region under the Gibbston Valley Wines label, as well as building a winemaking facility just outside Queenstown, in the beautiful Gibbston Valley. After helping to turn Gibbston Valley Wines into a huge success story and lay the foundations for wine tourism in the area, Alan turned his attention back to smaller production with a focus on Pinot Noir, the flagship grape variety of the region. Alan subsequently moved on from Gibbston Valley Wines and built a brand new facility in the late 1990s, only a few KMs from his original vineyard. This new winery, Mount Edward, was focused on small production and allowed Alan to experiment with small parcels, in an attempt to showcase site and season. In the early 2000’s, lured by the thought of some form of ‘retirement’, Alan sold his Mount Edward business and a few years later, Wild Irishman was born. Wild Irishman was to serve as a deeply personal ‘passion project’ for Alan, where he could focus on tiny parcels of vines, sometimes rows within single blocks, and make limited release wines that encapsulated everything Alan loved about Pinot Noir and Central Otago. Wild fermentation, unfiltered, unfined and a gentle approach to winemaking were the orders of the day. After having seen the industry grow and develop for 20 years, it was Alans turn to really see what the ageing vines of Central Otago were made of. Wild Irishman developed a cult following over the following decade. Production remained miniscule and Alan was enjoying his ‘semi-retirement’. It wasn’t until 2013 when Alan met a 25 year old Brian Shaw, now co-owner and winemaker for Wild Irishman Wines Ltd, that a plan to make a little more wine was hatched. The pair developed an unwavering relationship, with Brian as the student and Alan as the mentor. It helped that both were born in small towns not 60km apart back in Ireland. An instant connection was formed and endures to this day, with an unshakable bond between the two men acting as the driving force, pushing Wild Irishman forward at every opportunity. Brian has gained experience in New Zealand(Amisfield), Australia(Tahbilk and Alpha Box and Dice) and the UK(Hattingley Valley and Black Chalk) and completed is viticulture and oenology degree at Plumpton College(Royal Agricultural University). He has a wealth of experience in wine sales both in retail and wholesale. He is also the general manager of the company and is the president of the Alexandra Basin Winegrowers in Central Otago. The pair have taken production from 400 cases a year to almost 4000, spread across 6 Pinot Noirs and 3 small batch white wines. The long term vision for the company was and still is to produce site driven wines by taking a very obvious step back in the cellar, instead using a watchful eye rather than a heavy hand. Our winemaker, Brian Shaw, believes that by eliminating his physical presence on the wines through over extraction, the true structure and style of the site is revealed, rather than a man-made, decision led wine. The differences in the vineyards and sub regions becomes more evident. The wines more honest and the experience more authentic. All our wines are fermented using indigenous yeasts and undergo spontaneous MLF. Over the last few years we have added several high quality vineyards to our portfolio. We now make wine from 6 stunning sites across the Central Otago. As well as our own vineyards in Alexandra, Bannockburn and Gibbston which we farm ourselves, we work with some of the most prestigious growers in Central Otago and feel privileged to produce wine from these stunning sites. Our mantra is simple. To make wines with passion and humility. By taking a step back and not imposing a heavy hand on our winemaking, we allow the light to shine on purity of place and lay bare the uniqueness of season, resulting in wines that stand up and proudly tell us the story of their ‘patch’.