Vintage 2022 has finished!🌿

We've just finished picking the grapes for our 2022 harvest. Early indications suggest that this year will be considered a great vintage for McLaren Vale.

After a wet winter in 2021, the vines burst well with strong shoot growth. Since then, this harvest has been characterised by a cool growing season without any significant heatwaves.

The result was a steady, even ripening period, and fruit was picked at optimal ripeness.

We can't wait to share the first of these wines in the coming months!

18/04/2022 at 1:21 PM Permalink

Our new Nero d'Avola is here! 🍇

It's finally here: our 2021 Nero d'Avola!

I fell in love with the Nero d'Avola grape during my trips to Italy as a young winemaker.

The black grape from Avola is native to Sicily, the southern island at the tip of the Italian peninsula. I visited the vineyards of Avola, and was struck by their many similarities to our home in McLaren Vale.

Like Avola, the Vale is defined by its hot Summers and cooling sea breezes. My dream of a South Australian Nero d'Avola was born.

Now, decades later, we make a tiny batch of Nero d'Avola in the Vale, and the results don't disappoint.

After picking at full ripeness, we crush into our traditional open-topped concrete fermenters. We age the wine in seasoned oak barrels for one year before release.

This is a spicy, savoury red which bursts with black plum and cherry fruit flavours.

This wine is the ultimate match for Mediterranean cooking. I love serving it alfresco with simple pastas like my Fennel and Salami Recipe.

This is a tiny batch wine - it won't be available in bottle shops or restaurants. You can order from our website or taste and purchase at our McLaren Vale Cellar Door.

As always we are including a bonus bottle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and free shipping with every mixed or straight dozen.Life's too short to drink anything other than great wine!

Joe Grilli
Owner & Winemaker

28/03/2022 at 3:33 PM Permalink

This wine is our best kept secret...

This is my best kept secret – the Virginia Vineyard Shiraz Merlot Cabernet.

This wine offers unbeatable quality at an everyday drinking price.

Each year, it’s released directly to our mailing list and sells out within days, if not hours. Today, I have good news – the 2021 vintage has arrived!

The new release is a smooth, generous style with mellow, lingering oak character. It has delicious flavours of plum, blackberry, chocolate, and spice. Click here to see me taste the new wine.

The Virginia Vineyard Red has over sixty 5-star reviews on our website. Here are a few:

“Stunning. Best value red in Australia - no doubt.” – Gerard C, Queensland 2021

"Simply a great drop. You will not find a better red at this price point anywhere else - I challenge you!" - Chris M, Victoria, 2021

Try Virginia Vineyard for yourself today. I guarantee your total satisfaction or your money back.

Because life's too short to drink anything other than great wine!

Joe Grilli
Owner & Winemaker

28/02/2022 at 11:36 AM Permalink

The 2021 'Il Briccone' Shiraz Sangiovese has arrived!

Our newest red has arrived - the 2021 'Il Briccone' Shiraz Sangiovese!

In Italian, Il Briccone is ‘the rogue’ – a spirited, mischief-making rascal.

This wine is my mischievous blend of Shiraz and Sangiovese. 25 years ago, when I first dreamt up the wine, I was told that the combination would “only ruin great Shiraz fruit”.

I was a young Australian winemaker with Italian parents. To me, the idea of blending classic grapes with exciting new Italian varietals made sense.

Since then, Il Briccone has grown in reputation to become our most popular red wine.

Today, we make it by crushing McLaren Vale fruit into open-topped concrete fermenters. We age the wine in seasoned oak barrels for one year before release.

2021 was the kind of year that winemakers dream of. Ample rain in the 2020 Winter produced a healthy canopy in the vines. The cool, dry picking season gave us a harvest with bountiful yield and exceptional quality.

The result - a vibrant, full-bodied red brimming with plum, pepper, and spice. The Sangiovese adds a burst of cherry to the wine's savoury finish.

Il Briccone shines when poured alongside hearty, tomato-based cooking. We love serving it with my Mum’s Polpette Recipe – meatballs in a rich tomato sauce.

Joe Grilli
Owner & Winemaker

14/02/2022 at 4:24 PM Permalink

Primo Pecorino in Halliday Top 100!

James Halliday has put our Primo Pecorino in his Top 100 Wines of 2021! 🐑✨

Here's what he had to say:

“The highly floral bouquet is left by the wayside by the richness and succulence (but not sweetness) of the palate. It strikes a further blow with its titanium backbone of acidity.” - 96 points, drink to 2025.

Grazie James! 🥂

10/01/2022 at 2:02 PM Permalink

Our Cellar Door is Open 7 Days 🍾

We're back! Our Cellar Door has returned to standard opening hours. Stop by to discover our wines and taste the new season's JOSEPH Olive Oil!

Our wine tastings are available, 11am-4pm, seven days.

Click here to discover our wine tasting options!

01/12/2021 at 10:07 AM Permalink

Our New Sangiovese Rosé! 🍓🌹

Warm weather has arrived in McLaren Vale, and at home we've been enjoying it with our new 2021 Sangiovese Rosé.

There's no better feeling than the first sip of chilled Rosé on a warm evening!

I made this wine to be the ultimate food-friendly Summer drink. It has delicious aromas of strawberry & cream and gives a satisfying dry finish.

Our family loves food matching with Rosé, and lately our go-to dish has been Prawns with Tomato and Black Olive. The Rosé's savoury texture beautifully compliments the tomato's richness.

Here's what wine lovers have to say about our Sangiovese Rosé:

"A beautiful wine." - Kristy T, South Australia 2021

"Am really enjoying this Sangiovese Rosé, particularly during warmer weather. Anyone I introduce it to is impressed." - Ann B, New South Wales 2020

Don't miss out on this tiny batch release! This is a mailing list exclusive, and it won't be available in bottle shops or restaurants.

As always we are including a bonus bottle of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and free shipping with every mixed or straight dozen.

Life's too short to drink anything other than great wine!

Joe Grilli
Owner & Winemaker

22/11/2021 at 1:15 PM Permalink

Introducing the Primo Pecorino!

I’ve dreamt of making this wine for 20 years: the Primo Estate Pecorino.

I first tasted Pecorino in Le Marche, Italy – back in 2000. A local winemaker told me that this ancient grape was undergoing a renaissance.

In the space of a few years, Pecorino had risen from complete obscurity to become a staple on the wine lists of Italy’s best restaurants. My dream of a South Australian Pecorino was born.

Finally, in recent years, an opportunity came. A local, veteran Adelaide Hills grower had planted South Australia’s first ever Pecorino vineyard. I jumped at the opportunity to secure the fruit.

The vines gave their first good crop this year. We hand-picked the grapes, fermented in stainless steel, and bottled the wine young.

This is a mouthwatering white wine with a delicate fragrance of stone fruit, lemon blossom and almond.

Pecorino is the perfect match for your favourite Summer dishes. We love drinking this wine with my Fritto Misto Recipe - a classic Italian Seafood Fry.

Joe Grilli
Owner & Winemaker

03/11/2021 at 4:30 PM Permalink

The JOSEPH First Run has arrived!

Once a year, for a limited time, we invite you to experience the freshest, most vibrant Extra Virgin Olive Oil that South Australia has to offer.

The 2021 JOSEPH First Run has been made using a small batch of greener olives picked at the very beginning of our harvest. This low-yield crop is cold pressed and bottled immediately to capture the most intense characters of the new season.

The result is something to behold: a pristine oil with concentrated green banana and cut grass aromas. Its crisp, fruit-driven flavours are followed by a clean peppery finish. See our olive oil blender, Matteo Grilli, tasting the new oil here.

We make the JOSEPH First Run for drizzling over crusty bread, dressing salads or to enhance dishes once cooking is complete. To celebrate the new oil, we're sharing one of our Winter staples: Cannellini Bean and Salami Bruschetta.

The JOSEPH First Run is a seasonal release that is best enjoyed at peak freshness. As an Amici Primo, you are the first to receive this offer. Do not miss this chance to taste the oil at its most flavoursome!

As always we are offering a bonus bottle of 250ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil and free shipping with every mixed or straight dozen of wine and olive oil.

Here's to living La Dolce Vita!

26/07/2021 at 9:43 AM Permalink

Delivery as usual! 📦🍷

Primo Estate is continuing to deliver wine and olive oil to homes across the country. Australia Post has taken action to protect the health and safety of all delivery staff and customers.

We are offering 15% off our mixed pack specials, plus FREE SHIPPING and a BONUS bottle of extra virgin olive oil with every dozen ordered.

Thank you for your continued support; we can't wait to welcome you back to McLaren Vale,

Joe Grilli & The Primo Team

19/07/2021 at 6:59 PM Permalink