Introducing Domaine Vico & Clos Venturi to the CellarHand Portfolio At CellarHand, bringing new producers into the portfolio is always a thrilling milestone and meeting Jean-Marc and Manu Venturi last year was just about the highlight of our year. It's a privilege to meet winemakers with such deep-rooted passion for their craft, and tell the story of a region that is as fierce and beautiful as the wine themselves.  Founded by Jean-Marc Venturi in the 1980s, the original vineyards were planted in 1901 by Jean Vico, who wanted to…

"If you go down in the woods today, you’re sure of a big surprise” or so the song about a mass gathering of teddy bears goes; but the truth is, there are certainly no surprises in the Woods here! 2024 marks our 3rd year of celebrating the remarkable Reserve releases from the team at Deep Woods Estate and there is one thing for certain, these wines, year in, year out, deliver the goods.  The same can be said for the entire Deep Woods Estate line-up…

The Holyman release marks an especially thrilling time of the year, when winter coats are stowed away, and the sweet smell of spring fills the air. Birds are chirping, and a gentle gurgling sound is heard from afar, as Joe Holyman emerges from his Tamar Valley shed, ready to introduce the fruits of his labour. 2023 presented its fair share of challenges, but it ultimately shaped up to be a remarkable vintage. The warmer weather resulted in wines that are approachable yet layered with complexity…

A Force to be Reckoned with...  Over the last couple of years, one of the pillars of our Winter release calendar has become the magnificent wines of Tasmania’s fledgling, yet brilliant, Lowestoft Estate. And, this year is no different as we introduce a fabulous collection of wines from the Lowestoft team that is lead by the enigmatic and brilliant Liam McElhinney. The Estate releases expertly express the sum of the parts, taking fruit from multiple postage stamp-sized vineyards across the Tasman Peninsula, Coal River and East Coast to showcase the…

Rob and Gen Mann Strike Again...    It’s the moment we've all been waiting for: the highly anticipated release of Corymbia’s 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon from their Calgardup Vineyard in the Margaret River. As Erin Larkin once stated, it is a “routinely beautiful wine,” and it is a testament to the Mann’s confidence in the vineyard and their manner of stepping out of its way. Planted in 2002 on the unique Keenan gravelly loam soil, just 2km inland from the iconic Redgate Beach, this vineyard lies…

Roll out the Barrels...   It is with much excitement that we announce the latest news to come from the Punt Road stable – the 2023 Barrel Selection wines. Punt Road’s new-look black label is just what is sounds like, a selection of the top barrels from the estate. Only made in exceptional vintages, these hand-selected parcels are a truly stunning expression of the much-hyped 2023 vintage.   The Pinot Noir is exclusively grown on Blocks 1 and 5 from the Napoleone Vineyard, from the original 35-year-old plantings of MV6 Pinot Noir. This vine age lends darkness…

Sure to Go Down as an All-Time Classic   I’ve been looking forward to this release for quite some time. It’s a release that combines some of the greatest growers in Australia, some of the oldest vineyards in the world and a winemaker that is at the top of their game. All of that combined with the near perfect 2022 vintage, it’s sure to go down as an all-time classic. Upon tasting through these wines, they are immense, powerful and intense, yet with real poise…

Friday July 26 is a momentous day in the great journey we call CellarHand - Sam Hooper’s final day with us. How do you summarise a tenure on some 18 years in one email? The answer is you don’t! What we can say hand on heart though is that Sam’s contribution over all these years has been immense. Huge. Massive. Mind-Boggling. Loyalty is such a treasure in any context, and Sam has been the epitome of that ever since he joined us in August 2007. Think about that for a…

Standing Out from the Crowd We had the pleasure of travelling to Burgenland last September to visit Gerhard and Brigitte Pittnauer.  Time almost stood still as we were welcomed like family and spent a gorgeous afternoon in their home. As ever, the wines showed their distinct personality, full of character, conviction and joy of spontaneity. Tasting with Gerhard and Brigitte is truly one of the wine world’s greatest pleasures. They live and breathe their craft, their region, their heritage. They understand that culture plays as important a…

The 18th Annual Young Gun of Wine Awards were presented in Melbourne last night, and we are most excited to share that our very own Marco Lubiana was awarded the top trophy and crowned the #YGOW2024.  We've known Marco for just about his entire life (yes, it's true!) after working with his parents, Steve and Monique, for over 20 years through the family estate, Stefano Lubiana wines. It seemed only natural to add Marco's wines to our portfolio after he launched his own label from the 2018 vintage.  His focus is on Chardonnay and Pinot…

Stephen Pannell: The Grenache Guru “Growing grapes and making wine are simple tasks compared to naming a place. Particularly if that place is as significant as our vineyard in the heart of Blewitt Springs. Ancient geology and old vines aside, we are the custodians of nine hectares we believe set a new standard for McLaren Vale Grenache. It's a bold claim but we are excited by what we have seen; we need a name as meaningful as the wines made. Those close to me know…

In VERY exciting news, congratulations to Roman, Heinz and the brilliant team at Domäne Wachau for being named Falstaff's Winemaker of the Year as part of the VieVinum Festival held in Vienna this week. This prestigious accolade is a testament to their unwavering dedication, exceptional skill, and the passion that they bring to the wines of Domäne Wachau. Their commitment to energising an extensive network of small grower-families to produce world-class wines that beautifully express the unique terroir of the Wachau has rightfully earned this recognition. It is a monumental privilege to work with Roman,…

More BIG NEWS! Following on from our announcement on Friday, are also proud to share that Geoff Weaver wines from the Adelaide Hills are now also available in our NSW, ACT and QLD portfolio. For those a little younger or newer to the game, Geoff Weaver is one of the most important winemakers in Australia’s history. In terms of white wines, the only comparable name you could put beside Geoff’s is John Vickery. He created a string of incredibly successful wines (both in terms of…

"Glaetzer Wines is in the privileged position to be able to choose from amongst the best distributors in the world. Most of these relationships are measured in decades. Of course, we have lost partners along the way and some have been very dear to us. There is no partnership Glaetzer Wines has anywhere in the world that is stronger than our bond with Cellarhand. Cellarhand is a business rightly famed for it integrity, passion and prizing people, wine and money in that order. We are proud to call the Cellarhand team our…

At Frankland Estate, curiosity and dedication defines their approach. Judi Cullam and Barrie Smith’s journey at Isolation Ridge sparked a question: what practices best suit this land? Their children, Hunter and Elizabeth (along with husband and winemaker Brian Kent), continue this exploration. This latest release of wines reflects that ongoing evolution. Achieving organic certification 15 years ago marked a new beginning. Organics are just part of the puzzle, and it takes time for the whole picture- the ecological and oenological implications of every act to emerge. This is where Hunter, Elizabeth and Brian’s focus has…