Cellarhand Balnaves

About Balnaves

“The Balnaves family, Coonawarra and Cabernet Sauvignon are concentric circles, indivisible from one another,” declares James Halliday. So true: they’re Coonawarra to the core. Doug Balnaves and children Kirsty and Pete were all born in Penola and the winery sits at the heart of the famous Terra Rossa strip, where Doug started planting vines in 1976. The great Pete Bissell was a key piece of the puzzle during a 25-year reign as winemaker, before passing the reins to his talented understudy Jacinta Jenkins in July 2020. The Chardonnay is consistently among the region’s best, while The Blend – a wine with “a long and proud history of over-delivering” according to Halliday – sets the tone for reds that are everything that they should be and more. They culminate with The Tally, an opulent but beautifully balanced Cabernet richly deserving of its "outstanding" rating in Langton's classification of Australian wine.

About Maddie LeMire

Maddie LeMire has joined the team just in time for the 2025 vintage, marking the start of an exciting new chapter for the winery. She will work closely with Pete Bissell to continue Balnaves' proud tradition of winemaking excellence. Maddie has honed her skills in some of the world's most renowned wine regions, including Burgundy, Pomerol and McLaren Vale, and she completed a Bachelor of Viticulture and Oenology at the University of Adelaide.

“Maddie’s enthusiasm and passion for the wine industry is a perfect match for Balnaves, on our unwavering quest to produce outstanding wines from the famous Coonawarra region. We are thrilled to have Maddie as part of the Balnaves of Coonawarra team, heralding a great start to 2025. It’s an exciting time for our family wine company and everyone who loves Balnaves wines." - Kirsty Balnaves

Current Range

SHOP ONLINE

2022 Balnaves ‘The Tally’ Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Balnaves

2021 Balnaves Cabernet Sauvignon

Balnaves

2020 Balnaves Cabernet Sauvignon

Balnaves

2022 Balnaves Cabernet Merlot

Balnaves

2021 Balnaves Shiraz

Balnaves

2020 Balnaves The Blend

Balnaves

2024 Balnaves Chardonnay

Balnaves

NV Balnaves Sparkling Cabernet NV

Balnaves

ADDRESS

CONTACT

Cellarhand Mailing List