How Great Shiraz Is Made: Two Hands Shows the Way

New Video Take Viewers Inside Groundbreaking Aussie Winery, Out to Vineyards

LAKE BLUFF, Ill., Oct. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Pulling back the curtain on their quest to create one of the world's great wineries, Two Hands Wines today introduced a series of unique short videos shot during the 2008 harvest in Australia.

Two Hands has never been your typical winery, and the videos follow suit. Unrehearsed and informal, they take viewers to the six regions that are the basis for the winery's peerless Garden Series Shiraz program; show the rigorous barrel trials conducted to classify the Two Hands wines; and even match Two Hands' bottlings against the world's best wines in comparative tastings conducted by co-founder Michael Twelftree.

The videos are available on the Two Hands Web site at and on YouTube.

"We had no script, no scenes and, really, no idea," Twelftree said with a laugh. "But thank goodness we had my mate Don Brice, a professional photographer who has been with Two Hands from day one. We talked on the way to each vineyard about what might be good to shoot, went out and did our thing, and Don worked his magic."

In the Barossa, Twelftree and Two Hands winemaker Matt Wenk walk the vineyards as record heat pushes the grapes to ripeness. In far-flung Heathcote, Twelftree -- atop a whirring harvester -- explains the benefits of mechanically picked fruit. Back at the winery, co-founder Richard Mintz speaks to the challenges Mother Nature throws at the Two Hands team during vintage (that's Aussie for harvest, mate).

Mintz said the videos will appeal to wine geeks and newbies alike. "We wanted to make some films that capture who we are, what we do in the vineyards and what our winemaking is really like," Mintz said. "From the beginning, Michael and I have thought winemaking was a fairly simple process and we wanted to get that across in layman's terms."

Mintz and Twelftree have also never been shy about their intention of building one of the great wineries in the world. "It's a lofty goal, and who knows, it might not be attainable," Mintz said. "But it's what drives us." In the videos, that eagerness to play on a world stage is captured as Twelftree tastes Two Hands wines with the best from Australia and beyond.

For example, in the episode "2005 Vintage Shiraz of the World Tasting," Twelftree sniffs, sips and spits the Two Hands Bella's Garden Shiraz alongside Craggy Range from New Zealand and Domaine Bernard Faurie of Hermitage. In another episode, Twelftree tastes McLaren Vale wines -- including the Two Hands Lily's Garden Shiraz -- on the beach from the back of a pickup truck, making the point that McLaren Vale vineyards are greatly influenced by their proximity to the nearby sea.

"When we started Two Hands, we tasted all the best wines of Australia and the world, and that helped us to form our style. So we like to benchmark against what are perceived to be the best wines," Twelftree said. "In wine there is no finishing line, but it's great to see who else is on the starting block."
Two Hands' ascent as a world-class winery came during an era in which Australia became known for large-production, value-priced wines. Boldly going in an entirely different direction, the winery built its reputation by producing uniquely interesting Shiraz. The winery's celebrated Garden Series comprises Shiraz from Barossa Valley (Bella's), McLaren Vale (Lily's), Clare Valley (Samantha's), Padthaway (Sophie's), Langhorne Creek (Harry & Edward's) and Heathcote (Max's). All those regions are explored in the new videos.

In addition, Two Hands produces the Picture Series, featuring perhaps its most approachable Australian wines, as well as the new Single Vineyard Series, exceptional wines from specific vineyards that demonstrate personality and complexity particular to their origins. The Flagships -- a Shiraz, a Cabernet Sauvignon and a Grenache -- are produced in extremely small quantities drawn from the very best barrels in excellent vintages. Their mythological names -- Ares, Aphrodite and Aerope -- evoke greatness and immortality. Finally, the winery recently introduced Two Hands Napa, featuring Cabernet Sauvignon from the region.

Terlato Wines International has a global portfolio of 50 brands from a host of world-class wine producers and presently markets more than one out of eight bottles of wine over $14 sold in America. Terlato, with more 90+ ratings than any wine company in the world, is the flagship company of the Terlato Wine Group, the parent company of several independent businesses specializing in the marketing and production of exceptional wines. Owned and operated by the Terlato family, the Group also includes the family's winery investments and partnerships in some of the world's most esteemed wine regions, including: Napa Valley; Sonoma County; Santa Barbara County; Victoria, Australia; the Rhone Valley in France; Somontano, Spain and Montalcino, Italy.

The Terlato Wines International portfolio of brands includes: Napa Valley: Brandlin, Chimney Rock, Cuvaison Estate Wines, Luke Donald Collection, Markham Vineyards, Rutherford Hill, Tangley Oaks, Terlato Family Vineyards and Two Hands -- Napa Valley; Sonoma County: Alderbrook, Hanna, Rochioli and Terlato Family Vineyards; Santa Barbara County: Sanford and Tangley Oaks; California Appellation: Glass Mountain and Seven Daughters; Oregon: Sokol Blosser and Argyle; Italy: Baglio di Pianetto, Ca' del Bosco, Ca' Marcanda (Gaja Toscana), Florio Martinez Marsala, Gaja, Il Poggione, Kettmeir, MAZZONI (Toscana), Santa Margherita, Tiramisu, Torresella and Distillatori Nonino (Grappa); France: Champagne Bollinger, M. Chapoutier, Chateau des Laurets (Rothschild), Domaine Chanson, Josmeyer, Langlois-Chateau and Mischief and Mayhem; Australia: Domaine Terlato & Chapoutier, Domaine Tournon and Two Hands; Argentina: Tamari; Canada: Peller Estates Icewine; Greece: Boutari; New Zealand: Wairau River; South Africa: Cirrus, Guardian Peak, Engelbrecht-Els, Ernie Els Signature and Rust En Vrede; Spain: Olvena; Switzerland: Xellent Swiss Vodka.; Japan: Shimizu-No-Mai Sake.