Welcome to one of the Australian wine world’s most exciting places, RedHeads Studio.

The RedHeads Studio has been around since the 1990’s and is the brainchild of Tony Laithwaite. It began in the McLaren Vale as a refuge for gifted winemakers to ‘moonlight’ from their day jobs at big-name wineries to make wines they really wanted to, redefining the term ‘handcrafted’ along the way.

They set up in an old curry house called RedHeads, and they liked the name, so it stuck. Then, using discarded equipment from big wineries and a tidal wave of enthusiasm, they started making tiny volume ‘special’ wines (largely red) that began to create a stir around the world.

The movement attracted some big names – winemakers like Michael Fragos (then Tatachilla, now Chapel Hill), Shed Godfather Phil Christiansen, La Curio’s Adam Hooper and Jess Hardy were all RedHeads at one stage.

Here, handcrafting and individuality are key – to retain real personality in liquid and label. The ‘bottom line’ is simply best quality in bottle.

Today, RedHeads can be found in the iconic Barossa Valley.

McLaren Vale’s finest growers and talented winemakers are still firmly in the frame, however the Studio today is based in the Barossa, and has a permanent resident winemaker too.

Alex Trescowthick is as passionate as they come. He prides himself on building the new RedHeads winery from scratch and being a spearhead in making it as sustainable as possible. The RedHeads winery and the facilities may have changed over the years, but their ethos hasn’t – small-batch, sustainable and unique wines where no two drops are the same, made by passionate people.

Alex loves a good Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, his favourite food & wine pairing is duck with Pinot Noir, and Burgundy is on the top of his wine tasting destination bucket list.

If you’d like to learn more about Alex, the RedHeads Studio and how he does things, check out this interview we did with him just before the brand new facilities opened. Click here

You’ve no doubt seen some of the eye-catching RedHeads labels in our store. How fun are they? Some are a bit nuts, but they certainly are a good place to start a conversation. Each one has a unique story behind it…

The 1888 gets its name from a mud straw cottage that still stands on the Barossa property, which was built in 1888 by some early settlers. The Barrel Monkeys pays tribute to the hard-working cellar hands (called barrel monkeys) that help bring the wines to fruition. The R’dotto Royale is named after one of Venice’s top gambling houses in the 18th century, home to Italy’s elite.

There is always something fun and exciting to discover behind a RedHeads label.

James Halliday recognises RedHeads as a 4.5 Black Star winery, and we can see why. Try some of their award-winning and cult favourite wines today. Check out our range here.