Virgara Wines

In 1962 the Virgara family – father Michael, mother Maria and 10 children - migrated to Australia from southern Italy. Through the hard work so typical of many such families, in due course they purchased land (1967) and became market gardeners, acquiring an existing vineyard in Angle Vale in the early ‘90s. The plantings have since been expanded to almost 120ha of shiraz, cabernet sauvignon, grenache, malbec, merlot, riesling, sangiovese, sauvignon blanc, pinot grigio and alicante bouschet. In 2001 the family purchased the former Barossa Valley Estates winery and today the 2nd generation of the Virgara family run the estate, employing ex-Palandri (and before that, Tahbilk) winemaker Tony Carapetis. Exports to the US, Canada, China, Thailand, Malaysia and Japan. -JAMES HALLIDAY