About us
Our wine journey
— Ian Wright
Wrights Vineyard is a new wine label steeped in Margaret River winemaking tradition and family heritage.
Owner and curator Ian Wright spent his childhood helping his family establish Wrights Wines in Wilyabrup – one of the Margaret River region’s earliest vineyards. His parents Henry and Maureen were pioneer winemakers, back when there were only a handful of people experimenting in what was then a fledgling enterprise.
Henry and Maureen planted their first vines 50 years ago and owned and operated their vineyard for 25 years, producing Vintage Port, White Port, Hermitage, Cabernet Sauvignon and a Semillion Sauvignon Blanc Chardonnay blend. Maureen was the winemaker and the original vineyard is now Juniper Estate.
Ian recalls the hard work involved in establishing such a new industry and his father’s entrepreneurial spirit.
“I can now appreciate what hard work it was back then, given all the challenges that they had being pioneers of the wine industry. That’s what has made me more passionate about doing it. One of the things my father always said was, great wine is made in the vineyard. There’s no question that that’s absolutely correct.”
Wright’s White Port became a 1980s institution and people would travel from far and wide to get their hands on it at the cellar door. It was originally made with riesling grapes, then chardonnay.
It was an all-in family business from pruning to crushing and Ian was keenly interested in the process. He was fascinated with the fermentation process, and recalls being about age 10 sitting on the laundry floor watching starter ferments in small bottles to see which would start bubbling first.
When Ian was 15, Henry offered Ian a small patch of vines to try his hand at making wine. News got out and Ian was reportedly Australia’s youngest winemaker, producing his own blend made predominantly of Chenin Blanc. Mum Maureen suggested it be named Lanzerac Burgundy in a tribute to a wine region of her birth country South Africa. About 300 bottles were made and sold for $5 a pop.
A new generation
Ian’s passion for wine continued and he went on to study wine with some of Australia’s best at Roseworthy Agricultural College – the only winemaking course available in Australia at the time.
A number of career changes over the years saw Ian living interstate and overseas but he was never able to shake his passion for wine. In 2020 he took the plunge and bought an established Margaret River winery to continue the Wright family tradition.
“I felt as though I’ve never really left. However, it’s been a few years now since my parents passed away and I really felt the urge and the need to continue their legacy in whatever way I could. So really, this whole reincarnation of Wright’s Vineyard is to fulfill that dream,” Ian said.
Ian’s wife Yuka and daughters Sara and Rio are now part of the Wright family wine story.
“They’ve heard me talk about my life here growing up, wine, my parents, Wright’s Wines. They’ve heard it all. Now they’re a part of it. So that’s very special for me.”
— Ian Wright
Ian’s created a perfect blend – new wine label, mature vineyard with established vines and cuttings from the original Wright family vines, and decades of knowledge from the talented and passionate team he’s assembled.
Wrights Vineyard will produce Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Semillon varieties, and in a nod to what was Wrights Wine’s signature drop, Ian plans to also reinvent their sought-after White Port from original Chardonnay and Riesling vine cuttings.
Ian is Curator of Wrights Vineyard and is supported by Viticulturalist Colin Bell and Winemaker Julian Langworthy.
A team of experts
Colin Bell
Viticulturalist
Award winning viticulturalist Colin Bell is one of Margaret River’s greatest wine champions and innovators. He’s a partner in AHA Viticulture and has represented the region on the board of Australian Vignerons and Wines of West Australia. Originally a horticulturist, Colin moved to Margaret River in the late 1990s, attracted by the relaxed lifestyle and surf breaks. Colin was awarded the 2018 Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology’s Viticulturist of the Year – the first West Australian to receive the honour.
Julian Langworthy
Winemaker
Julian Langworthy is regarded as one of the most talented winemakers in Australia with awards including James Halliday’s Winemaker of the Year, a Jimmy Watson Trophy, Ray Jordan’s Winemaker of the Year, and a Wine Society Young Winemaker of the Year nominee. Margaret River born and raised, Julian was fascinated with wine from a young age and studied winemaking. He worked in France and Canada as well as Australia’s Clare Valley, Barossa Valley and Coonawarra regions before moving back to Western Australia. Julian has been with The Fogarty Group since 2011, producing award winning wines and responsible for the Group’s five brands and a team of 12 winemakers. We’re thrilled to have him now also winemaking for Wrights.