Tait Wines is located at the southern end of the famous Barossa Valley, in a town called Lyndoch in South Australia, and overlooks the spectacular Barossa Ranges. The panoramic view is an ideal setting for enjoying Tait Wines. The cellar door is a place that is relaxed and friendly and where you can experience personalized wine tasting. Displays at the winery give a working history of the traditional winemaking and viticultural methods.
The owners of the winery are brothers Michael and Bruno Tait, and Bruno’s wife, Michelle. They purchased the property in 1994 to continue their family’s involvement in the winemaking industry.
Although relatively new to the industry's winemaking aspect, the Tait family has long-established roots in the South Australian wine industry. Their father, Giovanni Tait (1927-1997), migrated to Australia from Italy in 1957 to take up work as a cooper in the Barossa. His high skill and craftsmanship in his chosen trade led him to B Seppelts and Sons where he took an active role in the production and maturation of wine in oak casks.
He learned cooperage from his father and grandfather before migrating to Australia. The family had practiced the art of cooperage for over 100 years, making and repairing oak barrels used for the maturation of both table and fortified wine. It was not until his sons grew older that Giovanni's real dream came to reality – establishing a small winery called Tait Wines. His vision for Tait Wines was a traditional winery, using all the old winemaking methods to produce handcrafted wines full-flavored and tasty.
The family fulfills the dream and acknowledges their father's vision by dedicating the estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon in his honor. This wine reflects all of Giovanni's qualities of age, depth of character, and fullness of life. It is the Tait philosophy that all quality wine starts in the vineyard. The Barossa fruit they use is always very low-yielding and produces highly concentrated flavors and aromas.
The grapes used to make Tait Wines are all grown in the Barossa Valley, either by Michael and Bruno or by partnering grape growers who have the same winemaking philosophy. The apparent attention to detail and strong relationships with his growers have allowed Bruno access to high-quality fruit (the old vine fruit is from vines 50-80 years old), which he has then transformed into wines that are reflective of his personality - big, generous with loads of personality. We use a minimal spraying philosophy to ensure a chemical-free wine. The Tait Wines winemaking facility is situated on the property to ensure consistency and quality.
The facility is a combination of old and new world technologies. During the vines' ripening phase, Bruno samples the grapes to determine the optimum combination of fruit flavors, sugar content, and acid balance for the best picking time. Grapes are picked and then gently crushed into open fermenters. This process takes approximately 7 to 10 days and is constantly monitored by using new world computer technology. Computers are programmed to turn on pumps as temperatures reach pre-programmed settings. Once the wine has achieved the desired color and fruit flavor, we press the grapes using a traditional basket press.
This method of pressing produces a softer, more approachable wine. The wine is then placed into a combination of old and new oak to mature for approximately 12 months. Before bottling, Bruno blends the differing wines from the barrels to produce a balanced, full-bodied wine. Tait Wines is truly the epitome of the boutique winery. Winemaker Bruno's winemaking philosophy is a simple one – source the highest quality grapes possible, preferably from old vines, and then produce limited quantities of full-bodied, rich flavored wines that are mouth-filling and soft-textured, expressing the generosity of the Barossa at its best.
The owners of the winery are brothers Michael and Bruno Tait, and Bruno’s wife, Michelle. They purchased the property in 1994 to continue their family’s involvement in the winemaking industry.
Although relatively new to the industry's winemaking aspect, the Tait family has long-established roots in the South Australian wine industry. Their father, Giovanni Tait (1927-1997), migrated to Australia from Italy in 1957 to take up work as a cooper in the Barossa. His high skill and craftsmanship in his chosen trade led him to B Seppelts and Sons where he took an active role in the production and maturation of wine in oak casks.
He learned cooperage from his father and grandfather before migrating to Australia. The family had practiced the art of cooperage for over 100 years, making and repairing oak barrels used for the maturation of both table and fortified wine. It was not until his sons grew older that Giovanni's real dream came to reality – establishing a small winery called Tait Wines. His vision for Tait Wines was a traditional winery, using all the old winemaking methods to produce handcrafted wines full-flavored and tasty.
The family fulfills the dream and acknowledges their father's vision by dedicating the estate-grown Cabernet Sauvignon in his honor. This wine reflects all of Giovanni's qualities of age, depth of character, and fullness of life. It is the Tait philosophy that all quality wine starts in the vineyard. The Barossa fruit they use is always very low-yielding and produces highly concentrated flavors and aromas.
The grapes used to make Tait Wines are all grown in the Barossa Valley, either by Michael and Bruno or by partnering grape growers who have the same winemaking philosophy. The apparent attention to detail and strong relationships with his growers have allowed Bruno access to high-quality fruit (the old vine fruit is from vines 50-80 years old), which he has then transformed into wines that are reflective of his personality - big, generous with loads of personality. We use a minimal spraying philosophy to ensure a chemical-free wine. The Tait Wines winemaking facility is situated on the property to ensure consistency and quality.
The facility is a combination of old and new world technologies. During the vines' ripening phase, Bruno samples the grapes to determine the optimum combination of fruit flavors, sugar content, and acid balance for the best picking time. Grapes are picked and then gently crushed into open fermenters. This process takes approximately 7 to 10 days and is constantly monitored by using new world computer technology. Computers are programmed to turn on pumps as temperatures reach pre-programmed settings. Once the wine has achieved the desired color and fruit flavor, we press the grapes using a traditional basket press.
This method of pressing produces a softer, more approachable wine. The wine is then placed into a combination of old and new oak to mature for approximately 12 months. Before bottling, Bruno blends the differing wines from the barrels to produce a balanced, full-bodied wine. Tait Wines is truly the epitome of the boutique winery. Winemaker Bruno's winemaking philosophy is a simple one – source the highest quality grapes possible, preferably from old vines, and then produce limited quantities of full-bodied, rich flavored wines that are mouth-filling and soft-textured, expressing the generosity of the Barossa at its best.
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