Regarded as the most prestigious wine region in Australia, 60km north of Adelaide, in South Australia. Traditional owners the Ngadjuri and Peramangk, lived on and facilitated the land. The area was rich in supplies, including plants for food and medicine, animals for meat and plenty of fresh water.

Traditional owners the Ngadjuri and Peramangk lived on, cared for and nurtured the land. The area was rich in supplies, including plants for food and medicine, animals for meat and plenty of fresh water.

Mediterranean continental climate of warm, dry summers and cool, wet winters (400mm rain).

The diverse ancient soils are often shallow and hungry, reducing vine vigour and yield, creating wines of generous fruit intensity.

Traditional varieties such as Shiraz, Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache dominate. 

An Ancestor vine has stood strong and proud for at least one hundred and twenty five years — a living tribute to the early European settlers of Barossa. Their genetic material has helped to populate the region with

irreplaceable old stocks that underpin the viticultural tradition. They tend to be dry-grown, low-yielding vines with great intensity of flavour, and are believed to be among the oldest producing vines in the world.

Hailing from the sun baked southern Italian region of Calabria, Vincent Cirillo immigrated to South Australia in 1946 with over 400 years of wine making history in the family  spanning
9 x generations.

The Barossa Valley, first settled in 1842, became home along with the acquisition of some remarkable vineyards planted in 1848, making them of some of the very first Barossa Valley vines ever planted.

These parcels of Grenache and Semillon are now recognised as the oldest surviving and producing examples of these varietals in the world.

During the bureaucratic madness of the great vine pull program of the 1980’s, Vincent remained steadfast and thankfully today we still have these 1848 vines.

Today, Marco Cirillo, the youngest of Vincent & Lina’s four children leads all facets of the Cirillo story, from viticulture to winemaking to winery management. 

Marco studied winemaking in Wagga Wagga and has had honed his skills as an exceptional talent who is immensely proud to showcase his rare earth.

In the last 50 years only Vincent and Marco have pruned the 1848 Grenache vineyard, such is the fastidious accountability for these treasures.

Marco, wife Annika  (of the famous Lehmann family) and young daughters Maya and Ella carry on the Cirillo traditions.