CHRIS RINGLAND

With possibly the most well-known name in Australian winemaking, you may be surprised to find out that Chris Ringland is actually a New Zealander. From humble beginnings in South Auckland, making his first wine with grapes ‘obtained’ from neighbours’ backyards, he now produces some of the most sought-after red wines in the world.

He developed his unique style working with Robert O’Callaghan at Rockford Wines in the Barossa for 15 years. While there, he was allowed to pursue a small personal project that became the iconic Three Rivers Shiraz (now under his own name).

These wines are micro-production with a common thread, using extremely old pre-phylloxera vines, and the grapes only picked at full ripeness. Only French oak is used and the wines are neither fined nor filtered.

Chris Ringland

My Story Born in Auckland, New Zealand, Chris had a passion for wine from a very young age, cultivating neighbour’s vines to make his first wines. After a few years working as a cellar hand locally, Chris travelled to South Australia where he studied oenology at the famed Roseworthy campus. On completion of his studies, Chris returned to New Zealand where he finished his citation on wine phenolics and protein fining agents. After periods of working in California and Europe, Chris found his way back to South Australia and in the late eighties took a position with Robert O’Callaghan at Rockford wines in the Barossa. It was here Chris developed his unique style and produced his now world famous Shiraz, under his own name. (Formerly Three Rivers Shiraz). After 15 years at Rockford, Chris travelled back to Europe and developed a number of projects with local producers in Spain.