History

In early 1994 long term ‘islanders’ Jeff Howard and Alan ‘Nugget’ Willson started preparing the ground on their mixed farming properties for the planting of vine cuttings. After much consultation, Shiraz and Cabernet Sauvignon root stocks were selected as being the most suitable for the particular soil conditions.

Those plantings at Porky Flat and Hog Bay River on the Dudley Peninsula were to be the start of Kangaroo Island’s first commercial winery operation.

Three years later, the first Dudley wine was produced – the 1997 ‘Shearing Shed Red’, a Shiraz/Cabernet Sauvignon blend. And yes, it was made in Jeff’s shearing shed.

Figuring that in the long run it would be best to have an operational winery right next to the vineyards, the pair enlisted the support of other locals and began a slow winery development programme. The initial investments in equipment were modest, but as the volume of grapes grew with the maturing vineyards, so did the need for improved processing and storage facilities.

Today, Dudley Wines boasts some of the latest winery systems and equipment, housed in buildings especially constructed for the purpose. The range of wines has increased as other grape varieties have become available, and while the original shearing shed is no longer used for winemaking, it still stands as a reminder of Dudley Wines’ beginnings.

 

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Dudley’s first wine, a 1997 Shiraz/Cabernet blend, was made in a shearing shed.