d’Arenberg - Uncomplicated | Meininger's International

Australians are known for their relaxed culture. The d'Arenberg Osborn family from McLaren Vale in Southern Australia has been living it for more than 100 years.

Chester d’Arenberg Osborn is a humorous, unconventional, and open man with colourful shirts and dark-blonde, shoulder-length curls. Many people have this bird of paradise-like “Crocodile Dundee” image of a relaxed Australian. Chester, who was born in 1962, however, is a winemaker who should be taken seriously. With a diploma in oenology from Roseworthy College, he became the chief winemaker in his family's business after finishing his studies in 1983. He is the fourth generation working in the family business, which owns one of the original vineyards of the country, and which celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2012.

In the same month the Titanic sank, April 1912, the teetotaller Joseph Osborn purchased a 65-hectare farm in the Northern McLaren Vale. The farm included 25- hectare grape-growing area. He and his son Francis sold the grapes to neighbouring vineyards. Fifteen years later, however - the teetotaller has been dead for six years - the farm featured a handsome cellar building, and the grape-growing area was increased to 78 hectares. Francis d’Arenberg Osborn, called d’Arry, was born in 1926 and joined the business in 1943 at the age of 16. In 1959, he invented the famous red banner and the d’Arenberg brand, named after the mother’s maiden name. In fact, d’Arry was one of Australia’s great wine personalities, and was awarded the “Queen’s Medal” several times for his services surrounding the Australian wine industry.

Chester follows in these father’s footsteps. Some wines with his signature are considered some of country’s best wines: “The Dead Arm” (since 1993), “The Coppermine Road”, and “The Stump Jump” wines, which all have a story to tell about how and why they received their unique names. Chester uses modern know-how and traditional processes such as the harvesting by hand and the mashing of the red wine grapes with the feed; at d’Arenberg, making wine is not just manual labour, but also involves foot work. The numerous trophies and awards won at competitions and documented by the relevant magazines and wine guides proves that work is fun at d’Arenberg, but also involves a well thought-out vision for the future. The entire production, for example, is governed by sustainability principles: In minimal input viticulture, nature comes first.