"I always hoped that someday I would make wine for myself, under my own shingle so to speak.” – Ben Riggs

Hope fulfilled - in 2001 Mr Riggs came to life at Main Rd, McLaren Vale SA.

By this time, Ben Riggs already had 21 vintages under his belt in McLaren Vale but also as a ‘Flying Winemaker’ in such locations as the Nappa Valley, Bordeaux, Greece, Italy and the South of France.

Ben was a Roseworthy graduate and by 2000 had already achieved ‘Bushing King’ status – bestowed on the maker of the best wine at the McLaren Vale Wine Show.

With such a wealth of winemaking experience, Ben really knew what he wanted from his own label. His vision was to source the best fruit from iconic regions and to create wines that are an expression of the individual vineyards and the terroir of the region. Ben wanted to make wines that he would want to drink – nothing pretentious, big rich and complex but also with finesse, texture and elegance.

To achieve his vision, Ben works with vineyards in McLaren Vale, Clare Valley, Adelaide Hills, Langhorne Creek, Coonawarra and even his own Piebald Gully vineyard in Clarendon. They are all superb examples of diverse terroir and the fruit from these gems are the key to Ben’s creation of true ‘Winemaker’s Wine’.

In James Halliday’s 2011 Australian Wine Companion, Mr Riggs scores an impressive 5 stars. -Daniel Jess, Amanda McErlean