QUICK WINERY FACTS
  • Owner, Viticulturalist, Winemaker, Sales Manager, Cleaner: Alan Brady
  • Altitude (meters above sea level): 500
  • Grape varieties: Pinot Noir
  • Date first planted: 2006 (approx)
  • Wine labels: Wild Irishman ‘Macushla’ Pinot Noir, Wild Irishman ‘Three Colleens’ Pinot Noir

WILD IRISHMAN WINES

Wild Irishman owner, winemaker, grape grower and cleaner, Alan Brady, is considered the founding father of commercial wines and Pinot Noir in Gibbston. He started the Gibbston Valley Wines in the 80s which led to the growth of the wine industry in the region. After the business got too big he sold Gibbston Valley Wines and started My Edward. But the same story, he just makes wines too successful and in 2005 Brady retired as Mt Edward became quite big. (Find our more about Alan Brady in our story on Gibbston’s founding father.)

Unfortunately retirement was never going to suit Brady and in 2006 Alan return to “play’ and to have ‘a lot of fun’ making the Wild Irishman wines. Named as a reference to his own heritage but also to the Matagouri, a native weed like bush that has thorns as sharp and large as the worst needles you will ever see in a movie!

Whether he likes it or not Brady has once again gone on to make exceptionally marketable wines. Without the commercial pressures he has produced outstanding Pinot Noirs which you can taste at the Kinross Gibbston Valley Wine Experience on your Altitude Wine Tour.

With only 150 cases of each wine produced each year tasting these wines is a real treat and each drop should be savoured. The wines are produced in a single vineyard high high up in the Gibbston Valley at 500 metres above sea level.

Expect to taste wines that are quite different to others you will expect from Central Otago. Very silky and soft these wines really demonstrate the complexities of aromas that are associated with traditional Burgundian Pinto Noirs ( tobacco, tealeaf, balsamic, red berry fruits, spices, and down on the farm whiffs). The complexities are equally notable on the plate with tastes of spice, tobacco, dried herbs, balsamic, dried tamarind all with a silky, rich mouth-filling sweet concentration of red berries.  (Learn more about tasting wines in our guide to using your sense to taste wines.)

Can you tell? We love these wines!!!!