The Galvanized Wine Group are a collective of people with passion and brands with presence, a grouping which brings together Australian wines crafted at McLaren Vintners by the talented winemaker, Ben Riggs, with owners, managers, staff and stakeholders in common. Woop Woop is a collaboration between intrepid winemaker Ben Riggs and vigneron Tony Parkinson, proprietor of runaway success Penny's Hill. The range includes wines under Mr Riggs own label label - "making the wines I love" - from the Riggs family's Piebald Gully Vineyard and only from other plots considered to be outstanding. Penny's Hill, proudly Australian, more so McLaren Vale from its own high performance McLaren Valley Vineyards.
Other brands within the Galvanized Wine Group's collective approach to strategic market positioning, stratification of style and triangulated approach to volume and pricing, include the highly successful Woop Woop - out there from out there, and its sibling, The Black Chook - wines of character. The Galvanized Wine Group offers excitement, energy and above all, empathy with the palates of lovers of wines in the New World. Based in South Australia's burgeoning McLaren Vale region, the group champions wines from proven vineyards, blessed with fortunate terroir, noted for the love and care of their viticulturists.
McLaren Vale has an unrivalled reputation in Australia and indeed the world, for constantly producing first-class wines. It has one of the most consistent, Mediterranean-style climates in which to grow premium wine grapes. The cool climate of the Adelaide Hills on very old podzolic soils of low to moderate fertility makes for ideal growing conditions and an enviable reputation for magnificent white grapes.
Nearby Langhorne Creek is an old established region from which both Shiraz and Viognier have been drawn. Padthaway, first planted in 1964, is an iconic South Eastern Australian region known for rich soils, underground water supply and temperate climate.
As they scratched around for a name for the first Shiraz Viognier, an obviously interested black chook stopped in its unplanned tracks, lingering, as only chooks do, just long enough for the penny to drop. For its trouble, they immortalised that single Black Chook, rationalising that it had come from a small white egg, just as their dark, inky, black Shiraz had been transformed by a tiny amount of fragrant white Viognier. Utilising premium fruit from eminent wine regions in South Australia, The Black Chook brand struts affordable wines to be enjoyed and adored, shared and celebrated! Since first vintage in 2003, The Black Chook Shiraz has scored an uninterrupted run of 90+ points, internationally recognised reviews and enjoys great success everywhere.
Careful vineyard selection teamed with exceptional winemaking and an emphasis on consistent varietal expression hatches wines with approachability, generosity and character that really are something to cluck about.
