Brothers-in-law Daniel Chaffey Hartwig and Theo Engela are the latest generation of the Chaffey family to ply their vinous trade in Australia. The original Chaffey Brothers were true iconoclasts. They arrived in Australia in 1886 and proceeded to make an indelible mark on the Australian Wine Landscape.

Chaffey Bros. wines are handmade with minimal intervention and sourced from individual parcels of low yielding vineyards spread throughout the Barossa and Eden Valleys. Drawing on true old vines and complex soils, they see themselves as part parfumier – discovering delicate aromatics; part historian – preserving the purity of pristine fruit; and part mad scientist – reveling in the lost art of small batch blending.

“For us, it’s about storytelling,” says Daniel, “which is what a lot of winemakers say … but for me this area is very special, every time I do a lap of the Barossa it’s like reliving my childhood.

“Every time you make wine from a place like that, it’s like reliving a memory and sharing it with someone else. There’s part of me that wants to be a writer or a filmmaker, but you can do that with wine. Wine is such a great way of doing it because you’re sharing an immediate experience right there through the label, through the story of how that style came to be. You can articulate quite complex messages and histories and hopefully come upon something special.”

They have a passion for the region, which is as infectious as it is inspiring. The Barossa, for the Chaffey Brothers, is more than just a place of work. It has touched and changed them, because just like their wine, they’ve grown here.

The Chaffey Bros. wines are diverse; working with primarily small-batch wines, the pair prioritise experimentation and quality. All wines have minimal intervention and are vegetarian and vegan friendly. The brothers have a strong connection and faith in the terroir that pervades all aspects of the brand.

Four wines available to purchase from Negociants New Zealand