d'Arenberg is an
Australian wine
The Australian wine industry is one of the world's largest exporters of wine, with approximately 800 million out of the 1.2 to 1.3 billion litres produced annually exported to overseas markets. The wine industry is a significant contributor ...
company founded in 1912. All of its vineyards are located in
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
's
McLaren Vale wine region, although some of the wines they make are produced from grapes sourced from the
Adelaide Hills wine region
Adelaide Hills is an Australian geographical indication for wine made from grapes grown in a specific area of the Adelaide Hills east of Adelaide in South Australia.
Extent and appellation
The Adelaide Hills wine region covers an area extendi ...
and other parts of the
Fleurieu zone
Fleurieu zone is a wine zone located south of Adelaide in South Australia. It extends from Kangaroo Island in the west as far north as Flagstaff Hill on the west side of the Mount Lofty Ranges and to as far north as Langhorne Creek on the ...
. It is now owned by the fourth generation of the Osborn family, headed by Chester Osborn. d'Arenberg are known for the quirky names of their wines, and their specialism in the
vines of the Rhône valley. They also produce many of their wines in a traditional manner, using basket
pressing for both reds and whites (the only winery in Australia to do so) and leaving the vast majority of the red wines unfiltered and unfined which can cause the wine to throw a sediment in bottle but leaves the flavour intact. The majority of their red wines are suitable for ageing as well as for drinking fairly young and even the cheaper wines show very well after a few years in bottle. Perhaps their best known wine is 'The Dead Arm Shiraz', made from fungus-infected
shiraz grape
Syrah (), also known as Shiraz, is a dark-skinned grape variety grown throughout the world and used primarily to produce red wine. In 1999, Syrah was found to be the offspring of two obscure grapes from southeastern France, Dureza and Mondeu ...
vines.
In 2009 D'Arenberg joined
Australian wine alliance First Families of Wine.
[Simon Evans, The Australian Financial Review, Tuesday 18 August 2009, Page 61][Chris Snow, Decanter Magazine, 17 August 2009, Top Australian wineries team up to push super-premium wines]
The Dead Arm Shiraz
The term "
Dead Arm" comes from the disease
Eutypa lata
Phomopsis cane and leaf spot occurs wherever grapes are grown. Phomopsis cane and leaf spot is more severe in grape-growing regions characterized by a humid temperate climate through the growing season. Crop losses up to 30% have been reported to ...
which is common in many older vineyards. Eutypa Lata causes grape
canker which slowly kills one of the branches of a vine. This reduces the yield of the vine and intensifies the flavour. The grapes for the Dead Arm Shiraz come from these vines in the McLaren Vale region of South Australia. The wine is very rich and full bodied. In recent years, it has become somewhat popular due to good reviews in ''
The Wine Spectator
''Wine Spectator'' is an American lifestyle magazine that focuses on wine and wine culture, and gives out ratings to certain types of wine. It publishes 15 issues per year with content that includes news, articles, profiles, and general entertain ...
'' and other publications, as well as an increased worldwide interest in
Australian wine
The Australian wine industry is one of the world's largest exporters of wine, with approximately 800 million out of the 1.2 to 1.3 billion litres produced annually exported to overseas markets. The wine industry is a significant contributor ...
.
d'Arenberg Cube

The d'Arenberg Cube is a five-storey building situated within the d'Arenberg vineyards on Osborn Road and was designed by Chief Winemaker Chester Osborn. Completed in 2017, the building contains a restaurant known as the d'Arenberg Cube Restaurant, a wine sensory room, a virtual fermenter, a 360-degree video room and the Alternate Realities Museum, which features numerous art installations.
See also
*
Australian wine
The Australian wine industry is one of the world's largest exporters of wine, with approximately 800 million out of the 1.2 to 1.3 billion litres produced annually exported to overseas markets. The wine industry is a significant contributor ...
*
Australia's First Families of Wine
References
Notes
Bibliography
*
External links
Australia's first families of Wine* https://www.darenberg.com.au/
{{DEFAULTSORT:D'arenberg
Australian wine
Wineries in McLaren Vale
Family-owned companies of Australia
Australian companies established in 1912
Food and drink companies established in 1912